[78-L] You never answered Chris Zwarg's question

[Kristjan Saag]

Chris wrote:

> White Americans - as well as Europeans I might add - discovered and 
> enjoyed Afro-
> American rhythms and styles first in this "sanitized" form of imitation 
> (or if you prefer
> parody), and many would agree that this paved the way for the interest in 
> real Blues and
> Jazz rather than obstructing it.

Steve wrote:

> The positive connotation is that by infecting carefree white entertainment 
> (built on a
> structure of racism) with frightful but irresistible blackness, however 
> fearfully, awkwardly, > and condescendingly it was done, the collision of 
> the races was able to find a cultural
> outlet.
--
Exactly.
The same goes for the Gypsy in European Palm Court entertainment in the 
early 20th Century, the exoticism of the Middle East, of the Far East, of 
Africa as expressed in the lounge music of the 40's, 50's and 60's...
And, believe me, today's kids love the naivety of these expressions, because 
they taste more of their innocence, curiosity and playfulness than of the 
prejudice and racism that lingers in them. It's these perfumed sounds they 
prefer to sample, rather than the authentic field recordings of Le Chant du 
Monde. It's our generation that worries about which words to use for 
different colours, ethnical groups, nationalities etc and about what is 
black and what is white, what is real and what is fake. Young creative minds 
listen and play - with words and sounds and musical styles.
Kristjan