Dear Greg,

Well, African song and, indeed, the passed down indigenous music and song of many countries round the world pre-date the use of the word "folk" and the bitter and long-running debates (including those here on the 'Cat) that have tried to define exactly what "folk" is (the actual "box" of "folk" having been created at some stage in the nineteenth century by academics) by several thousands of years. Nobody really needed to define or categorize the music during that time, they just did it, and I personally think it needless to categorize it now. What if I take an ancient European song, rearrange it with a "jazzy" structure, then play it with African instruments. What "genre" am I then in? And if I do something similar with one of my own songs?

By the way, I have said much the same in previous discussions here!

All the best and peace,

moo