Thursday, October 16, 2008
When did they invent retro?
I recently discovered The Puppini Sisters, who are 1940s retro. Now 40s retro is awesome, I love the aesthetic and the music. But that got me thinking about the concept of retro. In the 1940s, would they have had retro? Would there have been bands in the 40s with the aesthetic and music of, say, the 1880s? I kind of doubt it. So when did they start doing retro? Who was the first person to do retro?
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2 comments:
Well, I think that retro always existed: there's always been in all arts an alternate desire to invent something new vs to get inspiration from the past.
Think about Neoclassicism in the decorative and visual arts...
If you liked Puppini you should enjoy the new retro Italian craze: the Blue Dolls.
You can listen to them at www.bluedolls.it
Ciao!
I think "retro" in the current sense probably began in the early 1970s with a revival of fifties music, the film "American Graffitti" and then "Happy Days" on TV. Really the beginning of the 20-year cycle in popular culture.
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