Here’s a delightful SF Chron article from Michael Wolgelenter about various strains of Western pop music — good and bad — he’s discovered in far-flung corners of the world.
I had a similar cross-cultural sonic experience last year in a town on the rural east coast of Taiwan. I was in a bar and listened in amazement as a Taiwanese band launched into a pitch-perfect cover of Mexican rock outfit Mana’s power ballad “Corazon Espinado.” The singer even had the Spanish lyrics down. Here’s a pic of the group:
(Via World Hum.)