What is Country Music?
The age old debate over what does or does not constitute country music continues throughout the nation and more particularly in Tamworth this past week. Indeed there was much debate about the music content of the festival in various media reports last week, even prompting this year’s Golden Guitar winner, Troy Casser-Daley to tell the audience to enjoy the music, whatever it is.
On the same note, Toowoomba-based music industry photographer and writer delivered a lecture at the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame which he named Let’s Get Real: the Need for Authenticity in Australian Country Music.
…there’s still some great country music, but it’s become overwhelmed by stuff that is just ordinary. It’s not rocket science, it’s country and it’s music. There has to be some sort of connection with the country for it to have meaning.
…mediocrity in country music can almost be traced to the day Slim died. Slim was a shining light. Everyone aimed at being that good, that credible and that authentic. Since Slim died, it’s almost like the day the music died.
I feel the essence of the music slipping away, in the past 10 years has become very ordinary. Country music has always had respect for what’s come before. Without that respect, it becomes very bad pop music – John Elliott.
While the debate would seem to be without and, perhaps the laws of supply and demand might prevail and allow the market to determine what they want to listen to.
The debate aside, there are far more important issues to be raised:
The news of who won which Golden Guitar award at this year’s Tamworth ceremony has made national news. Meanwhile, bluegrass music fans across the nation wait for news on who took out the Bluegrass fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin championships for 2010. Unless you were there last Sunday to witness the event, the results would appear to be a well kept secret. In fact the CMAA’s website is so far behind the news that it is still offering to sell tickets to an event that has since passed. Where are their priorities?
Websites are wonderful resources when they are current and a source of frustration when they are out of date.
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