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Artists you like who are famous in your country but who are virtually unknown to the rest of the world

PappyBlue

PappyBlue

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When I visit a new country, I like to discover new musical artists. Most of the time, these artists are famous in their country, but are virtually unknown to the rest of the world.
Who are your favorite artists who are famous in your country and who deserve to be known around the world ? Please share with us !

I'll start with some french-canadian artists, since I'm from Quebec, Canada :

Harmonium (1972-1976 - folk/prog), one of my favorite bands of all time. They started as a folk band, then became more of a prog band.



Malajube (2004-2013 ? - Indie)




Jean Leloup (1989- pop/rock)


Les Trois Accords (1997 - power pop)


Jim et Bertrand (folk)




Please share
 
Some interesting artists. Thanks for sharing, PappyBlue.

Can't really think of anyone famous here in the US that I like that wouldn't also be known elsewhere.
 
Doodski said:
The Tragically Hip is popular in Canada and many peeps from other countries have never even heard of them. :D
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The Tragically Hip were one of my favorite band when I was in high school and I remember spending so much time trying to learn the guitar part in my favorite song, New Orleans is Sinking. It was before the "internet", at a time where you could not download a tab or watch a tutorial online to learn how to play it. If you were lucky, you had a friend who was a better guitar player and who had already done the hard work and could teach it to you;)

 
PappyBlue said:
The Tragically Hip were one of my favorite band when I was in high school and I remember spending so much time trying to learn the guitar part in my favorite song, New Orleans is Sinking. It was before the "internet", at a time where you could not download a tab or watch a tutorial online to learn how to play it. If you were lucky, you had a friend who was a better guitar player and who had already done the hard work and could teach it to you;)
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I bought the Up To Here tab book, and still never got that riff to sound right!!
 
Kuba said:
I thought you would start "And from Toronto..."
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:) I can think of some artists who are popular in their own countries, who are largely unknown in the US... if that counts. But that's not really what the OP asked.

One example might be someone like Marilia Mendonca, who is quite popular in Brazil. But probably much less well know to most music fans in the US. Unless they happen to be into her specific flavor of regional Brazilian music. This would probably be true for music in most other parts of the world (including Canada). There are a number of musical artists that are quite popular and well-known in the Balkan region, for example, that I like, who would also be virtually unknown in the US. I can also think of a few Russian and Ukrainian pop groups or artists I like, that I doubt most in the US have heard of as well.

Since I am none of the above, and largely of English and German descent, I can't really explain why I like all of these different genres. Except that its good music (imo). And different than the sort of thing I would have listened to or been exposed to as a kid.

There are probably some country, folk, gospel, and bluegrass artists that were also very popular in the US at one time, before the internet and good tape recording systems were widely available, that were not as well known outside the US. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was a hugely popular gospel and blues (and also early rock & roll, some would argue) singer/guitarist in her day might be one such example. And there are probably also some live bands, and also rap/hip-hop artists that have a stronger local or regional following in certain parts of the US, that are also less well-known elsewhere. I'm not really sure what those would be though.

The internet has erased most (though certainly not all) of the geographic boundaries from music though, in the year 2021.

I think Sister Rosetta toured Europe in her later years. So she was probably also known fairly well there later on, like many of the jazz and blues greats of that era.
 
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DVDdoug said:
A little off topic, but the title reminds me of Searching For Sugar Man. Rodriguez was a superstar in South Africa but even he didn't know it and he worked most of his life as unskilled labor in the U.S. (unpaid for his "unknown" record sales).
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It is interesting the groups and tracks that can sometimes "go viral" in other parts of the world than their place of origin. Psy's "Gangnam Style", and Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" come to mind.
 
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My favourite singer, songwriter, guitarist is Aron, Andras from Hungary(central europe), who I think is great in many formations, in many genres.

Apey (his solo project)(country, blues)
Trillion (prog rock)
Lazarvs (ex-Apey and the Pea) (sludge, stoner metal)

What do you guys think? Would he and his bands be talented enough internationally?
 
PappyBlue said:
...Who are your favorite artists who are famous in your country and who deserve to be known around the world ?...
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My 'favorite artist who [is NOT] famous in [my] country and who [... is well] known around the world?" Angélique Kidjo
ADU said:
It is interesting the groups and tracks that can sometimes "go viral" in other parts of the world than their place of origin. Psy's "Gangnam Style", and Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" come to mind.
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Some of those one-song-charlie bands do belong offshore. The sad part is that many of the 'real talent' never pass through our radar or our ears. Thanks, PappyBlue.
 
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When I worked with the music touring business I ran across a few customers I'd never heard of. I remember one particularly I'd not heard of in the US where I live but when visiting Australia my buddy's wife was a big fan of the guy (but can't remember his name for the life of me or even perusing a list of greek artists....sort of a larger/heavier guy popular in the 70s, sang in a really high and annoying voice....which is probably why I can't come up with the name, only worked a bit on his tours).
 
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