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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1981)
Page 4 Portland Observer Section II February 28.1881 the drum, was the bulafou or balafo, the forerunner oi to d a y’ s xylophone or m arim ba. Jobson carefully described it and remarked upon its unusual construc tion. Two gourds suspended from each key, afforded extraordinary resonance when this wooden slat (key) was struck by a stick swathed in ‘ ‘ ...some soft stuff to avoid the clattering noise the bare stick would make.” Drum s, o f course, were the most im portant in strument and were indigenous to all communities or tribes. They were form ed from hollowed out logs, gourds or calobashes, which were covered by stretched animal skins. The instrument ranged in size from one to seven feet high and from two or three inches to several feet wide. Different pitches were achieved on the same drum when the drum was struck by a stick, fist, foot or elbow. Accom panim ent to the drum was afforded by wooden flutes, horns from elephant tusks, dududen a sort o f clarinet; trumpets fashioned from wood and tusks; various percussive instruments constructed o f iro n ; and rattles made from gourds or other dried vegetables. So, too, were the stringed instruments com monly formed from large gourds with strings stretched across the opening and attached to a long neck without The Bamboule. Reproduction of d drewing by E. W. Kemble, included in an article by George Cable, frets. One o f these stringed instruments was specifically "The Dance in Place, C ongo," Century M agazine 31, (1886-86). A frica n -typ e instrum ents were noted by Thomas Jefferson in his Notes on Virginia. He generally used in the slaves' own jubilees. stated “ The instrument proper to them (African slaves) is the banjar, which they brough hither from A frica , record belongs to a slave named Nero Benson who ser William and Mary at Williamsburg, Virginia. and which is the original o f the guitar, its chords being ved as a trum peter w ith a C aptain Isaac C lark o f Fiddlers such as Sy G illia t, owned by the Royal precisely the four lower chords o f the guitar.” It later I raningham, Massachusetts in 1723; but only conjec Governor o f Virginia, and John Stokes, who belonged became known as the banjo. ture can lead one to conclude that they continued their to Charles Carrol o f Annapolis, provided the call and Women used the thumb piano, a wooden box with musical career after the Revolutionary War was won. music for reels, jigs and the like. Their abilities were varying lengths o f thin silvers o f wood or metal fastened In the southern colonies, it is evident that some such that they, and others, often provided additional in over an opening. This was the only instrument that was household slaves learned through being present when come for their masters through being ‘ ‘ hired out” for allowed them, generally they were singers and dancers; itinerant musicians taught the children o f the wealthy. g litte rin g a ffa irs . Some were fo rtu n a te enough to men were the instrumentalists, and thus enjoyed higher In more specific cases the more accomplished Virginia receive monies independent o f the stipend paid to their status. Essentially, all were participants, for onlookers musicians may have gained v irtu o s ity by attending owners. The more frugal saved u ntil they could pur clapped, stamped and shouted their approval or disap classes w ith their young masters at the College o f chase their freedom. proval and com m unal a c tiv ity was therefore em phasized. Thus we see that when the African crossed the Atlan tic as a slave, it was inevitable that with him came some o f his instruments, if not physically, at least in memory, awaiting the time when they could be fashioned from materials at hand in the New W orld. So, too, came a rich history o f his past in song. The log o f the English ship "H a n n ib a l" recorded in 1664 that captive Africans were forced to dance and sing on board for the dual purpose o f exercise for themselves and entertainment for the crew. A similar report was made in 1788. I f reluctance or resistance was offered, the slave was flogged. An early Portugese writer wrote that the singing o f a captured group o f slaves aboard ship indicated that, although the language was unin te llig ib le, the lament was clearly understood by the listener. ALBERTSONS SALUTES BLACK HISTORY WEEK -C O L O N IA L A M E R IC A 1700 -1800- Adjustments by the slave to his new “ home” included differences in language, customs, music, religion, in struments, and the ways o f his white master. Memories o f his former home were maintained in the field through w ork songs; he received sustenance through his religious songs and expressed joy through his dance and secular music. Therefore, music afforded him some modicum o f ease in his transition. Little primary documentation exists to indicate how the slave became a musician able to render American or European songs to entertain him self and others with some skill. Newspapers o f the time carried listings that refer to slaves for sale, hire or runaways who possessed the a b ility to p erform well on various instrum ents. These ads indicate that the violin, fiddle, French horn, drum, fife and flute were the most common instruments employed by the slaves. One such listing in the Virginia Gazette, May 14, 1772, ruefully states: R U IMA WAY ...a Negro named Derby, about 25 years o f age, a slim Black fellor, and plays on the f iddle with his left hand, which he took with him. Much o f the dance music was performed by Black musicians, for dancing was the chief diversion for the aristocracy; however, here again, meager documen tation does not present a definitive picture as to how a slave acquired the necessary skill to perform in a band. To be sure, there are records that refer to this ‘ ‘ slave fid dler,” or that “ Black musician.” and an occasional diary w ill give a glimpse into how some were actually trained. Arm y records indicate that there were more than a few Blacks who played the fife or drum and the d is tin c itio n o f being the earliest Black musician o f AND THE BLACK5 WHO ARE NOW /WAKING THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO BLACK HISTORY. On May 23, 1921 Florence Mills' big break came when she starred on Broadway in "Shuffle Along". Florence Mills was a natural, w ith an uncanny power of projec ting her personality and talent. She starred in "The Plantation Revue" in 1922, renamed "From Dover to Dixie' She played in this show and in "Blackbirds" in London. She died at the age of 32. " I'm just a little ackbird looking for a bluebird” had become her theme song. Florence Mills 1895-1927 Singer dancer actress musical corned* star ot the 20s Albertsons Copyright 1980 by Albertson s, Inc All Rights Reserved 2 0 PORTLAND METRO A R E A L 0 C A T I0 N 5