[Dixielandjazz] Harder rules to enter USA was Banjo's Made from "protected Woods

[Ulf Jagfors]

Kaye

I think you have misunderstood the whole discussion a lot. The postings on
the four string banjo list concerned first of all the new harder rules for
aliens to enter USA by a short term tourist visa. You may not be aware of
this in US but since last year all none US resident people have to apply on
internet, ESTA, for a tourist visa in good time before the journey. If
approved you will get a visa valid for a number of years, in most cases
three years. If you cannot present an approved ESTA document to the air
company they will not accept you as a passenger. I understand that this
procedure is put in use to be able to have amble time check all people, from
all aspects not only security, that enter USA. 

I am very sorry if perhaps some of our American list mates will find this
posting more political than about music. But for us poor aliens who pay
random visits to US to both listen and play music it is very important to
learn to cope with the new, perhaps harder, rules for entering USA.

This is what the posting was about on the banjo list, slightly edited by me;

>>This is an important message to all non-US jazz players.

A British friend of mine is an amateur jazz musician, who has performed in
the US many times at various festivals. He never got paid, just free hotel
rooms. A few months ago he was applying for a new visa with ESTA, the US
website for immigration, and got a reply that he was no longer permitted to
come into the US. He had to go the consulate in London to find out the
reason and was told that he had lied on his visa applications, saying that
he was coming in as a tourist, but instead had been "working" as a musician.
He told them that he did not get paid for any of those gigs, to no avail.
They had traced his name to websites and Youtube videos. Welcome to the
computer age! It was Homeland Security that was behind this.

So all you non US jazz players, be aware: Keep a low profile, stay of the
websites and out of the youtubes when you visit the conventions.
Please pass this on to all your European and Japanese jazz friends who may
not read these mails.<<<

Tom 

Then banjo player Sean Moyses of UK/Germany added the information about the
protected material in string instruments as follow;

>>Tom, thanks for the mail. 
I had a bit of similar info that can be a bit of a nail-biter for musicians
flying to the USA. Banjos and guitars are made of exotic wood and often
inlayed. A lot of these materials come under the banner "protected species"
and some banjos made of Rosewood (think Brazilian rain forests) Ebony and
especially B&D#6 banjos style with ivory inlays, are of great interest to
the people at immigration. Beware! you may lose that banjo, be fined or be
denied entry for trying to "smuggle" protected species. 
Sean.<<<<

I have to add that I have never encountered any problem entering with banjos
and guitars to USA. And I have done it perhaps twenty times during the last
fifteen years. But in principle Sean is right. There is a very strict ban in
force since many years as per the above description. But this does not apply
for domestic travels in US. But I guess even Canadians should take care.

I hope this clear up the reference to the posting on the banjo list. And to
all alien people aspiring to play on a jam in Fritzels bar in N.O. Don´t put
it up on Youtube.

Ulf
_____________________________________________________________________

Till: Ulf Jagfors
Kopia: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Ämne: [Dixielandjazz] Banjo's Made from "protected Woods & etc"

The fourstringbanjo at yahoogroups.comgroup is having a very important
discussions just now because of the banjos being seized or etc.(When
flying)  because of them having woods such as Rosewood (Brazilion Rain
Forrest)  and/or exotic woods & materials. 
Please check it out, as my info is limited. 

Kaye Wade