Some things in global culture are so big, so absolutely huge that they become part of the very fabric of our every day reality, they cease being what they are and become something much bigger. They come in all shapes and sizes; some are visual like the stoney revolutionary face of Che Guevara from a portrait by Alberto Korda, some are just words like calling any vacuum cleaner a hoover, not a Hoover®, some are buildings and monuments like the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower.
When things get so big and become so legendary their history tends to be forgotten, they just ‘are’. One of the biggest is a song, one that is sung every day, all around the world by millions and millions of people in english and in other languages. And yet, this song that we never really think about is still under copyright (although this has been challenged in the courts) and still requires payment for it’s use in any broadcasting from tv shows to films. Happy Birthday To You is a phenomenon, one so big that we don’t even give it a second thought. We know it better than our own national anthems and live with it from the early days of childhood to the day we pop off. It truly is something rather special that, regardless of legal ownership, doesn’t really have an owner at all.
So, what if you wanted to change it? What if you wanted to give another song a chance, to help turn the world’s back on the money men who charge to use it? Well, FMA.org (free music archive) has decided to have a crack at just that. It’s an insane idea, truly crazy but a great one too. They’ve got a truly amazing shortlist of over 100 songs all vying for your appreciation and if you’ve got a few minutes spare it’s well worth a look and listen.
So why a post about music? I love the FMA logo and they just happen to run a very interesting website and service. Enjoy!