Known on social media as “Daveethewave“Hermlin has built up a reputation, not only for his music, but also for his image. He dresses on authentic fashion from the 1930s, complete with smooth back hair, vintage microphone and a charcoal gray suit that looks like a Fred Astaire film.
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David Hermlin (Annette Riedl/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
The look fits in the sound. He sings classics such as “Let’s Fall in Love”, supported by his own Big Band, The Swing -Dancing orchestraThat relates the Golden Age of Swing to the last detail. His yellow ribbon pen, neatly worn on the lapel of that tailor -made suit, stood out this year at the festival of this year and became a flash point in the controversy.
Hermlin’s experience raises questions about free speech in the entertainment world. He frames his case as part of a broader historical pattern of exclusion.
“What kind of world is this before I can play at a festival, I have to make a political explanation? It is a music festival, not a political festival,” he said.
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David Hermlin, center in a red coat, plays drums surrounded by his big band Orchestra. (Your Hauth)
The Herräng dance camp in Sweden is considered one of the world’s most recognized swing festivals. During this year’s meeting, a group called Jazz with Palestine held an open meeting. Hermlin acted as a drummer with a different ensemble, not his own orchestra.
He later heard that the organizers not only exclude him from the jam sessions of that group, but also made it clear that they would not consider booking his personal projects, such as the Swing dancing orchestra.
“I went with the only intention to just listen to their worries and, if possible, to have a dialogue,” Hermlin explained.
Hermlin asked two questions during the Jazz with Palestine meeting. He wanted to know where monetary donations would be directed and what the lyrics of the Arab song that was used for choreography meant. The exchange later led to complaints about his ‘intimidating presence’.
“The first question was, if I want to donate some money, where are the donations going?” Hermlin remembered. “The second was, what is the meaning of the Arabic song? They said they didn’t know. I asked,” Wouldn’t it be nice to know before they film a choreography? “
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Andrej Hermlin and David Hermlin during the Askania Awards 2023 in the Berlin Capital Club February 14, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Tristar Media/Getty images)
He said he was stunned when a board member told him that some attendees felt uncomfortable.
Hermlin was also confronted with criticism for wearing a small yellow reversal, which symbolizes solidarity with the 50 hostages that are still being held by Hamas. Festival visitors suggested that the PIN was inflammatory or political propaganda. Hermlin rejects that characterization.
“People pointed to my yellow pin and said,” Maybe people are aggressive because of your pin. ” I asked them, “Do you know what it means?” They said no, “he said.” This pin is about the hostages. It’s not about the IDF or the government. It’s about empathy. “
After Herräng, Hermlin said that other festivals began to drop him off their setup while he held his band. “I am the only one who is excluded. Not the band, only me,” he said. “A festival told me:” Don’t take it personally, you get a cancellation costs. ” But how is that not personal? “
(L-to-r) Andrej Hermlin with daughter Rachel Hermlin and brother David Hermlin October 9, 2021. (Gerald Matzka/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Hermlin says that the treatment reminds him of both the McCarthy era and the history of his own family in Berlin in the 1930s. He also points to the history of exclusion of the swing world.
“It reminds me of the McCarthy era, when artists were forced to explain whether they were communists. If you said yes, you would be boycot,” he said. “They did this for photos of Norma Miller, Frankie Manning and the Nicholas brothers, artists excluded in the 1930s. How ironic is that?”
He also quotes Benny Goodman, the Jewish clarinettist who became the “King of Swing” and segregation defined by hiring black musicians such as Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton and Charlie Christian.
“As Benny Goodman showed in the 1930s, Swing is about inclusion. That is his soul,” said Hermlin.
Despite the fallout, Hermlin promises to continue to play.
“I had no choice but to speak. Music should unite and not be able to share,” he said.
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“I never wanted to be dragged into politics. I am a swing musician, not a politician – my instrument is the drums, not a political explanation.
“My way to fight back is to keep swinging. That is what I will do. I end my concerts by saying,” Don’t forget, keep swinging. ” And I mean it. “
