Azizi - when I was young(up to early teens) in the Midlands I don't think I had ever seen a non-white person 'in the flesh'. There followed a lot of immigration in the 'fifties, and the area in which I lived became multi cultural. There was very little cross cultural musical influence that I was aware of. Foods changed noticeably - spices and fruits/vegetables that I had never known became available in the shops, and the cafes reflected the changing population.

There was some stress between members of different communities, and occasional outbreaks of violence. Generally people from different backgrounds stayed and played together. I don't think this was ghettoisation, more staying with the familiar. This was a pattern that had been seen before with Poles and Hungarians - this tends to be less visible.

The choice of music that was available widened during my youth: generally my groups followed traditional jazz (I didn't know about folk) and many artists were black (few if any Asian) but I don't think anyone took any notice.

I don't know if census figures help here, but I suspect that prior to the 'sixties the black Briton made up a very small percentage of the UK, and consequently had little influence. This is now not so in many areas, but in the area of Folk Music things move slowly - if by Folk Music you mean predominantly 'White' folk music. There are many British Folk who aren't white, but seek music outside the Folk Club.

I'm not sure what question I'm answering; I do think that the US and the UK have hugely different backgrounds in terms of racial groups and characteristics. Perhaps my ramblings will clarify some points - perhaps they will muddy the water.

Stu