I walked down the street to the local coffee shop after dinner last night. They had an "Irish" band playing. They were all locals, most of them at least 70 years old. Two fiddles, a mandolin player, a guy on a guitar and a woman playing a long recorder like instrument.
They played from written music. And they played fine, not professionally, but there were no obvious clams or big mistakes. It was great. And only one person was Irish (American).
The guitar and recorder players were Scandinavian of some sort. The first fiddle player is a nice Jewish lady I've known for years. Don't now what the mandolin player was and the other fiddler was 100 percent Irish-American.
So? So after the recent dust up with you-know-who and his utter disdain if not downright hatred of anyone not Cajun daring to live -- let alone play -- Cajun music and appreciate Cajun culture, I thought about other American musical traditions.
Bluegrass is played all over the country, not just in Kentucky. Blues are played all over the world by all sorts of folks. Some of the greatest C&W singers are black and only the stupidest white trash give a darn about that. So-called Polka music his its roots in many European cultures. Ska and Reggae are played by anyone who can role a fat one... -L-
And? Them **** "Americans" invading the Louisiana prairie are there because they love the culture, the people and the music. Face it, Louisiana is hot and humid and very flat. What draws folks from around the world and -- heaven help us -- New York and California, is the culture and traditions.
There might be a few bad apples but most folks I have known who have moved there are regular folks. And most cultures are happy to see others who love what they are about. Every Creole picker I have met has been wonderful. Great folks and I don't even have to name them. You could not meet a nicer, more warm-hearted man than Jesse Lege and boy howdy can he play and sing. I've always gotten along with the Savoy family in the few times I have met them. I cannot say that about the accordion makers in Scott...
In my experience and those I have met, pickers who can really, really play tend to be nice folks, from Jimi Hendrix to the local hot shot on the violin. Good people. And most folks who are happy with themselves welcome strangers to their world.
Anyhow... I'll probably never get to Louisiana because I have a lot I have to do here in the Norcal backwoods. I play other kinds of music when I play out and I'm pretty good at it. But I love playing my Cajun accordion after dinner on the back porch and I respect and deeply appreciate Cajun history, culture and music as much as I respect the suffering my Irish ancestors went through. Have a great Sunday...
My taste and interest in traditional music is the roots of a particular type of music, not the new age nonsense into which it morphed. And that is usually BPM and anything but "musical".. often accompanied by drums and acoustic appliances and "stage costumes".
An example would be "celtic".... just what the hell is "celtic"
There is Irish Traditional (IRTRAD) music and every thing else to include uptight little pointy toed woodland nymphs prancing about along with gender impaired high kickers.. what the hell is that ? accompanied by the army of BPM fiddlers and skin drummers.
A poster suggested he/she wanted to play "celtic" music.. Do you mean Galician, Irish, Scottish, Breton, Bohemian (as the Bohemians were celts descendents of the Boli tribe)..whaddayamean? Celtic" Afro Celt.. Celtic Women. Celitc Christmas.. The Celts were Pagans what is this Christian BS ? Morons.
I have zip all interest in new age prance around the stage, crawdad bellowed, cowboy hatted, tight jeaned, phony accent, noise makers.
Show me the pure drop by we the people.
And I appreciate the hardships that my Danish, Bohemian (German speaking Czechs.. who are all over Texas and LA) , German, English, ancestors went through to get here in USA...and enjoy the freedoms afforded to all people of many cultures, many of whom played or made the accordion.
As a committed historian and researcher and someone who appreciates all cultures and the language of music.. are "my" people to be ostracized and resented because we have an interest in someone else's culture and music.
Exactly "Charles." Yeah, there are lots and lots of folks playing so-called traditional music, but whose tradition? In the tiny town here on the Mendocino Coast, the Mexican families (don't start with the PC stuff, 100 percent of them are from Mexico and still have that on their citizenship. Great folks by the way) have various parties using the church hall across the street.
Anyhow, they have a Mexican group of pickers who come in and play Norteno music and boy can they play and sing. The accordion player is a monster and the harmonies are as tight as a hipster's jeans. I wander over when they are playing and almost always get invited in because most of the people know me here.
I love Japanese Enka music, even love the mino stuff which sometimes sounds like a sick cat.
Enka for women is stylized down to foot placement. It is an intense lifestyle. And the training is brutal. The singers have managers that are more pimps than anything else. Yakuza gangsters are very close to them as well. The women can sing jazz at the drop of the hat, do pop like a Los Angeles meth freak. Enka is almost impossible to sing correctly. Not for all western ears but I love it. A good glass of Jun Mi Ginjo sake, some squid snacks and I'm good to go... -L- Here's one of the top singers. Notice the minor key -- this is the so-called Japanese "Blues."
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
