1. Silibil N’ Brains
‘Authenticity’ of English
in Asian Popular Music
Andrew Moody
University of Macau
Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd
1 2
The Proclaimers California Schemin’
We walked out on to the tiny stage to an intense roar from a packed venue.
The atmosphere was electric, everyone expectant. Before the lights came on
to blind me, I scanned the crowd and saw several familiar faces: Ruth, old
fans, old A&Rs, friends and enemies. Behind me, the band launched into our
opening song, 'Become the Monster', and it carried me up on a wave of pure
momentum. This, I knew, was it. I would not fuck things up, not this time. I
would do what had to be done. I approached the microphone and gripped it
tightly between two clammy palms. Over the sound of the building
drumbeat, I spoke.
'We're Hopeless Heroic', I said, not in my affected accent, but in my broad,
natural one, and with pride. 'I'm Gavin Bain and . . .' My mouth was dry. I took
a breath. 'And I'm not American, I'm Scottish'.
I dared a glace at Grant on guitar, who was watching me curiously, as if
1988 waiting for the punchline to a joke he didn't get. I turned to face the crowd
again as 'Become the Monster' took off, and I sang out loud in my own voice
— at last.
Gavin Bain (2010), p. 273
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Linguistic Importance Linguistic Importance
of ‘Authenticity’ of ‘Authenticity’
. . .our goal is to observe the way people use In its political guise, Romanticism sought to locate
language when they are not being observed. the underpinnings of the European nation in the
All of our methods involve an approximation spirit of its people -- particularly the peasants whose
to this goal: when we approach from two culture supposedly remained untouched by urbanity.
different directions, and get the same result, In its scholarly guise, Romanticism valorized the
we can feel confident that we have reached rural population as the authentic source of
past the Observer’s Paradox to the structure traditional cultural knowledge and practice, including
that exists independently of the analyst. language. Dialectology furthered both of these
efforts.
William Labov (1972), pp. 61-2
Mary Bucholtz (2003), p. 399
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2. Linguistic Importance Linguistic Importance
of ‘Authenticity’ of ‘Authenticity’
In fact, my starting point is that sociolinguistics has
invested very heavily -- and arguably too heavily -- in Playful, ironic, quotative or other ‘performing’
the view that some sorts of language and some sorts informants have, until recently, been either hard to
of speaker are authentic, and that it has thought conceive or easy to ignore in sociolinguistics.
them more valuable for being more authentic.
Nikolas Coupland (2003), p. 423
Nikolas Coupland (2003), p. 418
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Linguistic Importance Special Issue of
of ‘Authenticity’ Discourse Studies
The sociolinguistic study of authenticity proposed
here therefore has two principal aims. The first is to November 2001
Volume 3, No. 4
examine the authenticating practices of language Special Issue on
users. The second is to examine the authenticating Authenticity in Broadcast Talk
practices of sociolinguists themselves. 8 articles
Mary Bucholtz (2003), p. 399
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Linguistic Importance Sociolinguistic Approaches
of ‘Authenticity’ to ‘Authenticity
• Stylisation (relational approach to identity) --
Coupland (2001)
It is not so much the authority of the speaker that
authenticates the [broadcast news] account. Instead,
• Linguistics of contact -- Pratt (1987)
it is the nature and manner of the talk itself that • Communities of practice -- Eckert and McConnell-
makes for compelling testimony. Ginet (1992)
Martin Montgomery (2001), p. 404 • Language crossing -- Rampton (1995)
• Audience and referee design -- Bell (1984, 2001)
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• Act of identity -- LePage and Tabouret-Keller (1985) 12

3. Cultural Importance of Types of Authenticity
‘Authenticity’ When people say a musical performance or recording is
authentic, they might refer to representational authenticity, or
music that is exactly what it says it is — unlike, say Milli Vanilli
posing as signers, where they weren't. They might refer to
Good music is the authentic expression of cultural authenticity, or music that reflects a cultural tradition—
something — a person, an idea, a feeling, a shared the traditional black guitarist and singer Mississippi John Hurt's
experience, a Zeitgeist. Bad music is inauthentic — it version of 'Stagger Lee', an old African American song about an
expresses nothing. The most common term of abuse outlaw, is more culturally authentic than the Grateful Dead's.
They might refer to personal authenticity, or music that reflects
in rock criticism is 'bland' — bland music has
the person or people who are making it — when Ozzy
nothing in it and is made only to be commercially Osbourne sings 'Iron Man', he tells us nothing about his own
pleasing. life, but when Loretta Lynn signs 'Coal Miner's Daughter', she
tells us a lot.
Simon Frith (1987), p. 136
Hugh Barker and Yuval Taylor (2007), p. x (emphasis added)
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Tension between Cultural Authenticity Cultural Authenticity
and Personal Authenticity
• On the one hand, the musical performance and Last night or the night before that,
I won't say which night
cultural authenticity requires a specific type of
linguistic performance in order to appear authentic. A seaman friend of mine,
I'll not say which seaman,
- Dusty Springfield or Tom Jones Walked up to a big old building,
• On the other hand, individual performers find it I won't say which building,
And would have not walked up the stairs,
artistically difficult to suppress their linguistic and
cultural identity and personal authenticity may not to say which stairs,
prevail. If there had not been two girls,
leaving out the names of those two girls.
- Robert Plant or Rod Stewart
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Personal Authenticity Transcultural Flows
My seaman buddy and girl moved off
after a couple of pages and there I was,
All night long, laying and listening
and forgetting the poems. ‘ways in which cultural forms move, change,
And as well as I could recall and are re-used to fashion new identities in
or my seaman buddy could recollect, diverse contexts’
The girl had told us that she was a niece, Pennycook (2006) Global Englishes and
of Walt Whitman, but not which niece, Transcultural Flows
And it takes a night and a girl
and a book of this kind
A long long time to find its way back
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4. Language Leaking into
Transcultural Flows
Performance Dialects
The flood of Anglo-American music around the world
in the 1950s and 1960s influenced local musicians but
did not prevent them from developing their own
styles, adapting to their own cultures. The result has
been transculturation, where individual music cultures
pick up elements from transcultural music — but also Peter Trudgill (1983)
some national and local music cultures contribute to
transcultural music. The resulting process is
characterized by a two-way flow.
Craig Lockard (1998), pp. 49-50
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John Lennon and a fan on accent Beatles on accent, September 1963
‘I want to play me drums for the Queen’ -- Ringo
21 22
Royal Variety Show, September 1963 Flow of Language Across Cultural Forms
‘linking and intrusive /r/’
There were birds in the sky
The Beatles
But I never saw them winging
(Paul McCartney)
No I never saw them at all
‘Till There Was You’
Till there was you
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5. Acts of Authenticity: Acts of Authenticity:
Manufacturing Authenticity Manufacturing Authenticity
Language Culture • In the same way that acts of identity may be evaluated
as focussed or diffuse, authenticity may also be
Performers evaluated as focussed or diffuse.
Performances • Focussed authenticity: the characteristics that make
the language performance authentic are easily
identifiable and acknowledged within the community.
Audience
• Diffuse authenticity: the authentic characteristics of
Transcultural Flows
the performance are not easily identifiable nor widely
acknowledged.
25 26
Dengue Fever
Dengue Fever ‘Seeing Hands’
27 28
Love Psychedelico
Pink Floyd Animals ©Capitol, 1977 ["Last Smile"]
[In this song ("Last Smile"), both Japanese and English exist at the
same temperature. That is new. (This song) goes back and forth
between Japanese and English easily and wonderfully. Moreover, the
lyrics don't seem to be a circus of words, but make good sense.] (79)
Nobuaki, Konuki [ ]. [Language Magic in Songs].
Tokyo: Yamaha Music Media Corporation, 2003.
Love Psychedelico
Love Psychedelic Orchestra ©Victor,
2002 The Who Quadrophenia ©MCA, 1973
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6. Your Song I Miss You
style (you are still all in imaginary style) sky (you are the sky)
fly (fly like an image of flowers) fly (fly in a dream)
queen (clear pupils and slender, queen tonight lie (lie forever)
again) deep inside
die (inside me, love die)
smile (smile with a favorite pose)
after (grief after)
oh sing it to me
mind (wavering mind)
oh sing it to me
(like I want to cry)
days (endless days of you)
another sight
oh sing it to me
side (unfinishable my side)
oh sing it to me your song
don't you know?
I will be nothing to you
(sadness is calling)
(a deep sky)
[yond!lu] dive (took me and dive)
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ride on, ride
Waltz
life (eternally existed life)
love (darkness and brightness are ordinary love)
every time nobody calls my name
nakitai k"#ai
nobody calls my name (I've loved)
on your lips, on your lips
n!kt'ai k'#ai stay
by your side (I've gone, but not by your side)
mind (that is stay, floating alone mind)
everywhen please don't close your eyes
everywhen please don't close your eyes
sentence in clouds. . .
and the radio turns on, so I
good-bye (now dearest you, good-bye)
(thinking of you now like blind)
sway (sway in the wind)
ride on, ride
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Interpreted as ‘Personal
Cultural Authenticity
Authenticity’
• Psychedelic music, at the time that Kumi
• Kumi’s English is often proclaimed to be as good was living in San Francisco, was probably
as her Japanese, and this is often attributed to not the dominant genre available, although
the ‘fact’ that she is a returnee. it is very much a part of the SF music
• ‘Psychedelic style’ often attributed to returnee scene.
experience in San Francisco in the 1970s. • Love Psychedelico are very much a part of
• In a recent interview with Love Pscyhedelico a naive ‘hippy movement’ in Japanese pop in
the late 1990s.
Kumi acknowledged that she had lived in San
Francisco when she was age 2-7 (i.e. 1978-85). - Okada Tamio, Puffy, etc.
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7. Musical Singing Style ‘Returnee’ Style
• Often compared in the reviews and trade publications • Grammar is usually correct, although it may not
show the usual sensitivity to style and register
as ‘the Japanese Sheryl Crow’. requirements.
• Might have influenced the Ting Tings (UK). • A large number of English words, usually not
• Style of Japanese is very unique, and difficult for most adapted to Japanese usage.
Japanese speakers to even identify as Japanese.
• Stereotypical ‘foreign’ features of pronunciation:
• Difficultly in performing Karaoke, makes similar groups
- aspiration of consonants, retroflex of post-
like Superfly more popular than Love Psychedelico. vocalic /r/, diphthongization of vowels, etc.
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Authenticity of
Returnee Style Zee Avi, ‘Zee Avi’ (2009)
• Although this may not be a style that Kumi
has personal authenticity with using, she likely
does have access to the style and close
knowledge of it.
• The cultural authenticity of the style seems
to be widely accepted within Japanese
culture, suggesting that the influence of
English is more than just a single aberration.
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Zee Avi: Cultural
Zee Avi, ‘Honey Bee’ (2009) Authenticity
• Has not really experienced much success in
Malaysia, and does not seem to have tried
to find a local route to success.
• Many young Malaysians feel that her use of
English is somewhat inauthentic and that
she should instead perform in Malay.
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8. Zee Avi, ‘Kantoi’ (2009)
Semalam I call you, you tak answer
You kata you keluar pergi dinner
You kata you keluar dengan kawan you
[last night I call you, you don't answer]
[you said you went out to dinner]
[you said you went out with your friends ]
Personal Authenticity
But when I called Tommy he said it wasn't true
So I drove my car pergi Damansara [to Damansara]
Tommy kata maybe you tengok bola
Tapi bila I sampai, you tak ada
[Tommy said maybe you are watching a football match]
[but when I arrived, you were not there] • Zee Avi notes that the language of ‘Kantoi’
Lagilah I jadi gila! [Of course I became angry]
is an authentic language that she uses, and
So I called and called sampai you answer
You kata, 'Sorry, sayang. Tadi tak dengar.
[until]
[You said 'Sorry, darling. I didn't hear the call.] the use of the language within the song is a
My phone was on silent; I was at the gym'.
Tapi latar belakang suara perempuan lain. [But another woman's voice was in the background] performance of identity.
Sudahlah, sayang, I don't believe you [Enough, darling]
I've always known that your words were never true
Why am I with you? I pun tak tahu [I do not know]
• At the same time the other 11 songs, which
No wonder-lah my friends pun tak suka you [do not like you] are not written in mixed code, may
So I guess that's the end of our story represent a sort of performance of a
Akhir kata she accepted his apology [Finally]
Tapi last-last kita dapat tahu she was cheating too [But last-last (in the end) we know that] musical genre with cultural authenticity.
With her ex-boyfriend's best friend...
Tommy...
Kantoi
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Journey
Journey
after 1987, or so December 2007
exit Steve Perry enter Arnel Pineda
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Discovered Singing on Journey
YouTube©
47 48

9. Style Defined by
Cultural Authenticity
Steve Perry
• Little chance for Pineda to express his personal
linguistic identity, which might be represented by
Filipino.
• It is more likely, however that the personal
authenticity is able to find expression in new material
that Journey writes with Pineda.
• Cultural authenticity, in this case, becomes more
important to the band, which had become largely
irrelevant. The ideology that is presented here values
approximation of the original recording.
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Conclusions Conclusions
• Linguistic authenticity may be measured along these • ‘Authenticity’ is implicitly a value
two different axis: cultural and personal. judgement: authentic is good, inauthentic is
bad.
• While authenticity does not simplify the study of
language in popular culture, it allows us to account
for some of the interesting contradictions involved in
• Performers are evaluated as ‘authentic’ less
often than performances are evaluated.
performing music and, to some extent, performing
ethnicity. • Personal and cultural authenticity criteria
may very well be taken in opposition to
• Authenticity becomes a ‘value-adding’ feature of the one another.
language of popular music.
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Conclusions Conclusions
• Performers manipulate various factors to • Performances my be conceived not as ‘acts
authenticate a performance. These may of identity’, but as ‘acts of authenticity’. In
include linguistic factors, musical, visual, this environment authenticity is
personal history, etc. manufactured by the performer and/or
audience.
• Flows of language and culture create
complex multilinguistic and multicultural • The evaluation of authenticity is based on
environments in which authenticity may be whether or not the manipulated features
performed or evaluated. are focussed or diffuse.
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10. Authenticity of English in
Asian Popular Music
Andrew Moody
University of Macau
amoody@umac.mo
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