2008 Corrido Conference

In the history of civilizations, elite cultures have been well supported and relatively well documented. Most current popular mass appeal cultures have their own support via the entertainment and communications industries. Vernacular, regional, or local traditions however, even though they often form the roots of many mass popular genres, are on the one hand neglected and even discarded, while on the other exploited and devoured by the dominant mass culture.
Despite neglect and exploitation, local and regional traditions still symbolize and sustain many communities. Each ballad, blues, fiddle tune, hymn, or dance form reaffirms communal spirit and builds pride. As these regional traditions honor the past, they also respond to dynamic and constant change - they are never static.

	Why Vernacular Music and Cultures Need and Deserve Our Support: In the history of civilizations, elite cultures have been well supported and relatively well documented. Most current popular mass appeal cultures have their own support via the entertainment and communications industries. Vernacular, regional, or local traditions however, even though they often form the roots of many mass popular genres, are on the one hand neglected and even discarded, while on the other exploited and devoured by the dominant mass culture. Despite neglect and exploitation, local and regional traditions still symbolize and sustain many communities. Each ballad, blues, fiddle tune, hymn, or dance form reaffirms communal spirit and builds pride. As these regional traditions honor the past, they also respond to dynamic and constant change - they are never static.
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