Filed under: Music, Our World | Tags: Jim Boyd, Native American Rights, Political Songs, Small World
The story this morning on NPR’s Weekend Edition about the inability of law enforcement to prosecute rape cases on reservations immediately brought to mind a powerful song “Small World” (available on iTunes) by Jim Boyd and Sherman Alexie.
“It’s a small world,
You don’t have to pay attention.
It’s the reservation
The news don’t give it a mention,
It’s a small world,
getting smaller and smaller.
It’s a small world,
It’s getting smaller and smaller andsmaller. ”
© 1995 Thunderwolf Records
Filed under: Life and the Arts, Music | Tags: bluegrass, Donna the buffalo, Magnolia Music, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Springfest, Suwanee, The Duhks, Vasen
Another Springfest has come and gone, and it was wonderful as usual. I won’t dwell on the rainy Friday and Saturday as the spirit of Suwanee wasn’t dampened a bit.
You may be surprised to learn that Stephen Foster took poetic license in his song “The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)” because the actual name of the river is the Suwanee. And befitting a river that inspired a song, twice a year Magnolia Music and Events puts on one of the best eclectic music festivals anywhere. In the Fall is Magfest and in the Spring, what else but Springfest? The venue is the Spirit of Suwanee Music camp, a sprawling campground/festival site/horseback paradise on the Suwanee River in Live Oak Florida. Although the roots of the festival are Blue Grass, which still predominates, they also include blues (Roy Bookbinder), jazz (Darryl Anger), punk (The Tornado Riders), Celtic (Scythian) and this year even Nordic (Vasen.) If you don’t dig one of the sets (and there are generally four stages going at once) then you don’t dig folk music, broadly defined.
The vendors’ area is always a fascinating mixture of head-shops and handmade instruments. Plenty of great food, much of which is vegetarian, but the pork barbeque is there too. And beer. Did I mention BEER? The only thing you can’t pay directly for in cash (you buy tickets) and the only thing you can’t bring into the festival ground is beer. Of course you can have as much of your own beer as desired in the campground, with hookups or primative. And most people do!
As we hippies age it’s interesting (and somewhat amusing) to see the number of golf-carts increase each year at the festivals. And the gray hair. But also an encouragingly large number of young families, pregnant women and babes-in-arms. This event will live on for many more years.
My favorite band is still Donna The Buffalo, with The Duhks and Scythian close behind. Of course Peter Rowan is a Bluegrass god and Vassar Clements will always be there, in spirit.
See you at Magfest next Fall.
