A sociological and anthropological question

[Antonio Cejunior]

Originally Posted by Montino Bourbon

I always knew that music would be a great factor in my life; and after the army, I ended up studying for twelve years full time with the greatest exponent of Indian music, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. I play, teach, compose, and perform world music, with an emphasis on Indian classical and folk music and African drumming and singing.

I have pretty much all my life been thought of as 'different', to put it kindly; and I don't mind at all.

My family thinks of my passions as a little strange, but ''That's dad, and we like him that way; never a dull moment!" as one of my daughters says.

Greetings Montino,
My apologies, it seems I accidentally skipped your post. Thank you.
Well, probably I am very similar as considered a not-very-social person in the sense that I prefer to do the things I like, including work, though I do not read music, and I have always admired those who do.

My son plays djembe extremely well. He asked one for Christmas some three years ago, the year before he went to Portugal for University and started to play right after he unpacked the gift (we don't hang Christmas socks here)
He went out to play and was heard by a drums team who invited him to play with them in Hong Kong. Well, odd dad here was really proud

The views of the average citizen are not very important to me; I prefer the views of intelligent, well-educated, and tasteful people, which is why this forum interests me.

'Armi bianche', or 'white weapons' as blades and suchlike are called in Italy, have always interested me from the practical, artistic, and spiritual aspects.

Yes, it is called armas brancas (plural) in Portuguese. Are the spiritual aspects you referring to connected with their history, their symbology or other reasons?

I also enjoy going to 'Renaissance fairs', where everybody is armed and usually VERY polite, weapons are appreciated, and where music of the type that I play is respected and enjoyed. If that's a 'socio-cultural ghetto', so be it. I'd rather be there than at a tractor pull! (That's a uniquely American pastime involving large vehicles, lots of burning of gasoline, and not much fun for the likes of me.) Since I belong to a nation that at present is prosecuting a war, I hardly think that John Q Public has much to say if I choose to appreciate swords, especially while strongly condemning wholesale slaughter, which I find tasteless, costly, and ineffective in solving social problems. And, as I mentioned before, I'm a veteran of the U.S. regular army.

Whew! that was a good rant! Thank you for asking interesting questions.

Thank you for answering them. Culturally I must confess I wouldn't feel very good being "Ren dressed" but then I must acknowledge that the old world, and I am a mix of a westerner and an easterner living in the oldest western outpost in the Far East.
Glad to meet you. I'm a war veteran. 24 months in Angola, early 70's.
Let's cherish peace.

Best regards,
Antonio