How music travels between cultures

Just before the song Naatu Naatu begins, actors Ram Charan and NTR Jr ask, "Not flamenco, not salsa, my brother. Do you know naatu?"

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The song from SS Rajamouli's Telugu blockbuster RRR, with music by MM Keeravani and lyrics by Chandrabose, became the first tune from India to win a Golden Globe for Best Original Song (Motion Picture), on Wednesday, beating out songs by Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift.

It's a good time to ask - What gives a song wings, pushes a musical culture into new territories? Take that line: "Not flamenco, not salsa...".

Those two dance forms, from Spain and Latin America, respectively, were once relatively unknown in India. They are now the colloquial standard for fancy footwork.

And signs of a world that hasn't just flattened, but is slowly revolving away from the dominance of the PICD West.

For centuries, England set the standard for language, literature and assorted niceties; America for popular food and popular culture; France for haute cuisine and haute couture. It was through their award shows, fellowships and fashion weeks that cultural elements from the rest ofthe world entered the mainstream.

Then the world flattened further. New technology allowed cultures to access each other directly through internet downloads, online communities, social media and streaming platforms, and a changing market economy (think of the juggernaut that is K-Pop).