Cultural diversity and the arts, part 2-fusion or tradition?

Continuing the conversation we began back in late August about cultural diversity and the arts:  is fusion always such a great thing?

There is some truth to the suggestion that if everything turns to fusion, you will lose your foundation, your basis.  This would be a real shame not only because of so much art that would be lost, but because the fusion itself would rapidly become meaningless.

Yang Hsiong (Hmong) demonstrating the "ting."

And I believe we need to keep traditional art forms not only because they help us build new art, but also because they are of value in and of themselves.  Furthermore, in my opinion it is incorrect to assert traditional art forms are frozen in time, or that the only way traditional art forms can evolve to meet the changing world is to abandon their essence.

Traditional art forms can go deeper into their tradition and still remain true to their essence.  To me, this is the best of all possible worlds.  On the one hand, you have people experimenting with fusing different art forms, and on the other, you have those that maintain these art forms and make them more profound without engaging in any fusion.

Ernesto Olmos (of Mexico) with some of his paintings.

To bring it down to a personal level, I love flamenco--and the flamenco I love is what is now called "flamenco puro," the traditional form of the art.  I don't want it to be lost.

I don't like all these dancers who think that faster and more elaborate footwork takes the place of entering deeply into the art.  I don't want dancers who think they are the center of the show.  For me, the art is much more interesting if the singer is king-or queen-and if the dancer has to follow the singer.

Carmen dancing flamenco.

Yes, I like the dancer to have his-her moment in which to show off the fantastic rhythms that can be created with one's feet (rhythms that must be kept within the basic beat--the compas).  But this moment comes only after the singer has stopped.

And yes, I like the dancer to use his-her body in a fluid way, but only when that compliments the whole.

To sum up, I like the singer to dominate, and the dancer and guitarist to respect the singing.

In any event, here are links to web sites and blogs of some of the many festivals that are more inclined to respect the traditional over fusion:

Sacramento World Music & Dance Festival--LINK
Ethnic Dance Festival (in San Francisco)--LINK

And because there ARE art forms that are not part of music and dance--

THE NEXT BLOG will be about southern Indian classical bharatanatyam.