Obscure Blues Question: Geechie

Subject: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Peter T.
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 10:10 AM

Geeshie Wiley (sometimes spelled Geechie) is an obscure -- but fabulous -- 20's blues guitarist. Listening to Blind Blake's "Southern Rag", lo and behold, he starts talking about a woman named Geechie, and he does a section called "Geechie dancing" full of "Geechie music". A liner note I have to an album with one cut of hers says that Geechie is an island name. Does the name -- or the connection between Black and Geechie Wiley (unless Geechie is a really common name) -- ring any bells with anyone? There is another thread on her, but I wanted to give it another go round, focussed particularly on the name.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: GUEST,emily rain
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 12:02 PM

geechie (also gullah) is a name for the languages of the south carolina sea islands, a mix of english and west african languages created by the slaves who were left to farm the islands pretty much on their own (apparantly the whitefolks couldn't stand the mosquitoes).

here's a link, the first okay one i found on altavista.

there's a great movie called "daughters of the dust" about a gullah family, acted in the gullah language.

also there's a documentary and damn if i can remember the name of it... a couple of ethnomusicologists traced a children's song from the sea islands all the way back to a tiny village in africa, thereby uniting the distant african relations of an afro-american family. fascinating. i'm gonna try and find the name of that documentary for you.

emily

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: GUEST,emily rain
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 12:09 PM

one of the ethnomusicologists is cynthia schmidt... i'm getting closer...

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Matt_R
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 12:10 PM

Good gravy, emily! Where have you been? We've missed you!!

I remember driving down near Edisto Island in South Carolina back in '91, and I saw an old advertisement painted on a barn for "Geechie Boy Cookies". Always stuck in my mind.

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: GUEST,emily rain
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 12:29 PM

the language you cry in

the title is from a mende proverb, "you know who a person really is by the language they cry in."

thanks matt. : ) i've been avoiding computers like the plague. why? this is why! i'm supposed to be packing for a trip to the ocean, and instead i'm researching obscure documentaries! naughty girl! i'm getting out of here while i still can.

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Peter T.
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 12:58 PM

Thank you emily, this is very interesting. The proverb is especially welcome. Now I wonder if "Southern Rag" is borrowing from Geechie music.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 03:49 PM

Peter and all: My understanding is that Gullah was the dialect and that the term Geechie is considered rather offensive by some black people. It possibly comes from the Ogeechee River or ultimately from Liberia. It was also used as a derogitory term for the women of the South West Pacific Islands during the Second World War and I would assume that the usage there derives from the above but both are considered offensive. I find it interesting that someone actually used it as a moniker but then people do strange and wonderous things. Kindest reguards, Neil

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 07:48 PM

Interesting Gullah/Geechie site Click Me!

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Peter T.
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 09:19 AM

Continuing thanks. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Stewie
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 11:20 AM

The photos, by Robert Yellin, in Guy and Candie Carawan's book 'Ain't you got a right to the tree of life', a snapshot of the people of Johns Island, South Carolina, alone are well worth seeking out the book - and the stories and songs are great too. But the authors note that they deliberately refrained from caricaturing the Gullah dialect by distorted spellings.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 02:34 PM

Refresh. Great job folks.

Rick

Subject: RE: Obscure Blues Question: Geechie
From: Peter T.
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 02:45 PM

I have found a copy of the video, "The Language You Cry In" at my university library. I am going to give this a look, just for the hell of it. Fascinating story. Thanks again. yours, Peter T.