Those who follow the work on this website know that I cover a plethora of topics concerning music history and culture. I would like to expand on that by briefly exploring something that has been near and dear to my heart since childhood: video games. Or, more specifically, video game music. I grew up in the 1990s at the crossroads of the 8-bit and 16-bit gaming generations and was fortunate enough to experience different arcades, consoles, and PCs from that era. Video game music has left an indelible impression on me through nostalgic memories, and I am not alone in expressing this sentiment. Such music is now being treated with respect as part of popular culture history. The Library of Congress recently archived the “Super Mario Bros. Theme” as part of the National Recording Registry. The ongoing financial success of new Super Mario Bros. Movie from Universal, Nintendo, and Illumination (despite negative criticism) features a score by Brian Tyler that incorporates musical collages of themes by Koji Kondo and David Wise[1] from various Mario, Luigi, and Donkey Kong games.
Perceptions about video game music have also shifted in the twenty-first century: from initially being publicly dismissed as “not music,” to achieving a place in academia via the branch of musicological research and performance called Ludomusicology. The literature and resources concerning Ludomusicology have been growing for the past twenty years or so and often combine multiple academic disciplines. As someone who researches African, Latin American, and Caribbean music and cultural customs, I must add that video game music frequently applies genres, rhythms, and instrument from these regions of the world both for inspiration and (depending on its use) maintaining some degree of cultural respect. Based on what I have compiled so far in my research via an open collaborative playlist, I have encountered many instances where video game soundtracks incorporate Hispanic, Latin American, and Caribbean[2] music. These instances often evoke geographical locations, like islands or deserts. They also serve to represent moods or characters: The variety of genres also becomes apparent: flamenco, salsa, bossa nova, cha-cha, mambo, and other Spanish and (Afro-)Latin American musical materials. Some video games also incorporate indigenous music, albeit more out of respect for Native American people. The PC game Inca from 1992 pays homage to indigenous Peruvian culture (in a futuristic way), through synthesized panpipes and guitars, as well as incorporating the Quechua language in the introduction to the game.
[1] Surprisingly, Wise was not mentioned in the end credits to the film.
[2] When I say “Caribbean,” I include all areas of the region via the Spanish, British, French, and Dutch regions.
Perceptions about video game music have also shifted in the twenty-first century: from initially being publicly dismissed as “not music,” to achieving a place in academia via the branch of musicological research and performance called Ludomusicology. The literature and resources concerning Ludomusicology have been growing for the past twenty years or so and often combine multiple academic disciplines. As someone who researches African, Latin American, and Caribbean music and cultural customs, I must add that video game music frequently applies genres, rhythms, and instrument from these regions of the world both for inspiration and (depending on its use) maintaining some degree of cultural respect. Based on what I have compiled so far in my research via an open collaborative playlist, I have encountered many instances where video game soundtracks incorporate Hispanic, Latin American, and Caribbean[2] music. These instances often evoke geographical locations, like islands or deserts. They also serve to represent moods or characters: The variety of genres also becomes apparent: flamenco, salsa, bossa nova, cha-cha, mambo, and other Spanish and (Afro-)Latin American musical materials. Some video games also incorporate indigenous music, albeit more out of respect for Native American people. The PC game Inca from 1992 pays homage to indigenous Peruvian culture (in a futuristic way), through synthesized panpipes and guitars, as well as incorporating the Quechua language in the introduction to the game.
[1] Surprisingly, Wise was not mentioned in the end credits to the film.
[2] When I say “Caribbean,” I include all areas of the region via the Spanish, British, French, and Dutch regions.
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