Re: [Harp-L] re: Blues in Nurnburg (warning....long)

["Ralf K. Buschner" <r_buschner@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> It's no secret that many peoples from many lands want to emulate
> Americans and all that America is. They watch movies and TV and get a
> fixed idea of what America is, but they never get to see the America
> that isn't. The dirty mill & mining towns with their 125 year old
> decrepit insul-brick frame rotting down homes. Their initial
> perception is that America is a pot of gold with limitless funds. And
> while our middle class is much larger (and usually better off) than
> other countries, our EXPENSES are high, and we don't  ALL live like
> that. They see situation comedies with unrealistic 'movie-set'
> atmospheres. This is Hollywood America (or California) America. It's
> NOT America. 

Joe, we not-american people aren't stupid, at least the most part of us. 
We have not only electricity in our homes, we have also telephones and TV.  I 
think, the big majority doesn't believe in every American beeing like J.R. 
Ewing or Sue Ellen. I hate to say that, but i think, your imagination of the 
average European is a bit odd. It's not to offend you, but you should simply 
think of non-americans as on the same level than americans. There's basically 
no difference. 

But that's not the main part, only some remarks beside the actual point: 

The reason for playing "american" music here in Europe is not to imitate or 
emulate Americans. Lets take us blues people: I think, i speak for the most 
part of us, when i say, that we play those blues, because they move us, and 
they represent our feelings as good as possible. Other people may like 
different styles of music, but i never found a particular one the fits to my 
likings better than blues with all it's shades. That doesn't mean, that i 
wouldn't like other music - music is a whole universe with so many different 
great styles of expression, but on the long run i always return to blues. 
We could discuss wether we Europeans would have a direct link to the situation 
of the black americans in the US or not, but the same question could be asked 
for the white Americans as well...

There's much more to say about all that stuff, but i'll finish that mail 
here...

See ya,
Ralf