"Soul" as metaphor for colonized Korea

[moshi moshi]

> for jazz, dangerous sexuality, or Japanese victimization."  Michael made me
> think about the use of "black" music in Japnese film, which deserves
> critical attention--or at least commentary.  I remember the repetitive and
> striking use of what I believe to be a black spiritual, namely "Motherless
> Child", in Oshima's documentary on Korea/ the structure of Japanese
> colonialism in Korea,  "Yunbogi-nikki" (Yunbogi-Boy).  It seems here that
> blacks/black music is associated with victimization, though importanlty the
> oppressed figure is that of Korea in the face of Japanese and US
> militarism.

I gave a thought to this and if I remember well, a lot of Japanese movies
from the '60s use jazz (and some early funk), whatever the context might
be. I don't think it was globally associated with victimization but maybe
simply as a trend of the times.

On the other hand, I can't seem to recall any use of hiphop or reggae in
any recent films... There might have been a bit of triphop in 'Tokyo Eyes'
(Limousin) but except for that, the Massive Attack piece in Wong's 'Fallen
Angels' seem to be the closest to black music i've heard in an asian
movie. Slightly off topic but does anyone know if hiphop is more socially
charged in Japan than jazz, soul or r&b might have been?

olivier

PS: Interesting stat: the listenership of hiphop/r&b is 75% white or so.
Life in the ghetto indeed.