Bahamian Shanties

Subject: Bahamian Shanties
From: Barry Finn
Date: 06 May 97 - 04:15 PM

LaMarca, in a previous thread you mention locating Bahamian shanties,if you're looking, I have a good few from the Carribean, mostly rowing shanties. Roger Abrahms did a great job of collecting the shanties of the area, and published an book (now out of print) "Deep The Water Shallow The Shore". I'll look back in here.

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: LaMarca
Date: 06 May 97 - 05:08 PM

Thanks, Barry - I have a few that A. L Lloyd gave as Bahamian; I don't sing a lot of shanties (I'm usually a soprano, but can manage singing pseudo-baritone if it's REALLY early in the morning...), but I tend to like the Caribbean ones a lot. I was mostly using them as an example of the kind of music that's hard to find unless you have a REALLY good library available to you. Since I live in the DC area, I could theoretically look things up at the Folk Archive of the Library of Congress, but said Congress, in its infinite(?) wisdom cut back funding for the LC so the Archive is only open during hours when I'm at work...
Anyway, I'd be interested in some shanties from the Abrahams book, if you have tunes, too. What's the publication info on the book (copyright date, publisher, etc)? I haunt used bookshops a lot looking for old, out-of-print song collections for our home library, and may stumble across it at some point. Thanks! Mary L.

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 May 97 - 10:43 PM

Hi- We have at least a few Bahamian shanties; mostly from the Roger Abrahams book. Try a full-text search for [Deep the Water]

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 May 97 - 01:41 AM

The book's ISBN # 0292715021, LC call# ML3565.A27 Published by Un. of Texas, Austin for the American Folklore Society 1974 or 75? I cheched the DT and only recognized one, "Solid Fast" or World Of Misery" the Caribbean version of Shenendoah. I could give you the words but can't write the music or cords. Some of the songs; Pull Away Me Boys, Hell Of A Wedding On The Congo River, Fenney Brown(Sally's cousin), Georgie Break Me Neck, Fine Time Of Day,and St. Peter Down In Courtland Bay.These are all from Abrahams and are rowing songs, the tempo would change with the songs depending on the state of the water and how fast and hard they'd have to pull on the oars (fast water-white caps in a good breeze, through a chop, against the surf or current). An intersting use of the chorus, usually kept very short, would be to extend it every so often to afford the rowers a moment to catch their breath.An example (Think he break me neck),then for the coffee break (Hold him Georgie I think he break neck)every 10 or 15 pulls. I've been looking for his book, if you locate it please let me know. Bye for now Barry

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 May 97 - 12:02 PM

The trick to searching is patience. Try @BWI-- there are a dozen or so in there.

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 May 97 - 04:48 PM

Thanks Dick, I did check out (Deep The Water)and then a second search with @BWI and got further along, though I don't know the how or why, I'm just learning to crawl. While I'm here with you, I'll say thanks to you & all your partners& helpers for this wounderful site and service. I've been enjoying and self educating myself in this kind of music for over 30 years, if I'd had this then I could've learnt in 5 what it took to learn in 30, Thanks. Barry Finn

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: Bill D
Date: 07 May 97 - 09:53 PM

I have a copy of "Deep the Water....." and LaMarca knows where to find me... *wink* I'll give her a call in the next few days to see if she has found a copy.....

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: Bill D
Date: 07 May 97 - 10:01 PM

I have a copy of "Deep the Water....." and LaMarca knows where to find me... *wink* I'll give her a call in the next few days to see if she has found a copy.....

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: BillD
Date: 07 May 97 - 10:22 PM

Interesting....I know absolutly that I did not 'double enter' that post...I saw the '7' in front of it after I posted and I went on to other things...then I came back here later and saw the '8' and wondered who had added another entry....*trying to visualize where that post lay dormant until I did something that re-triggered it* hmmmm....

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: Ricky Rackin
Date: 10 May 97 - 04:12 PM

I grew up [sorta, by now!] across the street in Union NJ from a guy who played the guitar and folkmusic named Roger Abrams. This was in the mid-fifties; I'd be blown away to learn we'd followed similar music for 40 years !! Anybody know if he's still kickin' and reachable? Ricky

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: Bill D
Date: 10 May 97 - 08:34 PM

this was Roger Abrahams...taught at Univ. of Texas in Austin....wrote a book on Negro folklore in Philadelphia also...prob. not the guy...

Subject: RE: Bahamian Shanties
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 10 May 97 - 09:10 PM

Roger is now with the Folklore Dept. of the University of Pennsylvania.