To contact this jazz band and tell them to stop using this word?

[FauxWhiteOrchid]

There’s a local jazz event taking place soon and the bio describes the band as “Dixieland”. I remember the Dixie Chicks apologising and changing their name.

The word derives from the American South and is also used in a Confederate song. Here’s the full Wikipedia page for “Dixie”. Basically, its usage is racist.

I was surprised to see the word at all but also not surprised as I live in a very white Reform/Tory voting area.

AIBU to contact the band and ask them to change their description? Or leave them alone? I know what the reaction will be if I do contact them: just music blah blah been a traditional word for this style of jazz blah blah world gone mad woke blah joy thief etc. But I see no reason to use this word in this day and age.

WWYD?

As it's a specific genre of music to distinguish it from other types of jazz, they can't really change it unless they don't mind people not knowing what sort of band they are.

And what exactly would you suggest they change it to so they may market themselves to their audience?

Hi - got an update. I did email them and they replied. They were not aware of the connotations and said they would look into it. I got another email this morning thanking me for raising their awareness and they won’t be playing this style of music again in the future. In the meantime a friend said that they hadn’t been pulling in the crowds the way they used to and most of the members are part of another swing band so it looks like it is a commercial decision.

Ditching the boaters and the stripy waistcoats, yay!

What good does it do anyone at all that they won’t be playing that style of music in the future? Does it make the world a better place in any way whatsoever? (No. Well done for making the world a slightly less diverse place.)

Yay! Taking joy and music out of the world one band at a time...

Spot on. Hope you’re proud of your pointless virtue signaling @FauxWhiteOrchid. Always assuming they’re not just fobbing you off, of course.

No, other people had raised the same issue, apparently. And it isn’t the band in Bridlington btw.

I thought of this thread earlier. We were down on the seafront and a tribute act was singing Elvis songs, my husband was belting out "I wish I was in dixie" (not sure what the title is) along with the act. I was thinking the OP would be having a hissy fit about this big, black guy from north America singing that song. How very dare he.

Of course they had...