Play your own culture's music...

So bye-bye Django Reinhardt and Stephan Grappelli, no more Bob Dylan or Paul Simon, forget about Bob Brozman. Not to mention Yo-Yo Ma, the brothers Marsalis, or any other black or Asian musicians playing Western classical music. Or any English musicians playing Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton or Old-Time tunes. Burn their music, bust their instruments - these infidels must pay for their crimes!

Thanks, but no. I'd rather listen to good music, regardless of the ethnic origin of the song or the singer, or indeed the style of singing. For me, good music is about songs that are lyrically and musically interesting, delivered in a way that says something original instead of merely playing the notes or recycling someone else's version. I don't give a damn whether the musician is black, white, English, American, or a little green man from Mars, so long as the music's good.

If you want to rail against something, rail against poor interpretation of folk songs. The important fact is that folk songs done well are at least as good as any pop song, and on that I'm entirely with you. But whether it's "our own" should be a matter of supreme indifference for anyone whose concern is the quality of music.

Graham.