Re: [Harp-L] Politics and Blues Harp

[funharp <funharp@xxxxxx>]

Bill,

I think there is no art without relation with political / social things.

Arts for art`s sake is mostly supporting the system that runs the 
country. You could look at the work of Leni Riefenstahl only from the 
view of an artist, and you could think that it was excellent; but in 
fact it was pure Nazi-Propaganda.

Art / Music has always been a part of movements against oppression. 
Especially music, because it was easy to spread the words with music.

Many artists / musicians have been oppressed / thrown out of the country 
/ tortured or even killed because they wanted to be free. Please think 
about it, if you say that you don't want to listen to "political" music.

Even today there are many many artists and musicians who risk their lives.
See Ai Wei in China, or the many artists in the arabic countries who 
support the revolutions in their countries. For these people it is 
dangerous to perform.

I could go on, there are many examples. But to make it short:  I`ll 
never forget when I listend to a record made in Spain after the 
dictatorship of Franco. There was a singer, whose name I forgot, from 
Catalonia, who could for the first time perform his songs in public. A 
whole football stadium was singing his songs with him, songs that were 
forbidden all the years before, but everyone knew them and could sing 
along. It was a very emotional moment for me  to listen to this record.

Be happy to live in a country where the freedom of speech and the 
freedom of arts are respected. Please don`t put down those who claim 
these rights.

Thanks,

Otto