[Harp-L] Cultural appropriation.

[The Iceman]

political correctness hits the "L"?


-----Original Message-----
From: Cathal Johnson Harmonicas <cathaljohnson at xxxxx>
To: Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
Sent: Tue, Jun 1, 2021 10:17 am
Subject: [Harp-L] Cultural appropriation.

Hello All,
Hope you are all well and happy.

I am curious as to why a lot of Canadian and perhaps American but from
my experience mostly Canadian harmonica players blanketly call Irish
Traditional Dance Music, Bluegrass and Old TImey music 'traditional
fiddle music' or tunes? I've never met anyone else who calls ITDM 'fiddle
music'? I mean why don't they call it what it specifically is by its proper
name ie Bluegrass, Old Timey and Irish Traditional Dance Music. A common
mistake that a lot of people who don't know any better call Old Timey music
Bluegrass, which of course it isn't.

It also surprises me to find out the people who call it such. People who
should know better. ITDM is primarily piping music and originates and
descends from the pipes. Indeed other instruments feature prominently in it
such as banjo and accordion and indeed harmonica or 'mouth organ' as the
Irish call it, yet others insist on calling it 'fiddles music.'

I find it exclusionary and extraordinarily snobbish to call the
above genres 'traditional fiddle music.' As if the fiddle invented the
musical genres and no other instrument was instrumental in the development
of musical genres such as Irish Traditional Dance Music.

Anyone calling these genres 'fiddle music' please refrain from doing so
and give it its proper name. Please correct anyone else who does so.
Cultural appropriation or misappropriation at its finest.

Best,
Cathal

-- 
Cathal Johnson

www.cathaljohnson.com