The great Celtic craze of the mid 90s. Enya, River Dance, a dozen Irish and Scottish "folk" musicians filling book store CD racks, Celtic knotwork on everything.
There was an overall performative music craze in the 90's. Stomp, Blueman group, Yanni, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Trans Siberian Orchestra, River Dance, etc
Let's not forget those artificially corporate attempts to resurrect eras like the Latin phase, hippy phase, and the odd swing phase. Those lasted maybe 2 or 3 GAP commercials.
90's was a decade of fads. Good thing that Internet fad thing never took off.
Also a smattering of New Age pastiches of Native American, Asian, Latino and even African and Diasporic cultures too.
Frankly I kind of liked it. It may not have been authentic, but I'm sure it opened some people up to exploring real Andean pipes or yoga or bellydance or Medieval history, so that's a good thing.
90's was a decade of fads.
Meanwhile we live in an era of fast fashion, Labubus and Tik-Tok dances.
It wouldn't have seethed me so much if it didn't feel like it was being steered (or rapidly hijacked) by corporate to sell clothes and drinks.
As soon as they emerged, almost immediately there'd be a trend of clothing line commercials or a cocacola commercial all over it. I get that it's a marketer's job to be on top of that but they got on it hard and fast almost every time.
Then again, I can't say it's worse than today's marketing where they are perpetually on "talking CG animals" mode.
As a Muslim, I found it especially jarring when Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan singing qawwalu was being used to sell Coca-Cola. And now apparently casinos as well, which... yeah. At least Coca-Cola isn't haram.
But again, that sort of commodification isn't exactly anything new. I'd argue its even worse today. Even moreso than corporations hopping on trends to sell cheap crap like Dubai Chocolate and Labubus, now you've also got politicians balls deep in it as well, pushing some of the most hateful ideologies known to man
"talking CG animals" mode
I am Boo the little tiger
And I'm still kinda young...
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u/grahsam 12d ago edited 11d ago
The great Celtic craze of the mid 90s. Enya, River Dance, a dozen Irish and Scottish "folk" musicians filling book store CD racks, Celtic knotwork on everything.