Chalga

This is a musical genre. I don’t properly understand it, mainly because it’s so god-awful, but also because it’s so contradictory. Its roots are in traditional music (chalga means ‘pop-folk’) yet it seems to be a celebration of tackiness – two fingers up to anything regarded as culture. The music sounds middle eastern with lyrics that are largely concerned with money or devastating sexual prowess, and the videos are full of gold and product placements to imply status. Chalga women tend to be more plastic than flesh and the men have precisely shaved facial hair, body-builder physiques and an unintended campness.