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Axé Axé is a music style that arises from Brazil's mostly black state, Bahia. The word "Axé" is a greeting in the Candomble Religion. According to a Brazilian e-magazine, the name for Axé music arises from a journalist, who wished to attached a derogatory name to the new dance-driven music, called it "Axé." In Yoruban, an African Dialect, the word, "Axé" (pronounced Ash-ay) means "life force" or "good vibration." In spite of the reporter's attempts to smear the new music movement, the name stuck and a music style emerged. Axé combines the heart of samba, reggae, rock and roll, soul, and African drumming (blocos do Afros) to produce dance-driven music. Brazil was reluctant at first to give into this new dance music craze. Artists debated the artistic qualities of Axé Music, and whether or not Axé could be considered a "real musical artform." As an American, these debates remind me of similar ones that have artists have had currently like other musical genres like rap music..and whether or not these musical forms could be considered "real music." Like all innovative music styles, the craze eventually took over the country. Axé music has supposedly gone down in popularity since 1999 with a decrease in album sales, but like Carlinhos Brown said in an interview, "Music is eternal," and so is Axé's appeal. |