Bruno Mars speaks about cultural appropriation accusations
"What’s the point if we, as musicians, can’t learn from the guys who came before us?" https://t.co/KZTXDiuEzL
- NME (@NME) March 7, 2021
Bruno Mars has spoken out about the cultural appropriation claims he has faced during his career.
The musician is of Filipino, Puerto Rican and Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
He has been accused of appropriating Black music through his work.
“I would say you can’t find an interview where I am not talking about the entertainers that have come before me. The only reason why I’m here is because of James Brown, Prince, Michael [Jackson] - that’s the only reason why I’m here. I’m growing up as a kid watching Bobby Brown, saying, ‘OK, if that’s what it takes to make it then I gotta do the running man, I gotta learn how to do the moonwalk’. That’s it. This music comes from love and if you can’t hear that, then I don’t know what to tell you. What’s the point if we, as musicians, can’t learn from the guys who came before us? Why did they do it? I hope later on down the road there’s gonna be a band that’s taking what we did and flipping that and freaking that and putting their own spin on it, because if they don’t then what was the point of us doing this?”
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