Well said, Gibb Sahib. An interesting and sound argument. I am not sure if I fully agree with or even follow some bits. I will have to give it a re-read and some thought. In the meanwhile thank you for a new and interesting perspective.

I can fully appreciate the idea that restricting folk music to being that of your own culture could be racist and this is why we must diversify. I would not see it as inherently wrong for me, for instance, to sing an African folk song or an American shanty at the folk club. I do the latter BTW but not the former as yet. We are after all a global village now :-)