Identity: the foundations of British culture 2.. Living culture: the state of modern Britain Hip hop has made inroads into the charts in recent years, led by American artists but restyle
Trang 11 Identity: the
foundations
of British culture
2 Literature
and philosophy
3 Art, architecture and design
4 Performing arts
5 Cinema, photography and fashion
6 Media and communications
7 Food and drink 8 Living culture:
the state of modern Britain
Hip hop has made inroads into the charts in recent
years, led by American artists but restyled by British
acts like Dizzee Rascal and Kano, who also draw rap,
dancehall, garage and other elements of urban music
– a vital force in modern British culture – into their
work Perhaps the unexpected revelation of the later
Noughties has been the rise of the female
singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse, Adele and Duffy
have reshaped listening habits with smoky, soulful
vocals that, however derivative, repeatedly impress.
Both Winehouse and Adele attended the Brit School,
a performing arts college which, along with reality TV
shows like Pop Idol, Popstars: The Rivals and The
X-Factor (which generously coughed up Girls Aloud,
Leona Lewis (another Brit School graduate) and Will
Young), perhaps proves that modern pop stars are
made not born The Brit-led reality TV talent show
format has been sold around the world, a source of
national pride or shame depending on your outlook.
Glastonbury
Held most years in June, in Somerset, it is the world’s largest performing arts
festival Set in 900 acres of farmland, or mud, depending on the weather
Aldeburgh
A programme of predominantly classical music unfurls on the Suffolk coast each
June Most of the action actually happens in the converted maltings at Snape
Creamfields
Dance music reigns in Cheshire each August, in the festival baby of Liverpool
superclub, Cream
WOMAD
Festival of world music that’s been going on in the West Country each July since
1982 Spin-off WOMAD fests now occur around the world
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues
The biggest such fest in Britain usually starts swinging at the end of July
Five British music festivals
Parachutes
(2000) Coldplay
Up the Bracket
(2002) The Libertines
A Grand Don’t Come For Free
(2004) The Streets
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
(2006) Arctic Monkeys
Back to Black
(2006) Amy Winehouse
Boys and girls
The 1990s witnessed the rise and, hankies at the ready, the fall of the boy band and the girl group With irritatingly catchy
hits like Back For Good
(1995) and a young Robbie Williams in their ranks, Take That became pin-ups for prepubescent girls nationwide (not to mention their sizeable gay following) while The Spice Girls sold an unbelievable 55 million records worldwide after hitting the big time with their debut single
Wannabe (1996).
A flavour of the 21st century: five albums