That's it...Period

[Tim Twiss]

I was thinking a lot about the presentation of the music we play and
the importance of a period correct replication instrument (or really
close). What brought his about was thinking of it in a more modern
context and realizing the importance of the "sound"., not just the
playing style. When I lived in Los Angeles, I went to the filming of
Beatlemania. For each phase of the Beatles career (from the "Ed
Sullivan" days, to "Let It Be"), they used the guitars and amps they
had then...the old Vox amps, Hofner Bass, most likely some flat wound
strings, same fuzz boxes, etc. It made a pretty big difference in the
sound AND my perception of the sound. It took the touch of the
musician to really close the deal! (The cool clothes helped too) I
didn't think I would enjoy it that much going into it, but I had a
great time.
Don't get me wrong...I think the music stands alone (Beatles AND
Minstrel) just fine, but the "package deal" is pretty cool too.

[Colporteur]

Tim,

I pretty much agree. I started out by learning on instruments that
did not have a period sound. As I progressed I found that both the
sound, and the look were important. I was out playing this past
weekend at a reenactment, and people saw me playing. From a distance,
my clothing made a statement that I was playing early music. As they
got closer they could hear and see that my instruments were very
different from what they were used to, and it gave me an opportunity
to talk with them about the early music. All in all it was a really
good event.

I do want to question the language of some of the songs. I tend to
adjust the wording a little, and I always wresle with this issue. I
don't want to change the context of the lyrics, and I don't want to
whitewash the past. I also want people to be able to enjoy the
quality of the music. How far do we go in doing a period
presentation? I certainly agree about clothing and instrument, but
what about lyrics, or performing in blackface? I'd love to hear some
other perspectives on this.

[Dave]

John,

I feel the same about the lyrics. I've been performing this music in
front of the public for at least 15 years and in my performances I
have run the gamut from doing accurate impressions of published
minstrel skits in blackface ("Hard Times" and "The Quack Doctor" ) to
sheepishly changing even the word darkey to something completely
innocuous. I tend to scan the audience and to be honest I will change
lyrics depending on who I see, trying not to offend anyone. Except in
the minstrel shows which were performed after hours at reenactments I
have always avoided the n-word (even here!). I tend to sing very
loudly and every word is articulated but if there are young children I
wince a little during one song we do where a line ends in "I'll be
damned". All of this tip-toeing around and yet the songs are still
filled with blatant racism such as Dandy Jim from Caroline. I may sing
the best looking "Fellow" in the county, but his heel still sticks out
and the paternity of his kids are questioned. So, I do wonder who in
my audience is listening closely. I love the music, I love the songs,
but there is a lot of internal wrestling. My favorite lyrics are the
ones that have a bit of a story to them such as Angelina Baker, Ring
De Banjo, Old Joe, etc. and that's what I tend to think about as I
sing them, that's what I'm trying to communicate to the audience. To
me it has to be more than just presenting an accurate historic
impression, I want people to think about the songs so the lyrics are
very important.

Dave

[Ed Sims]

I prefer to explain to open audiences, intermitantly during the
performance, that when they hear me sing the word "slave" the period
word was actually "n-word". The context of the song changes if one
believes that the main character is not an enslaved black man.

If it is a closed audience then I'll explain why the original lyrics
use the n-word and perform using the original lyrics. I have never had
a problem. I learned this from Bob Kilham and it also worked for him.

There is no right or wrong way. This just happens to be my way.

Ed

PS My favorite substitution of the n-word/darkie is a band that
recorded Keemo Kimo - "And up de darkies heads dey poke" is changed to
"And up de babies heads dey poke"! Babies working in the field?

[Dave]

That sounds familiar. Birthing, not working. "They cover the ground
all over with smoke.....". What's it supposed to mean?

[Colporteur]

I use the words Slave Folk in Keemo Kimo. I wrestled with that one for
a while, but it conveys the meaning of the song well and fits
rythmically. I also have fun with folk in the fourth line: And up
their head the slave folk poke.

I am a city slicker, but I believe that the use of smoke is to control
insects/weevils. I have found several references to smoke being used
for that purpose.

[Daniel Partner]

The only word I'm careful with is the "n" word. With the general public, I'll change it. As Ed Sims points out, when possible, the alternative word "slave" is best because it is unambiguous about the status of those who people the song. I always make this clear, however, in the banter between songs, and point out the "racy" lyrics about the stereotypical heels and lips and hair. The songs also illuminate other aspects of antebellum society and culture that can delight an audience.

 

Folks don't know that Blue Tail Fly tells of a slave boy's indifferent attitude toward his master's death. It is about as important as gimcrack. Or, that "Oh! Susanna" is sung by a slave separated from his lover by chattel commerce. I think that the power of this music lies, in large part, in the fact that race forcefully informs the American experience. This is not a topic of polite conversation, and our performances can artfully bring it to the fore.

 

A book worth reading on this topic is, "Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word" by Harvard law professor Randal Kennedy.

 

I've always thought that the smoke on the ground in Keemo Kimo referred to the white folks burning their flax (tow) fields. This singes the hair of the field slaves making it black, coarse and kinky, as seen when they poke up their heads:

 

In South Car'lina de darkies go,
Sing song, Kitty can't you Ki! me oh!
Dat's whar de white folks plant de tow.
Sing song, Kitty can't you Ki! me oh!
Cover de ground all over wid smoke,
Sing song, Kitty can't you Ki! me oh!
And up de darkey's heads dey poke.
Sing song, Kitty can't you Ki! me oh!

[Colporteur]

Daniel,

I agree regarding the idea of telling the stories behind the varous
songs. It seems like there is always more to research. Perhaps this
could be another book, songs and the history behind them?

Now you have my curiosity up. I understand that in the spring you
would burn your flax fields to get rid of last year's straw. Why
would slaves be in the field during this?

[Daniel Partner]

> I understand that in the spring you would burn your flax fields to get rid
of last year's straw. Why would slaves be in the field during this?

The slaves are working while the field is being burned. A vicious image when
you think of it, with no basis in actual agricultural methods. (If that is
what the song means.) Maybe audiences found that image humorous. It may have
given the audience the idea that slaves were always in the fields; or a
grotesque explanation why the negroid hair is the way it is. It is hard to
say, isn't it. There's a PhD in all this for somebody.

[Dave]

Enjoyed this thread. I'm doing a concert this weekend, it will be
darkies all the way! Sometimes though, I prefer not to do a lot of
explaining ahead of time, depends on my mood.

[David Miller]

John -

A word which also came into use mid-19th century was a slang of
"fellow", which itself was common back to old English. That word is
"fella", or for our purposes "fellas". By accounts even performers
felt entitled to swap words while singing anyway, so I've simply
swapped in "fellas" for every instance of "n.....s". With it's two-
syllables and similar meaning (to identify the subject folks in the
song) it works well while keeping with a period performance practice
(substitution). With "fellas" no explanation necessary unless you the
performer want to bring it up. The single-syllable "slaves" by
contrast sounds inserted, and can sometimes slant the meaning of a
song a bit.

My 2 cents, anyway. Hope it helps.

Dave Miller

[Carl Anderton]

Looks like we have a new poster here. David, why don't you introduce
yourself? You'll find us a friendly bunch, except for the odd troll
here and there.

> > other perspectives on this.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Ed Sims]

John - The word slave doesn't "slant" the meaning. It maintains the
meaning. The meaning is that the subject of almost all minstrel songs
is an enslaved black male. Fellow/fella can "slant" the meaning toward
a white male which is not correct. However; you are correct that being
only one syllable, "slave" is not a smooth replacement word for
"n.....". I like it; though, as it brings slight emphasis to the fact
that the true word has been replaced. Thanks for the good input!

Ed

[David Miller]

I understand what you're saying Ed, but at a minimum, the "black
dandy" urban black types in so many of these songs are not slaves. As
for the other tunes where they are slaves, my point was that using
"fellas" doesn't preclude them being slaves. In any event the white
songwriters wouldn't have the character call themselves or their group
slaves. The writers were claiming (marketing) these to be original
Ethopian songs.

As for "fellas" slanted toward meaning a white male, perhaps you've
studied that so I'll take your word on it.

It's interesting you actually want to bring emphasis to the fact that
the true word "n.....s" was replaced. I feel that for an audience to
truly understand the appeal of these songs at the time they must first
be genuinely entertained by it. There were no "lessons" in these
silly songs at the time, so if we are to portray this in the spirit of
the times we should be seemless in presentation and point out any
issues later, and only in a living history context.

Dave Miller

Oh, hello all, glad I found this group.

[Carl Anderton]

On Jul 18, 12:28 pm, David Miller <davymill...@aol.com> wrote:

> As for "fellas" slanted toward meaning a white male, perhaps you've
> studied that so I'll take your word on it.

I can assure you Ed has studied minstrelsy, David. No worries there.

[Dave]

I tested these ideas out over the weekend in front of an audience.
Dandy Jim was a "fellow", the "darkies" poked up their heads, a
"colored man" hit Goliath in the head and the people were entertained
and even a little educated . Very humid Saturday evening, it reminded
me of a summer I spent in Missouri. Amazing how I could pick up my
instrument from where it had been sitting in the sun and it would
sound like the best banjo I've ever played and then three songs later
it was all mush and this was a St. Louis banjo. That's why I always
bring two and rotate.

[Ole Bull]

As I understand it the "babies in the tobacco field" story was an old
cololquial folk tale to explain (or, not explain) to kids how birthing
occurred. Like the stork or the "found under a cabbage leaf" story. It
is nothing more than that, an old nonsense story that is reiterated
within this song. I dont remember but perhaps I saw it mentioned in
Zora Hurston's collections.

As to the other subject... it is very hard to have an objective
discussion in an environment that people are trained not to
distinguish between the concepts of "racial" and "racist". Will there
come a day in our life when we can objectivly contrast and compare
Toll's finding that a very small number of songs were truely
derogitory against Dennison's charge that every song was?

[Tim Twiss]

Pardon my ignorance, but who are Toll and Dennison, and what did they
write that is recommended?

[Dave]

Robert Toll wrote "Blacking Up: The Minstrel Show in Nineteenth-
Century America ". I am somewhat familliar with this book having found
it in the library. I don't think I've read anything by Dennison.

[David Miller]

I've seen the Dennison book referenced before, but haven't read it.
It's

Scandalise My Name: Black Imagery in American Popular Music, by Sam
Dennison (1982, New York) ISBN-10: 0824093097

Dave Miller

[Ed Sims]

Colporteur - "slave folk" works! Good suggestion. Some songs do better
with the word "slave" such as Dandy Jim of Caroline while in Oh!
Lemuel it is tad more difficult.

Ole Bull - The antebellum versions of Keemo Kimo do not have the word
"babies" in the lyrics. I doubt any 19th c. versions do. The word
"babies" was used by a modern band that plays minstrel songs to
replace the word "darkies". The entire song deals with southern
slaves. Also many minstrel lyrics, seem to us, to be nonsensical
today; however, to a period person they weren't. The best example of
this is Oh! Susanna!.

Dave M. - The majority, if not almost all, of antebellum minstrel
songs are about southern slaves. The most popular "dandy" one,"Dandy
Jim of Caroline, obviously is about a southern slave. I haven't run
across the word "fellow/fella" in 19th c. literature being used to
refer to a slave or free black man. I have seen it once used as "black
fellow". In the times, words such as "man" or "fellow" implied a white
man. And, you are absolutely correct when you state that the
songwriters wouldn't use the word "slaves" to refer to the song
characters - even though they were slaves. Of course, neither would
they use the word "fellow/fella". It was either darkie or the n-word.
Minstrelsy was not only entertainment to the 19th c. person. What you
call "lessons" were, most often, commentaries of contemporary society
that period audiences recognized and understood. That is why popular
music is a reflection of popular culture. My presentation of
antebellum pop music is both entertaining and educational to my
audiences and to myself. I appreciate your input Dave and the great
dialog all of you have contributed to this important thread!

Ed

Thanks for the kind support Carl!

[Ole Bull]

Yes Ed, you are correct and I am aware that the song did not use the
word "babies", specifically. But if you know of this folk tale which
relates that black babies are grown in the field by people who have
used toes as if they were seeds then the verse takes on a meaning, or
a relationship with the tale, and that any one familiar with the "old
wives tale" who heard the verse would understand that, in that
context, the word "darkies" refers to black babies. The heads poke up
through the ground as a plant grows. Birthing, not working. Does this
make more sense?

[Ed Sims]

Ole Bull - The anecdotal tale you mention is from the 20th c. & has
nothing to do with antebellum pop music. The "tow" in the 19th c.
versions of Keemo Kimo is not the same as "toe". Tow is the fibres of
flax, hemp, etc. In De Camptown Races the "tow bag" is a light colored
bag or a bag similar to a gunnysack. A tow head is a light haired
person. Tow was a common word back then. The entire field scene of
Keemo Kimo's first verse is to paint a valid picture of a southern
plantation. It was used time & again in antebellum minstrelsy to give
authenticity to the minstrel's portrayal of the southern slaves.

Ed