Explore the Hawaiian musical tradition of mele. If your culture had its own musical tradition, would it be acceptable for musicians from elsewhere to write works based on it? Consider Paul Simon, an American singer-songwriter who traveled to South Africa and released an album, Graceland, of songs, such as this one, meant to sound South African. Would he face more controversy today than he did 40 years ago?
Some art looks forward, and some around, but much looks backward. Like songwriters, artists can express the yearning for an older time—or they can try to illuminate its shortcomings. Explore the works below, then discuss: are they nostalgic or critical? Can something be both?
Writers can sometimes express the yearning for an older, simpler time. Explore the works below, then search with your team for any similar artistic or social movements today.
Nostalgia can also be a yearning for a different place, often extra keen in the literature of those who have migrated from one place to another. Consider the following selections, then discuss: is it ever truly possible to convey the sense of a place to someone who has never been there?
Some songs and artworks become touchstones of national and even nationalist nostalgia, reaching for the "good old days" even as politics and culture evolve beyond them. Consider the following examples, then discuss: should cultures continue to celebrate songs that divide them in some way from the rest of the world?