I know the kind of anodyne "yodel and brass band" Susanne is referring to. There used to be a television program in the 1970's on one of the local stations in southern Ontario called "Gemuetlichkeit" (sorry, my keyboard isn't configured to do umlauts right now) that featured cheery musicians in lederhosen. It was designed to appeal to homseick German immigrants. My German teacher said that show would make any real German sick, to which one of my classmates replied that her parents (German immigrants)loved it. He beat a graceful retreat by saying that what he should have said was that it made him sick. There was an equally repulsive show called the "Pig and Whistle" which took place in an ersatz (if you'll forgive the expression) English pub and featured the Carlton Show Band and a buxom bar maid if I recall correctly.

I was hoping that modern German folk musicians were playing music with some of the elements that attract me to the best folk songs of other countries. Susanne and Wolfgang have reassured me in this regard. Still, it looks as if folkmusik is always going to have an uphill battle.

Any suggestions on a few good folkmusik albums to get introduced to this kind of music? For example, if someone was asking me about a really great English or Scottish ballad album, I would probably recommend "Fyre and Sword: Songs of the Border Reivers" or if they were becoming interested in Irish songs I might steer them towards Sean Keane. For Scottish folk music, I would recommend starting with the Tannahill Weavers or Old Blind Dogs.

Perhaps one day I will get to a Mudcat gathering in Germany.

Edmund