There s been an expansion in what is considered great music, explains Katz. Although there is greater accessibility to different types of CDs and more opportunity to listen to other countries radio stations via the Internet, there is also concern that the North American music industry is focused on certain artists particular to a musical genre without any paying attention to other talent belonging to the same genre. Latin artists like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias are becoming mainstream. For some, these artists are representative of Latin music in North America. There is a certain aesthetic that influences record sales.
Mass media tends to expose certain artists because of marketability.
We never hear about other artists, just like we never hear of certain wars, adds Katz. The popularity of certain genres might hinder the culture it represents, says Katz. He worries that some music is tastelessly watered down. A lot of music these days is very overproduced. In a world that is used to overproduction, they might not be attracted to authentic music.