I would suggest that when we sing "Negro" songs that are written in "dialect," we're better off to sing them in Standard American English.쳌 -Joe-

Hooray for Seamus Kennedy.

One might rightly discern that I disagree with Joe, and pretty much agree with what Seamus wrote, even if he might have been ironic.

First, dialectal (and most) stereotypes have their roots in reality...that is, some folks in a group actually do/did speak in the 'offending'쳌 dialect or pronunciation. So, in the songs of Foster, or the stories of Joel Chandler Harris, the patois was basically being transcribed. Is this jarring to modern sensibilities? Probably to some. Is it meant to offend? That's a more difficult question. If a Klan member sang in dialect, it is likely meant to demean; if Joe Offer so sang, it probably (certainly?) is not meant to offend.

Personally, I like dialect. I enjoy Jewish (in Yiddish or English) songs and jokes, and I enjoy them more if they have the cadence and pronunciation of the shetl Jew. I like Connie Francis' version of 'My Yiddische Mama,'쳌 but I really appreciate Sophie Tucker's or the Barry Sisters' version of that song much better.

A few years ago I tried reading one of the original Hopalong Cassidy cowboy novels. I finally gave up because the author, Clarence Mulhall, was slavishly recreating stereotypical cowboy lingo, making it too hard for me to read , although to an audience not far removed from the days of the trail drive it was clearly understandable.

Finally, I think context should guide whether or not to use dialect or stereotypical langusge. If one is recreating an era--a history of the ante-bellum south, for instance--the use of dialect is reasonable. If one is performing a musical potpourri, perhaps it would be better to use more standard English when singing songs which might otherwise offend.