ANYONE can call themselves a folk singer, Greg.

ANYONE can call themselves a traditional singer too.

Don't start blaming the singer songwriters for this. Rather, look to a certain element within the English folk world who, for way too long, have kept themselves isolated and separate from the 'real' world, choosing to stay inside Merry Ol' England, where songs must still be sung in the 'right' accents, from the 'traditional' pool only.

Look to those who have done all in their power to keep those who they deem 'do not belong' from 'getting in under the radar' as Ian Anderson said, when talking about Seth and Show of Hands...

If you put imaginary 'radar' around *your* world, to keep those whom you consider *do not belong*, well, you are behaving in a very similar way to the very racists themselves.

When Steve Knightley can be called wrong, for 'singing in the wrong accent' (???)...then how would *they* judge someone with an Afro Caribbean accent singing the 'original' Country Life?

I mean, come on, let's get real here.

Bastards write songs. You can't stop that, but to decide that this is the fault of 'singer songwriters' en masse, or those who champion them, is ludicrous.

The English folk world should be filled with people of all colours, all religions, all accents, but it's not, is it. And part of the reason is that the 'English' do not even accept other 'English' inside this small, pedantic, narrow-minded world.

Sheesh!!

I even wrote about The Imagined Village on here a while back, and on the BBC as well, because they are the way forward in folk...but it was removed from both places.

Why? Because the small minded so and so's who dominate this musical genre, or who think they do, cared more about making a point to me, than letting words stand about The Imagined Village, where people could read about that band, watch their videos, see their Myspace page...and many people who may have read those posts may never have heard of The Imagined Village before.

But no, *their* way is the *only* way...

You cannot have a folk world which has an 'America, No Thanks' campagin running through it...without it attracting those with some very dodgy ideas..

So, if you want to 'blame' anyone for this, then damn well blame those who for so long have been wanting to 'keep the music' pure.

Bring in Paddyrasta! Bring in The Imagined Village! Re-form Edward II...bring in The Smirkins and the Afro-Celts, and stop keeping this music 'pure'......because that way lies hell....

There is nothing wrong with remembering, being proud of the songs, but they are NOT the be all and end all of the folk world, be it 'folk' or 'traditional'..





Some English New Traditional Music!

The Smirkins -
http://www.myspace.com/thesmirkins

The Imagined Village:
http://www.myspace.com/theimaginedvillage
http://www.myspace.com/theimaginedvillage