I was black once but I'm not anymore & I'm sure that's why I used to love the blues. And there are many here that do the blues justice. There are even some here that specialize in the sea music of the West Indies & surrounding islands, of the Manhaden fisheries & Georgia Sea Islands & there are some who've come out of prison singing the worksongs of the southern prison farms. This is so unfair but really why on earth would someone of their culture be drawn to anglo folk music that's the music & culture of those that hung a yoke around their necks for centuries besides they have a music of their own born out of that yoke that speaks of their heritage in a way that no other music could. I also don't wonder for a moment why someone who's been on a prison work farm (besides Leadbelly) would sing about afterwards like an advertisement and then have some white guy like myself capitalize on it not pass on any credit & then help bury it's roots even deeper. Not to long ago it was thought that the kingdom of shanties were somewhat, somehow effected by the black sailors of the period when it may be that they provided far more to it's development than any other culture only to have their traces white washed away. Barry