There's an interview with BB King in today's Guardian, which is well worth reading (you can find it at http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/arts/story/0,3604,523827,00.html); it includes a wonderful quote (courtesy of Bukka White) which would have fitted beautifully into that humorous list of blues prerequisites someone posted a while ago: "He told me that if you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you're going to the bank to borrow money." What a man! I've been fascinated by the discussion about ethnicity and nomenclature. The aspect that particularly interests me personally is of people of mixed ethnic origin, of which I'm one. Over the years people have tended to jump to conclusions about "where I'm from", and there's hardly ever a place on forms which ask about ethnic origin for "mixed race" - I've always had to be "other"! That's finally changing, I'm glad to say. The question "where are you from?" always bugs me, and not only because I was born and brought up in London, and am half English. There are hundreds of thousands of people of Asian or partly Asian origin who have lived here all their lives, and maybe their parents too, and yet we still get quizzed as if we're just off the boat. It's hardly ever meant as a racial dig (although that does happen), but is indicative of not really thinking about it - it's just plain lazy. I am very happy to discuss ethnic origins, I just like people to think about what they're asking. Usually my response is "London!" If I may introduce a note of levity, this talk brings to mind a song title by the Bonzo Dog Band: "Can Blue Men Sing The Whites?" Azeem in rainy London NP: Supposed to be the cricket (be kind you Aussies...), but of course rain and bad light have stopped play.
