The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #167418   Message #4038703
Posted By: GUEST,Pseudonymous
10-Mar-20 - 04:16 AM
Thread Name: How To Research the History of a Song
Subject: RE: How To Research the History of a Song
@ Steve. Hello. Regarding your post of 6.57. You say:

If I learn a song from a book and someone picks it up from me aurally and sings it themselves then that is an example of 'the oral tradition'.

I've a couple of thoughts on this,

1 Is it? I firmly believe that some people who use the phrase 'oral tradition' would argue that it isn't.

2 For me this example does not quieten the questions I have about whose oral tradition(s). It is an example of a particular practice. Counting this as an example of 'the oral tradition' that could easily render learning a Kinks song from an old LP at one remove an example of the 'oral tradition', and I think I have participated in some examples of this (Dead End Street).

3 If there is just one 'oral tradition' where do its borders end? Europe? Scandinavia? And if there is, then may we stop worrying about cultural appropriation?