[Harp-L] Cultural appropriation.

[Chad Nordstrom]

Not political correctness, it is just accuracy of the information. It may have been presented in a passive-aggressive manner, but the critique is valuable. I appreciate the knowledge that others have and share on Harp-L. Cathal’s post sent me down the rabbit hole looking to learn what the differences are.

This stuff amazes me how things get changed with the different perspectives. Modern example:  check out the origins of the "Yacht Rock” genre. It is all over the place now and a few years ago went down the rabbit hole to find out where it came from. 

There is also a good book by Elijah Wald (“Escaping the Delta”) that touches on this categorization that we seem to be beholden too. It started with the record sales, then amplified with the musicologists, and continues to evolve today. Older example: todays R&B is not what it was in the 90’s and is unrecognizable from what it was in the late 40’s and early 50’s. A DJ friend of mine told me about “Chicago Soul” and I had never heard of that term before, but quickly found out more. 

There is a lot out there. 

> On 1Jun 2021, at 0931, The Iceman via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> 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