Tipex vs. Free Brazilian Music: Crying Over Spilled Digital Milk

YouTube embedding did not work: got to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maI14tEIaiE [HERE]

The funky Israeli pop band Tipex has a song about music piracy. The words describe a woman in her car playing supposedly pirated music. She doesn't care where the music comes from, she doesn't even care what goes on outside her Jeep. The Jeep, a metaphor in Israel for financial success and individuality, what Israelis have been seeking forever. No mention of the music industry in the song, it is a bit sarcastic and uses dark humor, Tipex's trade style. Tipex, a successful band that has seen the traditional CD industry collapse from pirated music, are trying to show how the music industry loses from piracy. In Israel, the music industry, specially CD manufacturing, studios and sales outlets was a nice industry. CD pirating killed that industry, in some sectors it came so quickly and completely as the saying goes: "they didn't see it comin'" . This is going back ten to fifteen years, so what is new here? Why cry over spilled "digital" milk? (i.e. why complain over a lost cause from so long ago?) See the CD on Amazon:Sitting at the Cafe

In Brazil, a larger country with more music piracy they found a creative way to deal with the lost CD industry. They give away the music so people do not have to copy it illegally. Then they make the money on live shows. The shows they let people video tape and post on blogs and YouTube. The groups get exposure and free publicity, people come to see great shows, everyone is happy. In Israel the live music world is much less developed. There is a huge family event market: weddings, family parties, bar/bat-mitzvah and other group events. Here, specially the less known performers, do short sets of 20 minutes to an hour in family events. There are all kind of jokes even performers writing songs just for weddings (more on this in future posts.) Their music is circulated just like in Brazil. Today, with smart phones and laptops, MP3s are pushed around like a virus. It is too bad Israeli artists are not using Brazilian tactics. But maybe Israelis can't do what Brazilian are doing. In Israel we simply don't have the dance, music and live performance culture. Looking at other countries can make one envy. But in reality each culture has it's own way of doing things. Just imagine, are Brazilian performers envious of the Cubans? But that is another story. Oh, if you like Brazilian, Cuban or Israeli music, head off to YouTube and have some fun. Be warned, to real music lovers, YouTube is an addictive pastime.