In search of freedom

Auf der Suche nach Freiheit / In search of freedom

Dear Folkies,

those of you who were there will already know that we had an almost full house with well over a hundred people enjoying a very varied and talented evening of acoustic music. The reports and the photos of the evening of FCB 96, which is probably why you are here, are still in the making, but in the meantime, you may listen to a radio programme recently broadcast on the German radio programme Deutschlandfunk (DLF) Kultur which you can find by clicking on the link above.
 When you are there click on the grey button on the top left of Muddy Water's photo marked:  "Beitrag hören"
Beitrag hören



Muddy Waters verkörperte für die Migranten in Chicago 
ein Stück Heimat.  (imago stock&people)

(If you're lucky you might even get there direct from here)

The programme edited by Michael Groth is subtitled,
"Eine Lange Nacht über den Blues"  /  "A long night with the Blues"
and that's no lie, as the programme lasts for over 166 minutes, which is nearly three hours,
which is almost as long as a whole folk club evening!

The narrative is in German, but often based on English interviews by Alan Lomax and others
and the music is of course in English. So whoever you are, it's well worth a listen.

At some time or other, all of our ancestors one day showed some "get up and go" and got up and went, and simply walked out of Africa, in search of something.

Initially, it was voluntary, but later for many Africans in the 18th and 19th centuries it was a forced migration with a free ship's passage to the "promised land" and a lifetime's guarantee of full employment with full board and lodging thrown in. This was not the best period of human history for both Europeans or northern Americans. Black Afro-Americans have somehow been in search of freedom ever since.

Atlantic slave trade

The Blues are sometimes wrongly considered "primitive", but they are, in truth the often crying and wailing intricate poetic soul and rhythm of Africa, made and crafted in the USA.
Imbibe the music and enjoy the programme.


The theme for Folk Club Bonn on Friday 07.12.18 is "Train Songs" so there may be a "little bit of Blues" on offer then. Special Guest, and not for the first time, is on this evening  Simon Kempston, the foremost Scottish current touring singer-songwriter and DADGAD guitarist, promoting his new CD:

Broken Before

Simon Kempston was a special guest in Folk Club Bonn for the first time in November 2011 and coincidentally every December FCB since then. Do come along and listen and you'll find the reason why. 

Speaking from experience and personal observation and listening I can confirm that behind many old British "Folkies" there is often an old British "Blueser" and Simon Kempston is also no exception:/

Man gone missing

Perhaps Simon may bring "A Man Gone Missing" along with him on December?

Whatever, I recommend, that you come early in order to assure a place and a seat. 

To quote Simon, "Folk Club Bonn, the best folk club outside of Scotland."

To quote Mario, "Out of the bedroom"