"Fingers"--I agree that when music is being made, the last thing that may
be on one's mind, is ' I am oppressed", or "I am a dislocated preson of
colour", or etc... The creative energy of putting notes and beats together
is where it's at for musicians. I can dig it, for I've been playing gutiar
for about a decade now. So fingers, I don't disagree that the production of
music involves a purely creative energy. With that said, I wnat to bring
you up on 2 points:
1) You say that REAL musician make MUSIC..period. Well then what I
question is where does that creative force come from? Angst? Love? Drunken
stupor? Experience? All of those , but especially the latter.MUSIC does not
come from a vaccuume-- RATHER it comes from within. Ourlives, ourSELVES
create music. And I hate to brake the new to you 'Fingers', but your life
Is political, whether you like it or not...
2) Musicians have NOO contraol over their music once it reaches the
ears of the masses. It is ignorant to assume that music, and it's
popularity is NOt dependent on political climates of society. (That's why
we have the underground...Die hard House fans of the early 80's know what
I'm saying, and the funk that we're all clawing from now was not mainstream
stuff back then.) So "fingers', you may be convinced that you nad your
music are neutral, but the fact is every thing you do has a political
context.
It buggs me out to hear people say "Hey man, I'm neutral" b/c that's how
alot of silencing, oppression, and the like happen. This all strengthens
the original debate (WHAT ISTHE SPIRIT OF A_J?), for it seems that people
who love this music (and where its coming from ) are not willing to grapple
with the political (yeah, that word again) dimensions of the form/content/
& context. That to me is A-POLITICAL, and eats away at the traditions we
are all attempting to pay some significant homage to......Or am I assuming
too much?
Shanti: Hiren ('The Brown Hornet')
p.s---Fingers...your last message had no Musical , AJ context, and it was
filled with sarcasm. PEace, and respect and dignity ARE integral to this
list. 'Thought I'd just pass the vibe...