Cultural appropriation is a major issue “now”-adays, with the younger generation, especially in Europe. Among other purposes, attempts to stop cultural appropriation seem to be aimed at overcoming colonial legacies and similar injustices regarding domination and the suppression of cultures. Unfortunately, a primarily good intent has partly deviated towards an extreme essentialism that impedes cultural exchanges, especially in music. Cultural exchanges are an essential element of cultural development. This talk considers various facets of this complex issue, and illustrates various viewpoints with music examples.