One-hit wonders are disappointing occurrences. A new artist breaks onto the scene with a fresh and innovative sound. Much excitement abounds as they capture the zeitgeist for all of five seconds, only to flounder at any attempt to replicate success. It’s doubly deflating when the artist descends from a music tradition that isn’t confined to Europe or the US, only to fizzle away as vanilla tastes continue to dominate. Often, an artist regarded as a one-hit wonder may well be a superstar in the country of his or her birth, which makes it rather galling to then be dismissed as a flash in the pan.

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