Dave the gnome, with regard to thread creep, I finding the discussion all interesting and hopefully others are too. And I don't find you creepy either, but, um, you do have that name, so, I'd better be careful..though I'm not quite sure what I gnome is...

;0)

PoppaGator,
Its true that I do see this forum as an opportunity to increase awareness & understanding about African American & other global Black cultures...Perhaps part of the problem is the nature of the Internet discussion forum itself. While the post is directed to a specific individual, the person writing is aware that many others will read it. And so,Poppagator, I was taking advantage of "a teaching moment" and writing to you but with others in mind.

That being said, I didn't feel that I was being pretensious or patronizing in my comments to you. I apologize to you if you felt that was the case.

I am SURE that you "have more firsthand experience of Zydeco music, and number more Big Chiefs and Spyboys among my personal acquaintances, than [I] or indeed anybody reading this forum."

I regret to say that I have NO personal experience of Zydeco music/musicians and NO personal experience of or with Mardi Gras Indians. Which illustrates the point that I was attempting to make in the the portion of the post that you took exception to:

"See my post in the thread on contemporary Black folk music for the passages that I excerpted from the web on two African American cultures that [I believe] most African Americans are quite unfamiliar with: Zydeco music & Mardi Gras Black Indians. There are a number of sub-sets of African Americans whose lifestyles and music is shaped by their ancestor's nations of origin, and their regions, religions, political beliefs, and economic status etc."

end of quote.

PoppaGator,I would love to hear about your experiences with these two groups, but I guess those worried about thread creep would say it should be on a new thread so that many others could comment specifically about those types of music.

Where ever on this forum that you post about those genres of music and others I'll be reading & learning.