Petr Pandula's Open Letter to Irish musicians

In a dramatic move that is likely to cause considerable controversy among the Irish music community, the well known trad activist Petr Pandula has broken ranks to launch what is, at times, a scathing attack on attitudes among Irish folk musicians.

Reflecting on the boom years of the Celtic tiger, Pandula – who is the Managing Director of Magnetic Music, which he himself describes as 'one of Europe's leading Celtic music agencies' – argues that folk and trad musicians effectively lost their way, and that they have collectively betrayed one of their primary missions: that of calling attention to social injustice. "Many of us," he says, "were rather competing to play in the tents of the political parties at the Galway races and pocket a fine cheque without telling the assembled criminals what the so called cultural elite of this nation thinks of them."

This is just one of a number of controversial charges littered throughout what is a long and thought-provoking Open Letter, that has been widely distributed among musicians as well as various agencies, including the Arts Council.

The widespread dissemination of the letter, including to government agencies, may be among its most controversial aspects. Pandula, who runs a specialist trad music shop in Doolin, Co Clare, as part of his wider involvement in the traditional scene, accuses musicians of double standards in a way that will surely raise eyebrows, for a host of different reasons.

"I have encounters with album producers who want from me €11 cash in hand for a CD proudly displaying the logo of the Arts Council," he accuses. "In other words those producers pocketed a grant, which is based on the hard work and taxes paid by the people of Ireland, but have zero insight that they could give something back by writing an invoice to our shop."

The Open Letter – written in response to an interview with film-maker and Arts Council member Philip King which appeared in the Irish Times and discussed the issue of Irish identity and the importance in that regard of traditional and folk music – includes a number of other provocative accusations which question the integrity of members of the trad movement.

The Letter mentions the the child abuse scandal, the indulgences of certain politicians and people over the years and he wonders if our hesitance to speak out is the reason that we have let our morals slip so far.
"Is the reason why we became so quiet and tame because we feel deep inside that we actually do not have the authority to speak out?"
Pandula says that the Irish music has regressed so much now that most artists have lost their mission as performers to be informers of injustice and have fallen for the rigue du jour of extravagance and sex, drugs, rock and roll.
He mentions the likes of Christy Moore who has never shied away from controversy. Moore uses his music as social commentary that honestly takes on topics like the hunger strikers of the 1970s and 80s and the Stardust nightclub tragedy.
He accuses folk musicians of remaining silent when the Rossport Five were fighting for Ireland's natural resources and when the exuberance of Ireland’s biggest earners got out of control. He claims that musicians and artists today have become so disconnected from the meaning of folk that they have a fear of offending those who are in the wrong – those who they have become familiar with.
However, he praises those who have surpassed their doubts and associations and continued to uncover the wrongs that have been committed.
"Our political journalists revealing economic scandals, corruption and child abuse have done a good service for the nation. They do not seem to fear that this is a small nation and that they will sooner or later meet those ones they have challenged in person."
He earnestly calls on those apart of the Irish traditional and folk music scene to "break the silence" and preserve the identity of Irish culture before it is too late and has vanished completely.

To see the full- text of the letter, click here