Re: Germans and Klezmer

[Marvin <physchem...>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Khupenikes (at) aol(dot)com>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2000 5:14 AM
Subject: Re: Germans and Klezmer


> Dear Wolf,
>
> thanks for the note. I did not feel offended, but You and I are most
> concerned by this item, no need to say. And I do respect your feelings
very
> much. I do indeed understand that you >will no doubt continue to have
issues
> regarding the phenomenon of an all-Gentile German klezmer band<. I'm only
> blaming the murderers who are responsible for that.
<snip>

We must all understand that when one culture adopts part of another there
are bound to be changes and even distortions.  To cite a comparatively
trivial example, I'm glad that I can get something resembling a bagel
anywhere in the US and many places abroad, but I don't like the difficulty
of finding anything that resembles the bagels I grew up with in Brooklyn.

I suggest that, in the case of all-Gentile German klezmer bands, we consider
whether there is a purpose to parody -which would be objectionable - or to
emulate.  Think of the minstrel shows in the US with all-white casts in
blackface makeup.  That kind of parody demeaned blacks.  White musicians
that learned to sing the blues were emulating, and did not demean.


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