Help: Bahamas local music

Subject: Bahamas local music
From:
Date: 17 Oct 00 - 05:56 PM

Listening to Joseph Spence recordings, I heard and was moved by music of the previous generation in the Bahamas. Where might I find their musical/spiritual descendants today?

Bimini, Andros, Nassau, Freeport....?

Thanks,

Rick http://ricklee.org

Subject: RE: Help: Bahamas local music
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 17 Oct 00 - 06:21 PM

Hello, Rick! Hope you stay around and become a regular here.

I'll tell you what Caroline and I did while we were in nassau. Our hosts, an English couple, complained that there was "no folk music" in the bahamas. By that, they meant that Joan Baez never came there to do concerts. We said, "There's great music here; you just have to go find it!" "How could we do that?" I suggested going to one of the "jumper" churches, get to know some of the people, listen to the gospel music, etc. "But how could we ever do that?" Caroline got up, walked into their kitchen and said to Nora, their Bahamian maid, who was washing dishes, "Nora, we want to visit a 'jumper' church while we're here. Can you suggest one for us?" "Well," says Nora, "My son is a minister in a 'jumper' church, you could go there." Simple as that. We did, were warmly welcomed, and easily obtained permission to record the service. The congregation traditionally started the hymns slowly, sang maybe a couple of verses, then "jumped" them -- went into a quick tempo with clapping and foot tapping and tamborines. Wonderful! Their hymn book was printed in Cleveland, Tennessee, but what they did with the written music truly transformed it.

Gotta go to Torrington now. Stay well, lad.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Help: Bahamas local music
From:
Date: 17 Oct 00 - 06:27 PM

Thanks, Sandy.

An excellent plan.

Best,

Rick