johnross, you said:
"In other words, yes, there is a lot to criticze about the Northwest Folklife Festival, but bringing in exhibits and performers from East Africa shouldn't be on that list. Those "international" performers at the festival are our neighbors in the Northwest, . . ."

Am I missing something here, or are you saying that performers brought in from East Africa are our neighbors here in the Northwest? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Of course folks from East Africa who live around here should be part of the festival -- that's a big part of what makes the festival great. But I don't think that folks from East Africa who don't live in the Northwest should be part of the festival. But maybe that's not what you were saying, I'm not sure.

Representing the complete ethnic diversity of the Pacific Northwest is what makes the festival strong. Bringing in performers from out of the area cheapens it. Paying them cheapens me.

Here's my suggestions for a better festival:
* Stop bringing in paid performers from elsewhere in the world. It dilutes the festival and is insulting to the local performers. You started doing it without our permission and ought to be ashamed of yourselves. The beauty of Folklife Festival used to be that it was a celebration of all the local talent from many different ethnic communities. It's not that anymore, and it's the worse for it.
* Get rid of the drummers around the fountain in any way you can. Get the city council to pass a law if you have to.
* Stop booking singer-songwriters. There is no folklore in their acoustic pop music and they clog the stages and the schedule.
* Stop booking rock bands. I think rock bands (and drummers) are in many ways the epitome of the traditonal folk process, but you have to draw the line somewhere. In this case, decibel level might be a place to start.
* Provide some space for jamming. I was trying to have a jam with some friends, and we couldn't find a space to do it that didn't interfere with a stage or a busker. How about no stage and no buskers in Fisher Green?
* This one's really controversial, and I'm not sure I actually support the idea: require that buskers offer something with some folkloric value. I haven't a clue what that means or how anyone would go about deciding, but there are WAY to many people busking at Folklife.
* Stop taking a cut of performer's CD sales. It's offensive and insulting. I'm already donating a performance that anyone else would pay $500 - $1000 for. Allow us to sell directly from the stage, without red tape, hoops to jump through, or taking a commission. Anyone who has ever done any performing in folk music knows that your major CD sales happen at the performance, not later, and not elsewhere. Get the city council to pass a special waiver if you have to.
* This one is even more extreme: Move the festival to a farm 50 miles or so from Seattle. For the amount you would save in a few years of paying for the the Seattle Center you could buy a permanent site. Without the huge overhead, grant money might be enough to pay for the whole thing, and it could still be free. People who want a folk music and arts festival would come. The rest could have their generalized urban party at Bumbershoot, and drum to their heart's content any Saturday afternoon at Gasworks Park.

Thanks,
John Peekstok