There is a fascinating article in the November/December 1998 issue of THE OXFORD AMERICAN about a group of people primarily from southern Appalachia called the Melungeons. The article, entitled "A Melungeon Gathering" by Chris Offutt, states that they are of Turkish-Jewish-Moorish- Spanish-Portugese-African-Anglo-Native American descent who were heavily shunned by more conventionally derived (read Northern European) pioneers. There is also a great deal of information about them on-line at www.bright.net/~kat/melung.htm.

I have not been able to find any information as to wheteher or not they have a distinct musical tradition. People of a background this diverse would undoubtedly make incredible music.

Due to heavy discrimination against them, many generations of Melungeons desired to hide their origins, so I guess it is possible that they did not seek to create distinct art forms. But I feel their had to be some forms that have been handed down, and music always seems to be an artform created even if no others are. There are also undoubtedly musicians who are (knowingly or not) of Melungeon descent. But do they make Melungeon music?

Does anybody have any thoughts on this?