Marty Friedman Says Strong Music Is More Accepted In Japan Than The United States

JAKARTA - Marty Friedman was born, raised, and received recognition as a guitarist in the United States (US). But in 2003, he chose to stay and stay in Japan, and recorded his music there.

While speaking at Japan's Foreign Correspondent Club in Tokyo recently, Friedman shared his views after going through a musical journey of more than four decades. The former guitarist of Megadeth saw fundamental differences from the Japanese and US views on loud music.

This was conveyed when he was asked about the stereotype that the heavy metal genre attracts individuals who feel they are ostracized from the popular community.

Based on his experience, Friedman said children who like loud music in the United States are not popular children. They are actually given negative stereotypes.

"Especially as I grew up, I think it's the same as it is now, but people who listen to hard rock and loud music and all that, unlike the football team brokers, unlike popular people, not smart people, not people with great boyfriends, unlike high-end people, people who excel. Those (who like loud music) are people who will truncate and hang out with their friends and smoke and maybe other things and not popular people., "

They are exiles. And that's where hard rock has its place in society. Popular people love dance music and pop music, and they don't really care about music. That's not important because they already have a good life. They don't need to be given medicine by exploring music and being saved by music. They're like, 'Oh, there's music in the background. Great. Let's dance. Cool.' But for those of us who don't have many friends, we're at home playing Black Sabbath with full volume and say, 'Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's okay. It's really cool.' However, popular people aren't like that.'

His experience is different from what was seen in Sakura Country. He saw many children playing bands and being popular at his school. They are also good children.

"However, in Japan, everything is very different. You see people in the band, you see people who dedicate their lives to rocking, and they are popular at school, they are handsome, they have boyfriends, they are on the sports team, they have good grades, people who are completely normal, but for some reason, they play rock music, and they are in these bands playing loud and annoying music. You meet those guys and they are very polite and good at talking, and unlike Kurt Cobain, "said the 61-year-old guitarist.

Friedman's musical journey has brought him from heavy metal heaviest in the United States to pop music in Japan, and now he is a figure in Japanese broadcasting world. He is seen as a cultural ambassador to his home country, America, and his adopted country, Japan.