Douglas Henderson wrote:

> I also introduced a 1933 Duo-Art roll
> (played on Peter Neilson's Brewster upright pedal player); this was
> Otto Cesana's "Negro Heaven" -- a 'Symphonette'.  (It was released in
> an Ampico edition as well.)
>
> I was told by the powers-that-be that the '33 title was "offensive",
> so had to give a little curtain speech to introduce the number.

I think that the problem is that "Negro Heaven" isn't really the title.
The first word has been changed somewhat from the title I recall, and I
don't wish to repeat it.

The period of greatest popularity of player pianos in the US fits
fairly neatly into that era (1880-1950) during which the US became a
multi-ethnic society and didn't have any idea how to deal with it.
Every ethnic group had songs dedicated to its foibles and caricatures,
most emanating from Tin Pan Alley.  It's not obvious who bought these.
From our perspective today it seems that they would have appealed to
the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant community's sense of superiority over
all other groups.  But apparently everyone bought everything, and the
most scurrilous jokes and songs were often loved by the groups that
they jibed at.

This is a very delicate issue, especially so in an international forum
like this one.  The rather odd code of courtesy that's recently
developed in the US as our society has expanded to accommodate and
recognize diversity (taken to extremes, it's called "political
correctness") is confusing to the older generation here and must be
terribly mystifying to those from abroad.  Fortunately, our kids don't
seem to have nearly the trouble with it that we do.

My sense, however, is that even the most sensitive multi-ethnic situa-
tions can be overcome with good will and that people, regardless of
ethnicity, will generally recognize good intentions.  If a black (or
Afro-American, etc.) couple walks into an antique music store and sees
a rack of "Coon Songs," as the 1908 Sears Catalog cheerfully describes
them, they'll most likely laugh and possibly even buy one.  Antiques
are antiques, and I believe that most folks who've suffered from racial
discrimination can recognize that there's no threat or ill-will meant
by the folks who sell them.

Apropos of nothing, I recall that Santa Fe, New Mexico had to install
apologetic signs around the war memorial across from the Palace of
Governors.  They apologize for the references to "Rebels and Savages,"
i.e., Confederate soldiers and Native Americans, both of which groups
had major roles in the military history of the area.

Mark Kinsler
Athens, Ohio, USA
http://www.frognet.net/~kinsler