The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #40082   Message #574596
Posted By: Jerry Rasmussen
17-Oct-01 - 10:43 PM
Thread Name: Why are singer-songwriters called folksingers?
Subject: RE: Why are singer/ songwrites called folksi
Just a comment... I ran a folk concert series booking people who sang traditional folk music for 27 years. After I stopped, a "big time" entrepreneur started offering a folk concert series in my town. I was invited to a meeting of folk presenters, and we were asked to introduce ourselves and give a little of our background. I said that I had run a folk concert series for 27 years, presenting traditional folk music, and that I'd be happy to do whatever I could to help any other series. The guy who runs the "folk" concert series turned to me in response and said, "I hate traditional folk music." I am reminded of a comment made by Peter LaFarge one night at the now defunct Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village. He said, start writing songs. Nobody is going to be interested in anyone who doesn't write songs anymore. Prophetic.