Hungarian opera singers declaring themselves African-American • Hacker News Board

Re: Hungarian opera singers declaring themselves African-American

#31

Post by pvaldes » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

Homo sapiens is an african species and the only extant species, so technically all americans are afro-americans and all europeans are afro-europeans.

Banning white people from playing black music or representing black culture (or claiming that this is disrespectful for the black people that created it), is as ludicrous as would be banning black people from using light bulbs, microphones, tv, spanish/electric guitars, pianos, cars... invented by white people, therefore "white culture" (and often built by asians).

Re: Hungarian opera singers declaring themselves African-American

#32

Post by sandworm101 » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 9:30 PM UTC

ghda wrote: post #26

sandworm101 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I said the work was protected by US copyright law, not that US copyright law would necessarily be used in the case. That the opera is a US work can be relevant to jurisdiction rather than the case in chief. Copyright would probably not be an issue. This looks like a simple contract dispute, a debate re whether one party is abiding a term in a licensing agreement.

Are people obliged to abide by an obviously racially discriminatory contract under EU law?

If EU law is applied, no. If American law control, probably yes. This is a contract between an american and an EU organization so there will be a fight over which law controls the contract. Due to the split between the various US states, American contracts normally have some language stating which jurisdiction's laws should be used to interpret the contract. If this was a stock licensing deal from the estate it probably names a US state.

Re: Hungarian opera singers declaring themselves African-American

#33

Post by joyeuse6701 » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 9:33 PM UTC

pvaldes wrote: post #31

Homo sapiens is an african species and the only extant species, so technically all americans are afro-americans and all europeans are afro-europeans. Banning white people from playing black music or representing black culture (or claiming that this is disrespectful for the black people that created it), is as ludicrous as would be banning black people from using light bulbs, microphones, tv, spanish/electric guitars,…

Not from a Marxist oppressor/oppressed perspective.

Re: Hungarian opera singers declaring themselves African-American

#34

Post by RickJWagner » Fri, Apr 12, 2019, 2:07 AM UTC

Seems like a clear violation of Gershwin's wishes to me. It's a great work, I imagine Gershwin wanted it to be a gift to the intended recipients.

I think it's wrong.

Re: Hungarian opera singers declaring themselves African-American

#35

Post by moomin » Fri, Apr 12, 2019, 8:33 AM UTC

vixen99 wrote: post #27

moomin wrote: post #2

Context: Hungary is under the rule of Viktor Orbán, a nasty piece of work who has impoverished his people, run constant anti-Semitic campaigns and harasses any cultural organization including universities that don't follow his culture-war line.

Why is your political rant on HN? Plenty of other places to air opinionated views.

My question to you would be why is one of Orban’s culture war stunts on Hacker News? This didn’t just happen. Porgy and Bess has been around a long time, and this has literally never been a problem before.

Besides which, a) there’s nothing political about opposing fascism b) there’s no rant there, it’s all just facts.

Re: Hungarian opera singers declaring themselves African-American

#36

Post by mcv » Fri, Apr 12, 2019, 11:37 AM UTC

pvaldes wrote: post #31

Homo sapiens is an african species and the only extant species, so technically all americans are afro-americans and all europeans are afro-europeans. Banning white people from playing black music or representing black culture (or claiming that this is disrespectful for the black people that created it), is as ludicrous as would be banning black people from using light bulbs, microphones, tv, spanish/electric guitars,…

What's more, I think restricting "black" culture to black people only, carries the risk of keeping it fringe and preventing it from becoming mainstream.

Now Porgy & Bess is solidly mainstream of course, and black culture is absolutely a vital part of its context and necessary to understand and appreciate it, and there's absolutely something to be said for ensuring that it won't be separated from that context, but I think it's also possible to have it performed by white Hungarians in a way that does justice to that context, and I certainly think it's important that white Hungarians are able to enjoy it.

And then there's also the option of translating it to a different ethnic group in a somewhat comparable situation. Not sure what a good fit would be in Hungary; Roma maybe? Muslim immigrants? That would certainly make it more immediately relevant.