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Originally Posted by Trollheart
Today I heard "Old Man River" and could easily tell it was not a black guy singing. Every other time I've heard that it's been black singers, whether it's Paul Robeson or Louis Armstrong or whoever. This time it was Sinatra. Now, I know it was written by a white man (Oscar Hammerstein) but to me there is just something disingenuous, almost grotesque about a rich white guy singing about how tough it is to be a slave. I just felt, well, creeped out by his rendition, almost as if it was an insult. I kind of wonder if it's okay for white men to sing songs about the race they've historically oppressed, in the voice of the ones they've oppressed, as if it's, I don't know, adding salt to the wounds?
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Also, when you think of it, the fact that Sinatra sung it might've brought the song to a wider audience, and influence the thinking/feeling of people more people (even in a subconscious manner).
Also, as you pointed out the song was actually written by a white man. You could look for some sort of cultural appropriation rather here, than with Sinatra.
But really – isn't t rather a sign of good will or sensibility of the author/performer?
[Maybe you just felt creeped out by the rendition because it was bad?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trollheart
Sort of like maybe a German singing about how tough it was for the Jews under Hitler, or something like that?
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Would you see a problem with that?
I wouldn't. Simply because don't really see nationalities in people (sure, there are some cultural deferences, but nothing to not be able to overcome), rather the person itself.
If some Hans Jurgen wanted to sing a song about the holocaust (not likely to happen, I'm not sure I've ever heard a pop song about the holocaust, but let's say there'd be one), I'd rather see it as a sign of that individuals grief, emotions, sensibility, etc. It's Hans singing about the WW2, and not a German singing about it. The same might apply here to Sinatra.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trollheart
Yeah, as usual I'm probably reading too much into it and taking it too seriously, but I feel certain songs - at least, certain subjects in lyrics - should be only performed by those who can identify with them. Like, it's their music, about their people, and we don't have a right to be appropriating that.
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Then I guess those subjects would have to be written down somewhere. It's not that easy to predict what people will find disturbing.
The Beatles (and many other British groups) often used Indian instruments on their records. Should they? India had been a British colony for a long time.
Is this acceptable or not?
Or is a man singing about women's rights someone who commits appropriation of a subject?
You know where I'm getting at?
Also, today's German people are not responsible for their grandfathers' and grangrandfathers' actions. Just like Sinatra is not responsible for slavery, nor am I or you responsible for the fact that women didn't have the right to vote until 70-80 years ago.