A MUSIC promoter who helped singing sensation Duffy in her early years has claimed the Welsh Language Board wanted her banned from performing at a concert because she would be singing in English
“Saving and promoting a language is admirable, but denying someone the right to speak theirs is a criminal and morally unacceptable thing, especially when it’s being funded by the UK taxpayer.”
Quite.
Update:
One of the rules of blogging is to always make sure you've got two sources before posting up unsubstantiated allegations...and it's one I usually ignore! Anyway on this occasion, has Hen F has pointed out in the comments, I may possibly have got it wrong; someone purporting to be the actual officer in question from the WLB has posted up o a Welsh-language forum an alternative version of events.
10 comments:
I'm glad you agree with that comment about denying someone the right to speak their language being criminally and morally unacceptable. I take it that those Welsh speakers banned from speaking their own language by the likes of Thomas Cook have your full support then.
As to this Duffy thing, well let's see if it's actually true or just another myth.
I take it that those Welsh speakers banned from speaking their own language by the likes of Thomas Cook have your full support then.
If Thomas Cook broke any law, then it was clearly legally unacceptable. Were they charged?
Regarding the moral side of things, afaik (you can correct me if I'm wrong here) all Welsh speakers in Wales can speak English whilst not all English speakers speak Welsh. People should not be banned from speaking Welsh to another Welsh speaker, but from a purely practical point of view, how would you suggest TC should organise an office which contains a mixture of Welsh/English and purely English speakers? Should they be forced to employ a translator?
Regarding the Duffy thing...it's a reasonably serious and detailed allegation- if it's untrue, then the people or organisation slandered should be considering legal action.
A reasonably serious allegation? What is? That the Welsh Language Board insisted that an event they funded was in the Welsh language? Doesn't the name of the board give you a hint as to their purpose?
Anyway, it seems not to have even happened. Look at who's told the story to the press, Duffy's ex manager who she seems to have dumped before getting rich and famous - seems hes a bit miffed at missing the boat.
I haven't seen such a non-story since "Dog Bites Man"!
That the Welsh Language Board insisted that an event they funded was in the Welsh language?
It's not the policy of the WLB to operate discrimination on language grounds, this is what the Chief Executive himself says:
“I was deputy chief executive at the time and have no recollection of this. We have no problem funding bilingual events.”
Anyway, it seems not to have even happened.
You have proof of that? If something goes against your world-view do you automatically assume it must be wrong? Is it really beyond the realms of possibility that it might have happened?
I haven't seen such a non-story since "Dog Bites Man"!
Or horse owner mutiliates your pony for the sake of a few bob on the insurance and to insult the honour of the Welsh speakers"- any developments on that non-story?
It's not the policy of the WLB to operate discrimination on language grounds,
Correct, their policy is to promote the Welsh language. Depending on the event itself, some are solely in Wlesh some ar bilingual. The Eisteddfod for example, also (I think) subsidised by the WLB have a strict Welsh-only policy, while WLB sponsered gigs in places with less Welsh are bilingual. There's nothing criminally or morally wrong in them funding a welsh-only event.
You have proof of that? If something goes against your world-view do you automatically assume it must be wrong?
I'm saying it's wrong because, unlike the good old Mule (and you), I've waited until I hear both sides of the story before going in gun ho.
The "promoter" who went to the Mule was the one who asked the WLB for sponsership cash. He was the one who told them that the gig was all in Welsh. He then put Duffy on with an english-only set (no Welsh). The WLB officer called him AFTER the gig (not before) to point out that WLB isn't to be used for English only events. The guy didn't. as he claims in the story, tell the WLB to go fuck themselves, he just meekily decided not to claim the sponsership.
It wasn;t the fact that it wasn't 100% Welsh that made the WLB complain, it was the fact that this guy had lied to them to get the sponsership in the first place.
any developments on that non-story Nope, shockingly the Poice have failed to find the hardcore shell of non-Welsh speaking welsh nationalists who cut the noses of poor horses. (it's a story that attracted muchmore attention than this one!)
The "promoter" who went to the Mule was the one who asked the WLB for sponsership cash. He was the one who told them that the gig was all in Welsh. etc etc
If you have a link proving that, then I'll post a correction.
Take a look at this follow up article I posted on my blog, as I've been following this as well.
http://aimeeduffy.blogspot.com/2008/06/27-jun-duffy-show-ban-denied.html
If you have a link proving that, then I'll post a correction.
The WLB officer in question posted his response on the Welsh language Maes-e forum. Here's a translation (translated by Smiling Under Buses blog)
"It was he himself [Paul Brett] that insisted that all the bands would be performing in Welsh and so wanted money from the Board. It was obvious he intended to put Aimee Duffy on from the beginning, although her set was shorter than what the others had, and if she'd performed part of her set in Welsh, which is what the Board's money should support, there'd be no problem. But you can't claim money intended to promote the Welsh language to pay artists who only sing in English.
I remember the incident as I was the officer in question. And far from telling me where to stick the money, he'd put Aimee and her English only set on in the hope that no-one would say anything. The reason I remember is that I got quite cross about it and phoned him on the Sunday (for the first time) after the event to point out to him his 'misunderstanding'. After the call, he obviously didn't dare claim the money, even though I hadn't told him that he'd no longer be eligible. That must have been his own conclusion."
The Western mail asking for comments from the heads of the WLB was a bit pointles, as if they would have known anything about a £100 grant six years ago!
Was it you who once told me to be wary of unsubstantiated commennts on web-forums;?
But fair's fair, I've updated the post.
To be fair to the poster, he has been on that forum for a very long time (5 years) and was known there as having worked for the WLB way before this came up.
(There being only one major Welsh language forum, and there being so few Welsh speakers of a particular age, most people there know each other in real life as well as online)
Always a sign of a proper blogger to post updates when needed!
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