Freomęg
04-14-2009, 05:11 PM
Something I've wondered for a while is: "What do Britain's (and indeed, Europe's) traditional folk musicians think about multiculturalism, nationalism and the BNP?"
Popular musicians, as a rule, are vehemently opposed to Nationalism and 'far-right' political parties in their country. This is generally because the popular musicians of today prefer to ignore the 'stuffy' traditions of the past and seek to distance themselves from convention (yet, ironically, lap up current trends).
However, folk music should be different. It should represent the ostracised viewpoint of the forgotten conservative-minded demographic. I'm a fan of folk music (as I'm sure many here are) and I'm convinced that the very same things which connect me to it so deeply - land, folk, culture, myth, history, nature - are the very things which most folk-fans (should) love about it. So, by definition, folk fans and musicians should be terribly concerned about the erosion of their culture and identity - after all, folk music is nothing if not concerned with identity. So, as mentioned, I've long wondered what Britain's folk musicians/fans feel about the current state of Britain and whether they have even identified that the only political party fighting for the preservation of their identity is the BNP.
A quick google search produced this partial answer, and I must say, I'm disappointed:
I met a personal hero the other day - Jon Boden, fiddle player and singer with Bellowhead... Once my slight giddiness had passed, I noticed that Jon Boden had a sticker on his fiddle saying "Anti-Nazi League", an outfit I'd last heard of in the early 1990s. When I asked, it turned out that he'd put it there because Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, had taken to turning up at Kate Rusby gigs and he'd wanted to do something.
[...]
What's less obvious is why Nick Griffin would have any interest in folk music in the first place? Folk is usually associated with the 1960s popular revival, flower power, the civil rights movement and Left-wing protest songs.
The curious case of BNP leader Nick Griffin and the folk gig (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/emma_hartley/blog/2008/11/23/the_curious_case_of_bnp_leader_nick_griffin_and_th e_folk_gig)
A few weeks back I wrote about the curious case of Nick Griffin, the BNP's leader, and the annoyance he was causing on the folk scene by being an enthusiast for Kate Rusby. There have been some developments.
It turns out that Phil Beer, formerly of the Albion Band and now of Show of Hands, and several other folk staples including Fairport Convention, recently became aware that their music was being sold on the BNP's website on a couple of compilation albums called The Best of British Folk and the Best of British Folk 2, released on a label called Pegasus. They were not happy.
Jane Brace, a spokeswoman for Show of Hands, told me: "Phil was looking into whether there was anything he could do about having the album removed from the website but since the BNP isn't doing anything illegal he's had no luck. It's not as if the BNP is claiming that Phil or anyone else on the album are supporters of the party. But the bands concerned are putting together a statement of their collective disquiet that the album is being marketed there.
The BNP and folk music, part two: a question of Roots (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/emma_hartley/blog/2009/01/11/the_bnp_and_folk_music_part_two_a_question_of_root s?com_num=20&com_pg=1)
Both from Emma Hartley's Telegraph blog.
I'm wondering if any of you are knowledgable or connected in any way to the folk music scene, and whether you can shed any light on this issue. Or if not, what are your thoughts? I'm sure we'd all agree that folk music should be concerned about the current state of affairs, but why do you think it appears not to be? Will this change?
Popular musicians, as a rule, are vehemently opposed to Nationalism and 'far-right' political parties in their country. This is generally because the popular musicians of today prefer to ignore the 'stuffy' traditions of the past and seek to distance themselves from convention (yet, ironically, lap up current trends).
However, folk music should be different. It should represent the ostracised viewpoint of the forgotten conservative-minded demographic. I'm a fan of folk music (as I'm sure many here are) and I'm convinced that the very same things which connect me to it so deeply - land, folk, culture, myth, history, nature - are the very things which most folk-fans (should) love about it. So, by definition, folk fans and musicians should be terribly concerned about the erosion of their culture and identity - after all, folk music is nothing if not concerned with identity. So, as mentioned, I've long wondered what Britain's folk musicians/fans feel about the current state of Britain and whether they have even identified that the only political party fighting for the preservation of their identity is the BNP.
A quick google search produced this partial answer, and I must say, I'm disappointed:
I met a personal hero the other day - Jon Boden, fiddle player and singer with Bellowhead... Once my slight giddiness had passed, I noticed that Jon Boden had a sticker on his fiddle saying "Anti-Nazi League", an outfit I'd last heard of in the early 1990s. When I asked, it turned out that he'd put it there because Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, had taken to turning up at Kate Rusby gigs and he'd wanted to do something.
[...]
What's less obvious is why Nick Griffin would have any interest in folk music in the first place? Folk is usually associated with the 1960s popular revival, flower power, the civil rights movement and Left-wing protest songs.
The curious case of BNP leader Nick Griffin and the folk gig (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/emma_hartley/blog/2008/11/23/the_curious_case_of_bnp_leader_nick_griffin_and_th e_folk_gig)
A few weeks back I wrote about the curious case of Nick Griffin, the BNP's leader, and the annoyance he was causing on the folk scene by being an enthusiast for Kate Rusby. There have been some developments.
It turns out that Phil Beer, formerly of the Albion Band and now of Show of Hands, and several other folk staples including Fairport Convention, recently became aware that their music was being sold on the BNP's website on a couple of compilation albums called The Best of British Folk and the Best of British Folk 2, released on a label called Pegasus. They were not happy.
Jane Brace, a spokeswoman for Show of Hands, told me: "Phil was looking into whether there was anything he could do about having the album removed from the website but since the BNP isn't doing anything illegal he's had no luck. It's not as if the BNP is claiming that Phil or anyone else on the album are supporters of the party. But the bands concerned are putting together a statement of their collective disquiet that the album is being marketed there.
The BNP and folk music, part two: a question of Roots (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/emma_hartley/blog/2009/01/11/the_bnp_and_folk_music_part_two_a_question_of_root s?com_num=20&com_pg=1)
Both from Emma Hartley's Telegraph blog.
I'm wondering if any of you are knowledgable or connected in any way to the folk music scene, and whether you can shed any light on this issue. Or if not, what are your thoughts? I'm sure we'd all agree that folk music should be concerned about the current state of affairs, but why do you think it appears not to be? Will this change?