""Hands Up For Trad" equivalent is just as meaningless."
Yet another straw man - the two are not comparable
Folk has always had a trad connotation, thou few wish a purely trad scene, I'm delighted to say - it would wipe out a third of my repertoire
The problem is that the term has become totally meaningless in its usage by people who appear neither to understand it or to like what they do understand
Personally, having seen up close the massive damage that the 'glittering prizes' approach has inflicted on the music, I would be happy to see it disappear altogether, but having observed the quality and intelligence of the Gradam Irish Award system and its recipients, maybe there is room for it as long as it doesn't become the be-all and end-all
Our music has to stay in the hands of people who know it, understand it and love it if it is to survive
The Beeb have long proved themselves not to be the safest hands to truts it with
Jim Carroll