Edited by Azizi Powell
The Pointer Sisters: Wang Dang Doodle [1974]
Uploaded by SafariCreations on May 22, 2009
****
This post presents examples of and suggested sources for certain words to the playground rhyme "Ladies And Gentlemen, Children Too".
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to all the contributors of these examples presented in this post. My thanks also to The Pointer Sisters and to others associated with the performance and production, and uploading to YouTube of the video that is featured in this post.
****
FEATURED EXAMPLES OF "LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN, CHILDREN TOO"
[Presented in relative chronological order]
Example #1 (movement rhyme)
Ladies and gentlemen, children too
This brown girl
She gonna boogie for you
She gonna turn all around
She gonna wear her dresses up above her knees
She gonna shake her fanny just as much as she please.
I never went to college.
I never went to school.
But when it comes to boogie,
I can boogie like a fool.
You go in out, side to side.
You go in out, side to side.
[second rhyme sometimes sung right after that one]
Hey baby, how about a date?
I'll meet you round the corner
'Bout half-past eight.
Hands up!
Tachie Tachie Tachie
Hands down!
Tachie Tachie Tachie!
Sans BOOTS!
Tachie Tachie Tachie
Hands down!
Tachie Tachie Tachie!
Sans BOOTS!
- Barbara Ray (African American female), memory of childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1950s; collected in November 1996 & in August 2009 (second interview) by Azizi Powell
****
Example #2 (dramatized skit)
Fast forward to current time. The guys(yes boys) at campfires and Diocese-wide events here in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark (NJ) do a dance off to the following with one guy sitting down after each sing through. I'll check around, but I know it goes back to the mid 1990's
Seven little sisters
Like to boogie down
Like to turn around
Like to touch the ground
Like to wear their skirts above their knees
Now they've never been to college
And they've never been to school
But when it comes to dancin'
They can boogie like a fool.
Hands up, shake-shake, shake, shake
Hands down, shake-shake, shake, shake
To the front, to the back to the side, side, side
to the front, to the back, to the side, side, side
Six little sisters.....
-Tinker,
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=123101 "We Wear Our Hair In Curls" , August 23, 2009
-snip-
[continue counting down "five little sisters", "four little sisters" etc]
In another comment on that discussion thread, Tinker shared that wrote that this camp (called "The Eagles Nest") in the Newark, New Jersey area was a racially/ethnically integrated summer experience for high academic achieving girls and boys. It appears to have been part of the camp's tradition that only the boys performed "Seven Little Sisters" for fun as part as a performance for the entire camp.
Tinker posted a query about this song on that camp's alumni page. Other posters remembered this song, and one remembered it having been sung by boys "in the 1960s". But neither Tinker nor anyone else knew where it came from.
My sense is that the title and lyrics "Seven Little Sisters" has nothing at all to do with the term "Seven Sisters" as used for either the astronomical constellation, the Greek mythology, the Hoodoo referent or any other referent. Instead, it seems to me that in that children's rhyme "seven little sisters" is just a way of counting down the number of "girls" who are performing that rhyme.
****
Example #3 (movement rhyme that serves as an introduction to song "Wang Dang Doodle" by The Pointer Sisters)
[Intro to song “Wang Dang Doodle” performed by the Pointer Sisters without any backup instrumental music, and accompanied by the audience handclapping]
Thank you!
Here we go:
Walkin down the alley, alley, alley
Shakin your jally, jally, jally.
Swingin your partner, partner, partner.
LADIES, and gentlemen, children too
These brown babies gonna boogie for YOU.
[Do motions as indicated; For “boogie” & “cha cha cha”, wiggle your hips from side to side]
They gonna turn around,
And touch the ground
They gonna step back, and step back
And boogie on down.
Hands up! Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Ah Cha cha cha cha.
To the front, to the back, to the side by side
To the front, to the back, to the side by side
To the front, to the back, to the side by side
I never went to college,
I never went to school
But when I came back
I was an educated fool.
HANDS UP!
[One of the performer's say "Come on! Join in. Ya’ll love it!"; Drum beat begins]
Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Ah Cha cha cha cha.
[increase tempo]
Hands up! Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Ah Cha cha cha cha.
[tempo remains the same]
Hands up! Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Cha cha cha cha.
Hands up! Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Cha cha cha cha.
Hands up! Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Cha cha cha cha.
[music begins for the song “Wang Dang Doodle]
Hands up! Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Cha cha cha cha.
Hands up! Ah Cha cha Cha cha
Sam BOOM!
Cha cha cha cha.
["Wang Dang Doodle" song begins at 1:32]
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G6a6bIrmg8 ; Uploaded by SafariCreations on May 22, 2009 [That video is posted at the top of this page]
****
Example #4 (jump rope rhyme)
Ladies and gentlemen
Children too,
This young lady's
Going to boogie for you.
She's going to turn around. (Jumper turn around)
She's going to touch the ground. (Jumper touch ground)
She's going to shimmy, shimmy, shimmy (Jumper wiggles hips)
Till her drawers fall down.
She never went to college.
She never went to school.
But when she came back,
She was a nasty fool.
Source: Knapp (1976), posted on http://www.mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display_all.cfm
****
Example #5 (performance activity not given)
down down baby down by the rollercoaster
sweet sweet baby, I'll never let you go
shimmy shimmy coco pop, shimmy shimmy rah!
shimmy shimmy coco pop, shimmy shimmy rah!
I like candy, I like tea, I like a little boy
and he likes me.
so step off jack, your hands are black
your looking like a monkey on a rail road track
To the front to the back to the side by side
To the front to the back to the side by side,
Ladies and gentlemen children too
this old lady's gonna boogie for you
she's gonna turn around
touch the ground
boogie boogie boogie till her pants fall down!!!
this version i remember from when i was little..i loved it!!
-GUEST,guest..jenna; October 1, 2010 http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=123101 "We Wear Our Hair In Curls".
SUGGESTED SOURCES
Lyrics:
[The source for the lines]
Never went to college
never went to school
but when it comes to boogie
I'm an educated fool
[or similar lines]
Source:
Unknown African American composer/s
Found in Dorothy Scarborough's On The Trail Of Negro Folk-Songs (Folklore Associates, Inc. edition, 1963, p. 71; originally published by Harvard University Press, 1925)
"Old Jesse was a gemman.
Among de olden times.
N****r never went to free school.
Nor any odder college,
An' all de white folks wonder whar
That n****r got his knowledge."...
-end of quote-
Editorial Notes:
This is not the same song as the African American secular slave song & old time banjo song [Here Comes]"Uncle Jesse".
In this post, the word "n****r" is the way I choose to write the pejorative referent for Black people which is now commonly known as "the n word".
"Gemman"="gentleman".
"Free schools" were the schools that were established for African Americans immediately after the end of the United States civil war. "Whar" ="Where".
"Boogie" = "dance". There are many African American dance songs that include the word "boogie". Among those songs is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM3PuXDpKiA&feature=related Boogie Chillun - John Lee Hooker (1948).
****
Phrases: "Sam BOOM" and "sans boots"
Source:
I believe that the phrases "Sam Boom!", "sans BOOTS" and similar phrases* have their source in the late 19th century vaudeville song "Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay". That song is credited to Anglo-American Henry Sayers. However, quoting from Wikipedia, "Sayers later stated that he had not written the song, but had heard it performed in the 1880s by a black singer, Mama Lou, in a well-known St. Louis brothel run by "Babe" Connors." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta-ra-ra_Boom-de-ay
*I've also come across what I think is another form of that phrase "alla bostia". There's no information given about how those words are pronounced, but I think they might sound like "ah lah boost tee ay". That phrase was part of a sexualized version of the rhyme I refer to as "We Wear Out Hair In Curls" http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 "Do kids still do clapping rhymes?" Guest ,Tianna; December 30, 2005
FEATURED VIDEO
This video is posted at the top of this page.
http://ThePointers.DazMan.com
Willie Dixon's Blues stomper "Wang Dang Doodle" became the second hit for the Pointers Sister in 1974. On the original 1973 recording they are backed by the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils.
****
RELATED LINKS
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/front-back-side-to-side-in-childrens.html "Front Back, Side To Side In Children's Rhymes"
**
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/choo-choo-ch-boogie-few-other-boogie.html "Choo Choo Ch Boogie & A Few Other Boogie Songs"
****
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Giving Daps (Intricate Handshakes)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is Part IV of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part IV of this series focuses on dap handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted article, the producers of the featured videos, and those persons appearing in the videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of those videos.
****
PART IV
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF DAP HANDSHAKES
From http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-dap-greeting.htm
"A dap greeting is a series of arranged gestures exchanged between two individuals. Although a dap greeting can be exchanged upon meeting someone, it can also be used to indicate agreement, celebration or fellowship at any time. A dap greeting can include slapping hands, bumping fists in any direction, snapping, wiggling fingers and other forms of contact, and it can last anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. Dap greetings originated in the black community and have since spread to other racial groups, with many subcultures and groups of friends developing their own very specific dap greetings...
Origins
This type of greeting typically is non-verbal, and it is exchanged as a gesture of affection and solidarity. Dap greetings are believed to have originated in Africa, where people from different tribes might exchange such greetings upon meeting each other to indicate peaceful and friendly intentions. Blacks who emigrated to other parts of the world — including those forcefully transported as slaves — developed their own dap greetings...
Meaning of "Dap"
Some people believe that “dap” is an acronym for “dignity and pride,” reflecting the adoption of the dap greeting by the black power movement. Others suggest that “dignity and pride” is merely what is sometimes called a "backronym" — an acronym thought up after a word already existed. "Dap" also might be a shortening of another word or an onomatopoeia — a word that imitates the noise produced by this type of greeting; some dap greetings create a sound much like “dap,” which is produced by pulling the slightly cupped hands of the participants against each other."
**
From http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Shake-That--The-Right-Way/3669693
Shake That! The Right Way By: liss
"[In] Benin [West Africa], young men snap fingers while shaking hands. In Botswana [South Africa], people touch hands with a slight grazing of the palms and fingers. In Singapore [Asia], after you handshake its customary to place the other persons hand over your heart. Among Scandinavian [Europe] teens, exchanging spit by means of a handshake seals a deal...
Jamaicans complain that Americans are distant and Americans complain that Germans are cold and unfriendly. Sure, when you first meet them, Jamaicans dont shake hands with you. But once you get acquainted, they expect a casual lock and fly or a one harmed hug or a shug or a bro grab or a hetero-hug or whatever its known as in your country" ...
**
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dap_greeting:
"Though it can refer to many kinds of greetings involving hand contact, dap is best known as a complicated routine of shakes, slaps, snaps, and other contact that must be known completely by both parties involved. Dap greeting sometimes include a pound hug."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Gestures, meanings and cultures
Uploaded by socialontology on Jan 29, 2011
Gestures can vary in meaning across cultures as this short clip from a documentary by Desmond Morris demonstrate
-snip-
This video provides a general overview of hand gestures in various nations throughout the world.
****
Video #2: Ebony & Ivory Handshake - The Bert Show
Uploaded by q100atlanta on Jun 19, 2011
****
Video #3: lebrons Pre-game handshakes
Uploaded by nlnodoubt on Dec 20, 2009
lebron james secret handshakes with his Cleveland cavaliers teammates, He is truly an incredible talent.
-snip-
Actually, I don't think these handshakes are secret. "Personalized" is probably a better word to describe them, as Lebron appears to have a different dap handshake for each person.
****
Video #4: Monta Ellis' Amazing Handshake
Uploaded by SciFientology on Jan 14, 2010
-snip-
WARNING! A number of viewers of this video connected the handshake shown in this video with the Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN or GD).
Certain handshakes are associated with specific gangs. Those handshakes absolutely should NOT be done by people who aren’t members of those gangs.
[This prohibition against non-members doing this handshake doesn't apply to the high five that followed it.]
-snip-
In this clip, Monta Ellis said "I told ya I'd warm that thang up." (referring to the basketball shots that he made.]
****
Video #5: Everybody Hates Chris - Handshake
Uploaded by aceillinois on Dec 13, 2009
season 3, ep 9
-snip-
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Chris
"This television show is inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock (who is also the narrator). The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years 1978-1983."
****
RELATED LINK
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton playing gangster in Compton.flv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPeDAFTgPTA&feature=related
embedding disabled by request
This television clip from an episode of the early 1990s to mid 1990s American television show, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air contains several examples of dap handshakes.
1:27-1:28 - an agreement handshake
2:02-2:03 - a departure handshake
2:09 - 2:10 - a handshake as a sign of approval
2:34 - a handshake as a sign of approval
-snip-
This episode also includes an example of the vertical fist bump [1:41-1:42]
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fresh_Prince_of_Bel-Air for information about that television show.
****
THE WAYS THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE GREET OTHER FEMALES & MALES
As demonstrated by Michelle Obama, African American females may give "pounds" (fist bumps). And African American females also may give "high fives". However, what I have experienced and observed since the 1960s is that the way that Black American teenage girls and Black American women informally greet & say goodbye to Black females & Black males (or to some non-Black people who they are "cool" with) is usually different from the informal ways that males informally greet & say goodbye to other males.
In my experience, the way that many African American women informally greet & say goodbye other females and males by hugging each other, with our face turned to the side. This is the same way that many African American males informally greet females. And some African American females may informally greet & say goodbye to females & males by giving double hugs with air kisses, similar to the gesture that is shown in this video:
Etiquette of Social Kissing
Uploaded by engclass0 on Dec 20, 2007
-snip-
African American men may often informally greet and say goodbye to females in that same way instead of giving them dap handshakes.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post is Part IV of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part IV of this series focuses on dap handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted article, the producers of the featured videos, and those persons appearing in the videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of those videos.
****
PART IV
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF DAP HANDSHAKES
From http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-dap-greeting.htm
"A dap greeting is a series of arranged gestures exchanged between two individuals. Although a dap greeting can be exchanged upon meeting someone, it can also be used to indicate agreement, celebration or fellowship at any time. A dap greeting can include slapping hands, bumping fists in any direction, snapping, wiggling fingers and other forms of contact, and it can last anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. Dap greetings originated in the black community and have since spread to other racial groups, with many subcultures and groups of friends developing their own very specific dap greetings...
Origins
This type of greeting typically is non-verbal, and it is exchanged as a gesture of affection and solidarity. Dap greetings are believed to have originated in Africa, where people from different tribes might exchange such greetings upon meeting each other to indicate peaceful and friendly intentions. Blacks who emigrated to other parts of the world — including those forcefully transported as slaves — developed their own dap greetings...
Meaning of "Dap"
Some people believe that “dap” is an acronym for “dignity and pride,” reflecting the adoption of the dap greeting by the black power movement. Others suggest that “dignity and pride” is merely what is sometimes called a "backronym" — an acronym thought up after a word already existed. "Dap" also might be a shortening of another word or an onomatopoeia — a word that imitates the noise produced by this type of greeting; some dap greetings create a sound much like “dap,” which is produced by pulling the slightly cupped hands of the participants against each other."
**
From http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Shake-That--The-Right-Way/3669693
Shake That! The Right Way By: liss
"[In] Benin [West Africa], young men snap fingers while shaking hands. In Botswana [South Africa], people touch hands with a slight grazing of the palms and fingers. In Singapore [Asia], after you handshake its customary to place the other persons hand over your heart. Among Scandinavian [Europe] teens, exchanging spit by means of a handshake seals a deal...
Jamaicans complain that Americans are distant and Americans complain that Germans are cold and unfriendly. Sure, when you first meet them, Jamaicans dont shake hands with you. But once you get acquainted, they expect a casual lock and fly or a one harmed hug or a shug or a bro grab or a hetero-hug or whatever its known as in your country" ...
**
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dap_greeting:
"Though it can refer to many kinds of greetings involving hand contact, dap is best known as a complicated routine of shakes, slaps, snaps, and other contact that must be known completely by both parties involved. Dap greeting sometimes include a pound hug."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Gestures, meanings and cultures
Uploaded by socialontology on Jan 29, 2011
Gestures can vary in meaning across cultures as this short clip from a documentary by Desmond Morris demonstrate
-snip-
This video provides a general overview of hand gestures in various nations throughout the world.
****
Video #2: Ebony & Ivory Handshake - The Bert Show
Uploaded by q100atlanta on Jun 19, 2011
****
Video #3: lebrons Pre-game handshakes
Uploaded by nlnodoubt on Dec 20, 2009
lebron james secret handshakes with his Cleveland cavaliers teammates, He is truly an incredible talent.
-snip-
Actually, I don't think these handshakes are secret. "Personalized" is probably a better word to describe them, as Lebron appears to have a different dap handshake for each person.
****
Video #4: Monta Ellis' Amazing Handshake
Uploaded by SciFientology on Jan 14, 2010
-snip-
WARNING! A number of viewers of this video connected the handshake shown in this video with the Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN or GD).
Certain handshakes are associated with specific gangs. Those handshakes absolutely should NOT be done by people who aren’t members of those gangs.
[This prohibition against non-members doing this handshake doesn't apply to the high five that followed it.]
-snip-
In this clip, Monta Ellis said "I told ya I'd warm that thang up." (referring to the basketball shots that he made.]
****
Video #5: Everybody Hates Chris - Handshake
Uploaded by aceillinois on Dec 13, 2009
season 3, ep 9
-snip-
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Chris
"This television show is inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock (who is also the narrator). The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years 1978-1983."
****
RELATED LINK
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton playing gangster in Compton.flv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPeDAFTgPTA&feature=related
embedding disabled by request
This television clip from an episode of the early 1990s to mid 1990s American television show, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air contains several examples of dap handshakes.
1:27-1:28 - an agreement handshake
2:02-2:03 - a departure handshake
2:09 - 2:10 - a handshake as a sign of approval
2:34 - a handshake as a sign of approval
-snip-
This episode also includes an example of the vertical fist bump [1:41-1:42]
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fresh_Prince_of_Bel-Air for information about that television show.
****
THE WAYS THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE GREET OTHER FEMALES & MALES
As demonstrated by Michelle Obama, African American females may give "pounds" (fist bumps). And African American females also may give "high fives". However, what I have experienced and observed since the 1960s is that the way that Black American teenage girls and Black American women informally greet & say goodbye to Black females & Black males (or to some non-Black people who they are "cool" with) is usually different from the informal ways that males informally greet & say goodbye to other males.
In my experience, the way that many African American women informally greet & say goodbye other females and males by hugging each other, with our face turned to the side. This is the same way that many African American males informally greet females. And some African American females may informally greet & say goodbye to females & males by giving double hugs with air kisses, similar to the gesture that is shown in this video:
Etiquette of Social Kissing
Uploaded by engclass0 on Dec 20, 2007
-snip-
African American men may often informally greet and say goodbye to females in that same way instead of giving them dap handshakes.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The Fist Bump (Pound) Handshakes
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is Part III of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part III of this series focuses on fist bumps and other examples of dap handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part IV of this series "Giving Daps (Intricate Handshakes)", click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted article, the producers of the featured videos, and those persons appearing in the videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of those videos.
****
PART III
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF FIST BUMP AND DAP HANDSHAKES
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fist_bump
"The fist bump (also called Pound, Bro Fist, Fist Pound, Fo' Knucks, Bones, knuckle bump, knuckle touch or Spud and Cuff (British slang), is a gesture similar in meaning to a handshake or high five. A fist bump can also be a symbol of giving respect. It can be followed by various other hand and body gestures and may be part of a dap greeting. It is commonly used in baseball as a form of celebration with teammates, and with opposition players at the end of a game.
The gesture is performed when two participants each form a closed fist with one hand and then lightly tap the front of their fists together. The participant's fists may be either vertically-oriented (perpendicular to the ground) or horizontally-oriented. Unlike the standard handshake, which is typically performed only with each participants' right hand, a fist bump may be performed with participants using either hand."
-snip-
[Italics added to highlight that sentence.]
Note that there are multiple ways that a fist bump can be performed. This article doesn't mention the two handed "pound" - two people exchanging a pound (fist bump) with both of their hands at the same time.
The horizontal fist bump appears to be much more familiar to the general American public than the horizontal form of this hand gesture. I think this is largely due to that being the form that is most used by basketball & baseball players. Also, on June 3, 2008, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama exchanged a horizontal fist bump during a televised presidential campaign speech in St. Paul, Minnesota upon clenching the Democratic nomination for United States otS President. As a result of that -I believe- spontaneous gesture, the fist bump has received a great deal of exposure in the mainstream American media. The Obamas exchanging a fist bump appeared to be the first time that many non-Black Americans were aware of that hand gesture, to the point that a number of media commentators were unsure what to call it. And some used that action for their own political agendas [i.e. calling it a "terrorist fist jab"].
Notwithstanding the increased awareness of the horizontal fist bump, I believe that the vertical pound is an older form of that hand gesture. A common African American term for the fist bump ("pound") comes from the vertical form of that hand gesture in which one fist is hit on top of another. In this context "pound" means to "hit down on something- like pounding a nail with a hammer".
**
From http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/magazine/06wwln-safire-t.html "On Language: Fist Bump by William Safire
"Prof. Geneva Smitherman, director of African-American language study at Michigan State University, says:... "Pound is when knuckles touch in a horizontal position. That’s the gesture that Michelle and Barack used. Dap is when the knuckles touch in a vertical position. Both gestures can be used as a greeting, to signal respect, agreement, bonding.”
Dap started among black soldiers during the Vietnam War; to give “some dap” (not usually “a” dap) means “to offer kudos, congratulations”; Prof. James Peterson of Bucknell, a hip-hop historian, says he thinks it is rooted in dapper, “neat, fashionably smart.” Pound came out of hip-hop in the late 1980s. Fist bump came later: a 1996 note in the Sports Network wire service reported that Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles was accepting congratulations from baseball teammates with “high-fives, handshakes or fist bumps.” Peterson says the new phrase robs the gesture of its cultural significance, which includes the Obamas’ “quiet but pronounced in-group affiliation with all of black America.” "
-snip-
There are many theories about the origin & popularization of the fist bump. Rather than delve into those theories in this post, I'll showcase a few video examples of that hand gesture. In Part IV of this series, I'll present more information about "dap" and showcase examples of athletes and others exchanging "dap" (intricate) handshakes that may include fist bumps.
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: hanes charlie sheen and mj spot
Uploaded by postadvertising on May 30, 2008
This is hanes' new commercial with charlie sheen and mj. [Michael Jordan]
-snip-
This ad, published before the Obamas fist bump, includes a comedic attempt at a fist bump by a non-Black actor while the Black basketball player starts to greet him with a standard handshake.
****
Video #2: Barack Obama & Michele Obama Fist Bump
Uploaded by oliverwillis on Jun 3, 2008
****
Video #3: NBA. Where handshake happens [Illarionov TV]
Uploaded by MisterNervnii on Feb 13, 2012
****
Video #4: David Letterman - Bill O'Reilly & Dave Fist Bump
Published on May 23, 2012 by CBS
They may not agree on politics, but will Dave and Bill come together for a friendly fist bump?
****
RELATED LINK
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton playing gangster in Compton.flv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPeDAFTgPTA&feature=related
embedding disabled by request
1:41-1:42 - an example of a vertical fist bump between Carton & Will. In this example, that fist bump appears to be made as both a sign of greeting and sign of approval. More examples from this video clip will be cited in Part IV of this pancocojams series.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post is Part III of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part III of this series focuses on fist bumps and other examples of dap handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part IV of this series "Giving Daps (Intricate Handshakes)", click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted article, the producers of the featured videos, and those persons appearing in the videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of those videos.
****
PART III
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF FIST BUMP AND DAP HANDSHAKES
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fist_bump
"The fist bump (also called Pound, Bro Fist, Fist Pound, Fo' Knucks, Bones, knuckle bump, knuckle touch or Spud and Cuff (British slang), is a gesture similar in meaning to a handshake or high five. A fist bump can also be a symbol of giving respect. It can be followed by various other hand and body gestures and may be part of a dap greeting. It is commonly used in baseball as a form of celebration with teammates, and with opposition players at the end of a game.
The gesture is performed when two participants each form a closed fist with one hand and then lightly tap the front of their fists together. The participant's fists may be either vertically-oriented (perpendicular to the ground) or horizontally-oriented. Unlike the standard handshake, which is typically performed only with each participants' right hand, a fist bump may be performed with participants using either hand."
-snip-
[Italics added to highlight that sentence.]
Note that there are multiple ways that a fist bump can be performed. This article doesn't mention the two handed "pound" - two people exchanging a pound (fist bump) with both of their hands at the same time.
The horizontal fist bump appears to be much more familiar to the general American public than the horizontal form of this hand gesture. I think this is largely due to that being the form that is most used by basketball & baseball players. Also, on June 3, 2008, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama exchanged a horizontal fist bump during a televised presidential campaign speech in St. Paul, Minnesota upon clenching the Democratic nomination for United States otS President. As a result of that -I believe- spontaneous gesture, the fist bump has received a great deal of exposure in the mainstream American media. The Obamas exchanging a fist bump appeared to be the first time that many non-Black Americans were aware of that hand gesture, to the point that a number of media commentators were unsure what to call it. And some used that action for their own political agendas [i.e. calling it a "terrorist fist jab"].
Notwithstanding the increased awareness of the horizontal fist bump, I believe that the vertical pound is an older form of that hand gesture. A common African American term for the fist bump ("pound") comes from the vertical form of that hand gesture in which one fist is hit on top of another. In this context "pound" means to "hit down on something- like pounding a nail with a hammer".
**
From http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/magazine/06wwln-safire-t.html "On Language: Fist Bump by William Safire
"Prof. Geneva Smitherman, director of African-American language study at Michigan State University, says:... "Pound is when knuckles touch in a horizontal position. That’s the gesture that Michelle and Barack used. Dap is when the knuckles touch in a vertical position. Both gestures can be used as a greeting, to signal respect, agreement, bonding.”
Dap started among black soldiers during the Vietnam War; to give “some dap” (not usually “a” dap) means “to offer kudos, congratulations”; Prof. James Peterson of Bucknell, a hip-hop historian, says he thinks it is rooted in dapper, “neat, fashionably smart.” Pound came out of hip-hop in the late 1980s. Fist bump came later: a 1996 note in the Sports Network wire service reported that Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles was accepting congratulations from baseball teammates with “high-fives, handshakes or fist bumps.” Peterson says the new phrase robs the gesture of its cultural significance, which includes the Obamas’ “quiet but pronounced in-group affiliation with all of black America.” "
-snip-
There are many theories about the origin & popularization of the fist bump. Rather than delve into those theories in this post, I'll showcase a few video examples of that hand gesture. In Part IV of this series, I'll present more information about "dap" and showcase examples of athletes and others exchanging "dap" (intricate) handshakes that may include fist bumps.
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: hanes charlie sheen and mj spot
Uploaded by postadvertising on May 30, 2008
This is hanes' new commercial with charlie sheen and mj. [Michael Jordan]
-snip-
This ad, published before the Obamas fist bump, includes a comedic attempt at a fist bump by a non-Black actor while the Black basketball player starts to greet him with a standard handshake.
****
Video #2: Barack Obama & Michele Obama Fist Bump
Uploaded by oliverwillis on Jun 3, 2008
****
Video #3: NBA. Where handshake happens [Illarionov TV]
Uploaded by MisterNervnii on Feb 13, 2012
****
Video #4: David Letterman - Bill O'Reilly & Dave Fist Bump
Published on May 23, 2012 by CBS
They may not agree on politics, but will Dave and Bill come together for a friendly fist bump?
****
RELATED LINK
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton playing gangster in Compton.flv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPeDAFTgPTA&feature=related
embedding disabled by request
1:41-1:42 - an example of a vertical fist bump between Carton & Will. In this example, that fist bump appears to be made as both a sign of greeting and sign of approval. More examples from this video clip will be cited in Part IV of this pancocojams series.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Videos of Gaitana's Song "Be My Guest" & Guetta/Rowland's Song "When I Take Over"
Edited by Azizi Powell
A number of commenters in this YouTube video thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLsTn_li5d8 wrote that Ukrainian vocalist's Gaitana's Eurovision entry sounded very much like David Guetta and Kelly Rowland's song "When I Take Over".
This post showcases back to back videos of those two songs so that it would be easier for people to hear them and decide for themselves whether these songs do indeed sound alike.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers, performers, and the producers of these featured videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of these videos.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are placed in no particular order.)
Gaitana - Be My Guest - Live - Grand Final - 2012 Eurovision Song Contest
Published on May 26, 2012 by eurovision
Powered by http://www.eurovision.tv/
Ukraine: Gaitana - Be My Guest live at the Grand Final of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest
-snip-
Gaitana is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaitana_(singer) for more information about Gaitana.
A commenter on the above video's viewer comment thread reported that Gaitana ended up taking 15 place in the Eurovision finals :o(
Congratulations to the winner of this contest from Sweden.
****
David Guetta - When Love Takes Over (Featuring Kelly Rowland)
Uploaded by davidguetta on Jun 8, 2009
David Guetta - When Love Takes Over (FeatKelly Rowland)
Astralwerks - Caroline
(P) 2009 Gum Prod, licence exclusive EMI Music France
-snip-
David Guetta is a French house music producer and DJ. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Guetta for more information on David Guetta.
Kelly Rowland is an American recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress, and one of the founding members of the American R&B group "Destiny's Child". Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Rowland
RELATED LINK
Hat tip to Arturo for his article on Gaitana in http://www.racialicious.com/2012/05/25/the-friday-mixtape-eurovision-2012-edition "The Friday Mixtape – Eurovision 2012 Edition". I admit that prior to reading that article, I wasn't aware of Eurovision, Gaitana, David Guetta, or either one of the two song's featured in this pancocojams post.
**
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest for information about Eurovision.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
A number of commenters in this YouTube video thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLsTn_li5d8 wrote that Ukrainian vocalist's Gaitana's Eurovision entry sounded very much like David Guetta and Kelly Rowland's song "When I Take Over".
This post showcases back to back videos of those two songs so that it would be easier for people to hear them and decide for themselves whether these songs do indeed sound alike.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers, performers, and the producers of these featured videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of these videos.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are placed in no particular order.)
Gaitana - Be My Guest - Live - Grand Final - 2012 Eurovision Song Contest
Published on May 26, 2012 by eurovision
Powered by http://www.eurovision.tv/
Ukraine: Gaitana - Be My Guest live at the Grand Final of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest
-snip-
Gaitana is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaitana_(singer) for more information about Gaitana.
A commenter on the above video's viewer comment thread reported that Gaitana ended up taking 15 place in the Eurovision finals :o(
Congratulations to the winner of this contest from Sweden.
****
David Guetta - When Love Takes Over (Featuring Kelly Rowland)
Uploaded by davidguetta on Jun 8, 2009
David Guetta - When Love Takes Over (FeatKelly Rowland)
Astralwerks - Caroline
(P) 2009 Gum Prod, licence exclusive EMI Music France
-snip-
David Guetta is a French house music producer and DJ. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Guetta for more information on David Guetta.
Kelly Rowland is an American recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress, and one of the founding members of the American R&B group "Destiny's Child". Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Rowland
RELATED LINK
Hat tip to Arturo for his article on Gaitana in http://www.racialicious.com/2012/05/25/the-friday-mixtape-eurovision-2012-edition "The Friday Mixtape – Eurovision 2012 Edition". I admit that prior to reading that article, I wasn't aware of Eurovision, Gaitana, David Guetta, or either one of the two song's featured in this pancocojams post.
**
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest for information about Eurovision.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
High Five Handshake Videos
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is Part II of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part II of this series focuses on "High Five" handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
For Part IV of this series "Giving Daps (Intricate Handshakes)", click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted article, the producers of the featured videos, and those persons appearing in the videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of those videos.
****
PART II
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT "HIGH FIVES"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_five:
" “High five” is a gesture that originated in America in the late 1970s and 1980s independent of usage elsewhere. In addition to the standard high five several other types of "five" exist.
The "low five" had already been known since at least the 1920s, written evidence can be found in Cab Calloway's 1938 Hepster's Dictionary. In the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, actor Al Jolson is seen performing the low five in celebration of the news of a Broadway audition. In African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) this was known as "giving skin" or "slapping skin"."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Improv Everywhere: High Five Escalator
Uploaded by ImprovEverywhere on Feb 8, 2009
Backstory: http://improveverywhere.com/2009/02/09/high-five-escalator/
Rob gives 2,000 high fives standing by the escalator during the morning subway commute in NYC.
Produced and Created by Charlie Todd
-snip-
At 1:27 Rob also gives a "low five".
****
Video #2: High Five! - Black Tulip Insights
Published on Mar 27, 2012 by leroytulip
What the international gesture of "High Five" means in the township. [of Johannesburg Area, South Africa]
-snip-
From http://za.linkedin.com/pub/leroy-tulip/3a/344/a7:
"Black Tulip is a [Johannesburg, South Africa] consumer insight agency that is building a culture of invention and dedication to relevant and in touch communication."
-snip-
Here's a transcript of that video:
High Five! - Black Tulip Insights
"High five. Yeah.
It’s when you greet somebody. Like this [demonstrates high five]
It’s hello. [laughs]
It’s when you greet somebody.
It means a greeting of someone.
A high five means like how are you.
Ah appreciation of a greeting, you know, you..it’s not just like you’re normal greeting.
As friends, you know, yah, you can do it like that. We’ve seen it as a sign of ah appreciation each other.
It’s either a greeting or a sign of excitement. It depends. On each context are the same high five.
Watching soccer and our team score I go high five. [demonstrates that action]. We celebrate.
We celebrating for some special things happen in a moment. Or when you’re greeting the guys. If somebody greets you, you give a high five. [demonstrates] High five, brother!
Or if something fascinates you, you give a high five. It’s a sign of fascination. It’s a sign of appreciation. You say, yah, this is a [?] you do a high five.
Maybe a form of celebration or whatever.
Just give a someone a high five who’s done something extraordinary [demonstrates] . Like this.
Have more value, you know, than if you say “Hi”.
Or if you see somebody you haven’t seen for quite some time, you go “I haven’t seen you [demonstrates the high five]
I learned from Township. You gotta do it. That’s where I learned it from “High five.” “High five”.
Like it, it is used. Where we use it mostly like is I think most of our crew like we always give each other high fives [demonstrates] “High five, “High five” any language.
You don’t need to force it. You don’t need to force it. It must come naturally. The educated class [?] high five. High five.
[End of Video]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell. Corrections and additions are very welcome. The spaces indicate comments of different individuals. Some of the speakers were quoted more than one time. The brackets with a question mark indicates that I was unsure what was said.
Along with the meanings that these men gave to high fives, I would also add that doing a high five can also mean jubilation.
****
Example #3: 2012 Beetle High Five Volkswagen Commercial
Uploaded by openwheel6 on Sep 19, 2011
I did the driving for this commercial. I do not own the rights to this commercial.
-snip-
The high fives shown in these three videos were all single handed gestures (one person slapping with his or her extended right palm and the other person meeting that slap with his or her extended left palm. However, high fives can also be two handed.
Examples of high fives are found in other videeos of this five part hand gesture series.
An example of the Sesame Street character "Elmo" giving a high five can be found at 3:01-3:02 in Video #2 of this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/videos-of-kevin-clash-being-elmo_27.html Another example of Elmo giving a high five can be found in the beginning of this video clip of Elmo singing with a beatboxer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pnVyPjSTkE.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post is Part II of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part II of this series focuses on "High Five" handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
For Part IV of this series "Giving Daps (Intricate Handshakes)", click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted article, the producers of the featured videos, and those persons appearing in the videos. My thanks also to the uploaders of those videos.
****
PART II
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT "HIGH FIVES"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_five:
" “High five” is a gesture that originated in America in the late 1970s and 1980s independent of usage elsewhere. In addition to the standard high five several other types of "five" exist.
The "low five" had already been known since at least the 1920s, written evidence can be found in Cab Calloway's 1938 Hepster's Dictionary. In the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, actor Al Jolson is seen performing the low five in celebration of the news of a Broadway audition. In African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) this was known as "giving skin" or "slapping skin"."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Improv Everywhere: High Five Escalator
Uploaded by ImprovEverywhere on Feb 8, 2009
Backstory: http://improveverywhere.com/2009/02/09/high-five-escalator/
Rob gives 2,000 high fives standing by the escalator during the morning subway commute in NYC.
Produced and Created by Charlie Todd
-snip-
At 1:27 Rob also gives a "low five".
****
Video #2: High Five! - Black Tulip Insights
Published on Mar 27, 2012 by leroytulip
What the international gesture of "High Five" means in the township. [of Johannesburg Area, South Africa]
-snip-
From http://za.linkedin.com/pub/leroy-tulip/3a/344/a7:
"Black Tulip is a [Johannesburg, South Africa] consumer insight agency that is building a culture of invention and dedication to relevant and in touch communication."
-snip-
Here's a transcript of that video:
High Five! - Black Tulip Insights
"High five. Yeah.
It’s when you greet somebody. Like this [demonstrates high five]
It’s hello. [laughs]
It’s when you greet somebody.
It means a greeting of someone.
A high five means like how are you.
Ah appreciation of a greeting, you know, you..it’s not just like you’re normal greeting.
As friends, you know, yah, you can do it like that. We’ve seen it as a sign of ah appreciation each other.
It’s either a greeting or a sign of excitement. It depends. On each context are the same high five.
Watching soccer and our team score I go high five. [demonstrates that action]. We celebrate.
We celebrating for some special things happen in a moment. Or when you’re greeting the guys. If somebody greets you, you give a high five. [demonstrates] High five, brother!
Or if something fascinates you, you give a high five. It’s a sign of fascination. It’s a sign of appreciation. You say, yah, this is a [?] you do a high five.
Maybe a form of celebration or whatever.
Just give a someone a high five who’s done something extraordinary [demonstrates] . Like this.
Have more value, you know, than if you say “Hi”.
Or if you see somebody you haven’t seen for quite some time, you go “I haven’t seen you [demonstrates the high five]
I learned from Township. You gotta do it. That’s where I learned it from “High five.” “High five”.
Like it, it is used. Where we use it mostly like is I think most of our crew like we always give each other high fives [demonstrates] “High five, “High five” any language.
You don’t need to force it. You don’t need to force it. It must come naturally. The educated class [?] high five. High five.
[End of Video]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell. Corrections and additions are very welcome. The spaces indicate comments of different individuals. Some of the speakers were quoted more than one time. The brackets with a question mark indicates that I was unsure what was said.
Along with the meanings that these men gave to high fives, I would also add that doing a high five can also mean jubilation.
****
Example #3: 2012 Beetle High Five Volkswagen Commercial
Uploaded by openwheel6 on Sep 19, 2011
I did the driving for this commercial. I do not own the rights to this commercial.
-snip-
The high fives shown in these three videos were all single handed gestures (one person slapping with his or her extended right palm and the other person meeting that slap with his or her extended left palm. However, high fives can also be two handed.
Examples of high fives are found in other videeos of this five part hand gesture series.
An example of the Sesame Street character "Elmo" giving a high five can be found at 3:01-3:02 in Video #2 of this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/videos-of-kevin-clash-being-elmo_27.html Another example of Elmo giving a high five can be found in the beginning of this video clip of Elmo singing with a beatboxer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pnVyPjSTkE.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Five On The Black Hand Side Handshake
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is Part I of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part I of this series focuses on "five on the black hand side" handshake, and other "low high five" handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
For Part IV of this series "Giving Daps (Intricate Handshakes)", click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted articles, the producers & cast of the featured film, and the uploader of the featured film clip.
****
PART I
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT "LOW FIVE" HAND GESTURES
Since the 1970s, the "high five" referent has become quite familiar to Americans. In contrast, the referent for older forms of hand gestures, the "low five", is much less familiar.
From
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/53146#ixzz1w0455qAi
"The roots of the high five go back to the Jazz Era of the early 20th Century. Black musicians of the time created numerous ways to say hello, such as “giving some skin,” “giving five,” and later a series of complicated, interconnected handshake gestures called a “dap.” Then, in the late-1970s, college and professional basketball players began raising their arms above their heads and slapping the palms of their hands together, in what would later be dubbed the “high five.” "
In African American idiom, "give me five" and "give me some skin" is given as "gimme five" and "gimme some skin" and "slap me five". "Five", of course, refers to "five fingers". In this context, "skin" refers to the palm of the hand or the back of the hand.
"Five on the black hand side" is a now outdated, 1970s form of the "low five" hand gestures. "The black hand side" refers to the back of a Black person's hand.
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=black%20hand%20side by tRUnETIVOct 28, 2008
[given without corrections]
My only disagreement with this quote is that I believe "five on the black hand side" gestures were low five and not high five gestures.
The title of the 1973 blaxploitation comedy film Five On The Black Hand Side refers to a variant form of the low five hand gestures. To quote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaxploitation, "Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States in the 1970s. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience appeal soon broadened to cross racial and ethnic lines."
-snip-
The narrator in the Five On The Black Hand Side movie trailer begins that clip by listing as verbs the titles of three previous hit blaxploitation films - "You've been coffy-tized, blacula-rized and super-flied - but now you're gonna be glorified, unified and filled-with-pride... when you see 'Five on the Black Hand Side'". That trailer also provides two examples of "five on the black hand side" and one example of the two hand low five gesture.
Five On The Black Hand Side Trailer Blaxploitation
Uploaded by thegroovetube on May 30, 2009
Here are the examples of low five gestures that are shown in that film clip:
0:22 - a clip of a hand that is held palm down [which means his “black hand side" is showing], and angled downward. The second person’s hand is palm up [which means his (or her) “black hand side" is touching the other person’s black hand side]. While it isn't shown in that clip, from my memory of this gesture, the top hand is slide outward over the first person’s hand.
2:01 - a clip of two men giving low fives with two hands (for agreement)
2:33- a clip of "five on the black hand side" in which a man's or woman's hand is held palm down and level [horizontal] and a woman's hand is held palm up on the top.
As an aside, at 1:43 in that video, the phrase “uptight is used to mean "something or someone that is very good". That same meaning for "uptight" is found in R&B artist Stevie Wonder’s 1966 hit song "Uptight (Everything's alright)" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDbyOLzEyfk. That vernacular meaning for "uptight" has been largely forgotten, and has been replaced by the standard American English meaning "anxious, tense, and overly controlled". However, the African American vernacular phrase "That's tight" has the same meaning as the vernacular term "uptight".
****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070063/for information about Five On The Black Hand Side.
**
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/07/delta-rhythm-boys-and-andrews-sisters.html for film clips of & lyrics to the 1940 and 1941 jazz songs "Gimme Some Skin My Friend".
**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Sw7lZ1ZHs
Terminator 2 - Gimme Five
[embedding disabled by request]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post is Part I of a four part series on American hand gestures. Part I of this series focuses on "five on the black hand side" handshake, and other "low high five" handshakes.
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
For Part IV of this series "Giving Daps (Intricate Handshakes)", click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the authors of the quoted articles, the producers & cast of the featured film, and the uploader of the featured film clip.
****
PART I
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT "LOW FIVE" HAND GESTURES
Since the 1970s, the "high five" referent has become quite familiar to Americans. In contrast, the referent for older forms of hand gestures, the "low five", is much less familiar.
From
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/53146#ixzz1w0455qAi
"The roots of the high five go back to the Jazz Era of the early 20th Century. Black musicians of the time created numerous ways to say hello, such as “giving some skin,” “giving five,” and later a series of complicated, interconnected handshake gestures called a “dap.” Then, in the late-1970s, college and professional basketball players began raising their arms above their heads and slapping the palms of their hands together, in what would later be dubbed the “high five.” "
In African American idiom, "give me five" and "give me some skin" is given as "gimme five" and "gimme some skin" and "slap me five". "Five", of course, refers to "five fingers". In this context, "skin" refers to the palm of the hand or the back of the hand.
"Five on the black hand side" is a now outdated, 1970s form of the "low five" hand gestures. "The black hand side" refers to the back of a Black person's hand.
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=black%20hand%20side by tRUnETIVOct 28, 2008
[given without corrections]
black hand side-snip-
A diminished style of extension hi-fiving practically extinct coming from black people.
Involves the regular style of dapping, hi-five that black youth do except after 'fiving', someone says 'on the black hand side' and said particapants turn their palms to the outer side and five.
Denotes exclusivity, hence the name. Originated out of the black power and love movements of the '70s.
Might be considered corny by todays youth.
*Black adult* "What's up young blood!!" (proceeds to dap typical black youth of today)
*Black adult* "Now on the black hand side!!"
*Typical black youth of today* 'Blank stare' "O.K..." (slowly follows old schoolers lead)
My only disagreement with this quote is that I believe "five on the black hand side" gestures were low five and not high five gestures.
The title of the 1973 blaxploitation comedy film Five On The Black Hand Side refers to a variant form of the low five hand gestures. To quote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaxploitation, "Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States in the 1970s. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience appeal soon broadened to cross racial and ethnic lines."
-snip-
The narrator in the Five On The Black Hand Side movie trailer begins that clip by listing as verbs the titles of three previous hit blaxploitation films - "You've been coffy-tized, blacula-rized and super-flied - but now you're gonna be glorified, unified and filled-with-pride... when you see 'Five on the Black Hand Side'". That trailer also provides two examples of "five on the black hand side" and one example of the two hand low five gesture.
Five On The Black Hand Side Trailer Blaxploitation
Uploaded by thegroovetube on May 30, 2009
Here are the examples of low five gestures that are shown in that film clip:
0:22 - a clip of a hand that is held palm down [which means his “black hand side" is showing], and angled downward. The second person’s hand is palm up [which means his (or her) “black hand side" is touching the other person’s black hand side]. While it isn't shown in that clip, from my memory of this gesture, the top hand is slide outward over the first person’s hand.
2:01 - a clip of two men giving low fives with two hands (for agreement)
2:33- a clip of "five on the black hand side" in which a man's or woman's hand is held palm down and level [horizontal] and a woman's hand is held palm up on the top.
As an aside, at 1:43 in that video, the phrase “uptight is used to mean "something or someone that is very good". That same meaning for "uptight" is found in R&B artist Stevie Wonder’s 1966 hit song "Uptight (Everything's alright)" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDbyOLzEyfk. That vernacular meaning for "uptight" has been largely forgotten, and has been replaced by the standard American English meaning "anxious, tense, and overly controlled". However, the African American vernacular phrase "That's tight" has the same meaning as the vernacular term "uptight".
****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070063/for information about Five On The Black Hand Side.
**
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/07/delta-rhythm-boys-and-andrews-sisters.html for film clips of & lyrics to the 1940 and 1941 jazz songs "Gimme Some Skin My Friend".
**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Sw7lZ1ZHs
Terminator 2 - Gimme Five
[embedding disabled by request]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Calypso War - Lord Invader, Macbeth, & Duke Of Iron (Lyrics)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases a 1946 sound file of Calypsonians Lord Invader, Macbeth, and Duke of Iron engaging in a extemporaneous Calypso battle.
This post also includes my transcription of that sound file. I consider this transcription to be just an initial attempt. Corrections are very much welcome.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the legacy of early Calypsonians and specifically to Lord Invader, Macbeth the Great, and Duke of Iron.
My thanks also to the uploader of this featured sound file.
BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
From http://www.ncctt.org/home/carnival/history-of-carnival-and-its-elements/history-of-calypso.html:
**
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calypso_music:
"Sex, scandal, gossip, innuendo, politics, local news, bravado and insulting other calypsonians were the order of the day in classic calypso, just as it is today with classic hip hop."
FEATURED SOUND FILE
Calypso War- Lord Invader, Macbeth the Great, Duke of Iron.wmv
Uploaded by cvbagva on Jul 18, 2010
Calypso War, lord Invader, Macbeth the Great, Duke of Iron, Caribe, Caribbean, Music
-snip-
The photograph in this sound file is of Lord Invader.
TRANSCRIPTION OF "CALYPSO WAR" [Also known as "My Intention Is War"]
(Lord Invader, Macbeth, and Duke of Iron)
Note: Transcriptions that I'm unsure of are placed in with a question mark in brackets.
Lord Invader
Yes, my mother dead and my father disown me,
What am I to do?
My mother dead and my father disown me,
What am I to do?
Now I'm livin' in this world and I've got nobody,
No brother, no sister, no cousin family,
But it's war and rebellion when I meet calypsonian,
My intention is war.
Calypso singing is such a technical thing
It was not made for one and every to sing.
How by the heavens can these songsters win
Except by me comin back and seein it’s a sin
My head is like a book that is welcome fat
My tongue like a gun that never is snapped
And I’m sorry for the molester who molest Lord Invader*
My intention is war.
[Audience member? -"Sing it!"]
Macbeth the Great:
Ladies and gents most respectfully,
Please accept my compliments most gorgeously
I most appreciate your loyalty
A patronage that been given to me
I start to sing 1928
Today I’m known as Macbeth the Great
And I want you to know, my friends,
That I master Calypso wherever I go.
Duke of Iron:
Now I believe their condition
They have no ammunition
To fight in this sudden competition.
When it comes to Calypso singing
Both of them, they appear as weaklings.
Don’t they know I’m the Duke of Iron
And I command Calypsonians
wherever I go.
Lord Invader:
This insolent would be
Delirious mule
Audacious lamonger you’re out of rule
You’re abnormal expression
Would no more hearing in this tent at once
Pretender, and stop your sneerin
You gabaless swabbler
Illiterate ape
Now you are in a terrible scrap
And you resemble a man a go go a forty from Tobago***
[audience laughs]
Macbeth the Great
Men like you who are corrupted and defiled
With such dangerous disease you should be exiled
You see the council should have you fumigated
From the company of man you should be isolated.
Ladies and gents, please look at this face
And tell me does that belong to the human race?
[audience laughs]
Those poor fools [foundations?] can’t fool the population.
Tell them roll away.
[audience laughs and claps]
Duke of Iron
Now Lord Invader now listen to me
While I am shaping up your destiny.
How dare you to approach your superior
With your rotten composition that is inferior.
Don’t you know that I am a warrior of royal birth
And I will put you six under the earth.
Don’t you see that I am the Duke of Iron
And I destroy Calypsonians
Everywhere I go.
Lord Invader:
Once my enemies found me in attack
I fought them bravely, I fought them back.
Some people call me the great Julius Caesar
While others call me William The Conqueror.
It is not for me they have got to fear
It’s long simple why I got them there.
I’m just like a mystic when I should face these lunatics.
My intention is war.
[Audience laugh or uploader laugh]
Macbeth the Great
When on the battle field I begin to crawl
Calypsonians become excited get up and bawl.
Ferocious beast before my bravery
[nay that me mostly?] to be killed and slain.
Listen to me, they are just like a lamb
For the worse ammunition can’t do me no harm.
For my [beckoning?] is as strong as the Rock of Gibraltar.
Tell them run away.
Duke of Iron
Invader, has not fall into submission.
But we goin to finish with this composition.
But I want you to know
That you cannot beat Trinidad for Calypso.
Now ladies and gents accept my compliments.
I know that you have accepted our implements.
So we going to end up with this little Calypso
Because its getting late.
Macbeth the Great [?] says “No, no not yet. Finish up now.”
Lord Invader
Now I’m gonna rhyme most extemporaneously
And show you my singing ability.
I’m proud and delighted to have you here.
And to tell you without no care,
Ladies and gentlemen we welcome you whole heartedly
And to tell you plain and candidly
Lord Invader a massive Calypsonian
Has gained satisfaction
My intention is war.
-end of transcription (Azizi Powell, 5/27/2012)
Notes:
* if I enter the competition and see what they’re doing is a sin [because it’s so poorly composed]
**I'm sorry for the molester who [attempts to molest (mess with) Lord Invader [because when it comes to challenging me in a Calpyso competition they will be beaten]
***"a go go a forty" =(going on forty)
RELATED LINK
For a more commercial version of "My Intention Is War" click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD_l2OVVQsc Lord Invader "My Intention is War"
From Lord Invaders Calypso in New York
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post showcases a 1946 sound file of Calypsonians Lord Invader, Macbeth, and Duke of Iron engaging in a extemporaneous Calypso battle.
This post also includes my transcription of that sound file. I consider this transcription to be just an initial attempt. Corrections are very much welcome.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the legacy of early Calypsonians and specifically to Lord Invader, Macbeth the Great, and Duke of Iron.
My thanks also to the uploader of this featured sound file.
BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
From http://www.ncctt.org/home/carnival/history-of-carnival-and-its-elements/history-of-calypso.html:
The Calypso in Trinidad and Tobago, is mainly of African origin, and can be traced to the traditions of West Africans in terms of music , structure and function. Calypso , which has been called a poor man’s newspaper in times when literacy was not wide spread , traces its roots to African traditions of improvised songs of self-praise and scorn for others, brought here by enslaved peoples. It developed to become both a dance and cultural record of events at first in single tone style with implicit meanings and a spicy flavour.
The roots of “Calypso” are diverse. Some argue it came from “kaiso” a Hausa word for “ bravo” ; some say the word came from the French “carrousseaux” a drinking party; or the Spanish “ calliso” a tropical song ; or the Carib “ carieto” ,meaning the same thing.
**
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calypso_music:
"Sex, scandal, gossip, innuendo, politics, local news, bravado and insulting other calypsonians were the order of the day in classic calypso, just as it is today with classic hip hop."
FEATURED SOUND FILE
Calypso War- Lord Invader, Macbeth the Great, Duke of Iron.wmv
Uploaded by cvbagva on Jul 18, 2010
Calypso War, lord Invader, Macbeth the Great, Duke of Iron, Caribe, Caribbean, Music
-snip-
The photograph in this sound file is of Lord Invader.
TRANSCRIPTION OF "CALYPSO WAR" [Also known as "My Intention Is War"]
(Lord Invader, Macbeth, and Duke of Iron)
Note: Transcriptions that I'm unsure of are placed in with a question mark in brackets.
Lord Invader
Yes, my mother dead and my father disown me,
What am I to do?
My mother dead and my father disown me,
What am I to do?
Now I'm livin' in this world and I've got nobody,
No brother, no sister, no cousin family,
But it's war and rebellion when I meet calypsonian,
My intention is war.
Calypso singing is such a technical thing
It was not made for one and every to sing.
How by the heavens can these songsters win
Except by me comin back and seein it’s a sin
My head is like a book that is welcome fat
My tongue like a gun that never is snapped
And I’m sorry for the molester who molest Lord Invader*
My intention is war.
[Audience member? -"Sing it!"]
Macbeth the Great:
Ladies and gents most respectfully,
Please accept my compliments most gorgeously
I most appreciate your loyalty
A patronage that been given to me
I start to sing 1928
Today I’m known as Macbeth the Great
And I want you to know, my friends,
That I master Calypso wherever I go.
Duke of Iron:
Now I believe their condition
They have no ammunition
To fight in this sudden competition.
When it comes to Calypso singing
Both of them, they appear as weaklings.
Don’t they know I’m the Duke of Iron
And I command Calypsonians
wherever I go.
Lord Invader:
This insolent would be
Delirious mule
Audacious lamonger you’re out of rule
You’re abnormal expression
Would no more hearing in this tent at once
Pretender, and stop your sneerin
You gabaless swabbler
Illiterate ape
Now you are in a terrible scrap
And you resemble a man a go go a forty from Tobago***
[audience laughs]
Macbeth the Great
Men like you who are corrupted and defiled
With such dangerous disease you should be exiled
You see the council should have you fumigated
From the company of man you should be isolated.
Ladies and gents, please look at this face
And tell me does that belong to the human race?
[audience laughs]
Those poor fools [foundations?] can’t fool the population.
Tell them roll away.
[audience laughs and claps]
Duke of Iron
Now Lord Invader now listen to me
While I am shaping up your destiny.
How dare you to approach your superior
With your rotten composition that is inferior.
Don’t you know that I am a warrior of royal birth
And I will put you six under the earth.
Don’t you see that I am the Duke of Iron
And I destroy Calypsonians
Everywhere I go.
Lord Invader:
Once my enemies found me in attack
I fought them bravely, I fought them back.
Some people call me the great Julius Caesar
While others call me William The Conqueror.
It is not for me they have got to fear
It’s long simple why I got them there.
I’m just like a mystic when I should face these lunatics.
My intention is war.
[Audience laugh or uploader laugh]
Macbeth the Great
When on the battle field I begin to crawl
Calypsonians become excited get up and bawl.
Ferocious beast before my bravery
[nay that me mostly?] to be killed and slain.
Listen to me, they are just like a lamb
For the worse ammunition can’t do me no harm.
For my [beckoning?] is as strong as the Rock of Gibraltar.
Tell them run away.
Duke of Iron
Invader, has not fall into submission.
But we goin to finish with this composition.
But I want you to know
That you cannot beat Trinidad for Calypso.
Now ladies and gents accept my compliments.
I know that you have accepted our implements.
So we going to end up with this little Calypso
Because its getting late.
Macbeth the Great [?] says “No, no not yet. Finish up now.”
Lord Invader
Now I’m gonna rhyme most extemporaneously
And show you my singing ability.
I’m proud and delighted to have you here.
And to tell you without no care,
Ladies and gentlemen we welcome you whole heartedly
And to tell you plain and candidly
Lord Invader a massive Calypsonian
Has gained satisfaction
My intention is war.
-end of transcription (Azizi Powell, 5/27/2012)
Notes:
* if I enter the competition and see what they’re doing is a sin [because it’s so poorly composed]
**I'm sorry for the molester who [attempts to molest (mess with) Lord Invader [because when it comes to challenging me in a Calpyso competition they will be beaten]
***"a go go a forty" =(going on forty)
RELATED LINK
For a more commercial version of "My Intention Is War" click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD_l2OVVQsc Lord Invader "My Intention is War"
From Lord Invaders Calypso in New York
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Videos of Kevin Clash & The "Being Elmo" Documentary
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post provides information and showcases five selected videos about African American puppeteer Kevin Clash & the Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey", a film by Constance Marks.
The content of this post is presented for historical, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to Kevin Clash for following his dream, for becoming a role model for so many people, and for creating the loveable character Elmo and other Sesame Street puppets. My thanks also to Constance Marks, the producer of that film, and her production company. In addition, I thank the uploaders of these featured videos, and the authors of the excerpted online articles.
INFORMATION ABOUT "BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_Elmo:_A_Puppeteer's_Journey:
From http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/the_bloodshot_eye/2012/02/being-elmo-a-puppeteers-journey---hes-your-puppet-or-marvelous-muppet-movie-makes-memphis-debut-at-b.html:
THE INFLUENCE OF KEVIN CLASH'S RACE AND HIS PUPPET CHARACTERS
I'm interested in exploring whether and how puppeteer Kevin Clash's race influences his depiction of the loveable three and one half year old red monster named "Elmo". For that reason (and because I'm currently working on posts about African American hand gestures)*, I was delighted to find two examples of Elmo giving someone a High Five. One of those examples is found at 3:01-3:02 in Video #2 below. Another example is found in the beginning of a video clip of Elmo singing with a beatboxer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pnVyPjSTkE.
*Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html for Part II of a five Part series on hand gestures.
I believe that "Elmo" is outside of (or beyond) race or ethnicity. However, other characters that Kevin Clash has created exhibit more Black cultural characteristics than Elmo. For instance, it seems to me that the characters of Hoots the Owl and Clifford the musician clearly express their "Blackness" through their use of African American Vernacular English and, in the case of Clifford, in his physical appearance. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiQsaEdJ1aI "Put Down The Duckie" for a video clip that includes Hoots The Owl. And click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1-PwZltH8E for a video clip that includes an appearance of Clifford the musician. That Arsenio Hall show clip is memorable because the first part of that interview featured puppeteer Jim Henson- the founder of Sesame Street- with one of his star character's "Kermit The Frog" and this was to be Jim Henson's last interview before his death.
It's my position that it's significant that Elmo's puppeteer is an African American male regardless of whether Elmo exhibits any cultural Blackness or not. Kevin Clash is a role model because he dared to follow his dream of being a puppeteer, and because he's very good at what he does. A perhaps unexpected bonus of the "Being Elmo" documentary is that some non-Black people may have their perspectives of Black people broadened. And it's possible that some of Elmo's likeability extends to his puppeteer Kevin Clash. In a world where Black people are routinely protrayed negatively, and where so many Black children and youth think their options are limited, the more positive stories and positive role models of Black people we have, the better it is and the better it will be.
Click a href="http://beingelmo.com/index.html for more information about "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey", including where you can purchase the DVD, and/or where you can see the film in your area.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Clash for more information about Kevin Clash.
Hat tip to Andrea Plaid for her article http://www.racialicious.com/2012/05/25/racialicious-crush-of-the-week-kevin-clash/ which inspired me to showcase Kevin Clash and the "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" documentary on this pancocojams blog.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: 'Being Elmo' Trailer
Uploaded by MakingOf on Oct 5, 2011
The trailer for 'Being Elmo' the story behind Kevin Clash the man behind Elmo.
Watch more at http://makingof.com/
****
Video #2: Kevin Clash with Elmo at 'Being Elmo' Screening September 25, 2011
Uploaded by stitchkingdomsite on Sep 26, 2011
brought to you by http://www.stitchkingdom.com - Muppeteer Kevin Clash is joined by Elmo at the Museum for the Moving Image in New York City on September 25, 2011 for a screening of 'Being Elmo.' Elmo discusses working with Richard Hunt and his love for wasabi.
-snip-
[The film's producer Constance Marks, and an aspiring young puppeteer are also shown in this interview with Kevin Clash & Elmo. Richard Hunt was the puppeteer who worked with Elmo before Kevin Clash.]
****
Video #3: Nightline: Kevin Clash on being Elmo
Uploaded by MuppetMusings on Oct 25, 2011
****
Video #4: Puppeteer of "Elmo" Kevin Clash Talks About Living His Childhood Dream
Uploaded by movingpicturesnet on Mar 10, 2011
Elliot Kotek interviews puppeteer Kevin Clash and director Constance Marks from "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post provides information and showcases five selected videos about African American puppeteer Kevin Clash & the Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey", a film by Constance Marks.
The content of this post is presented for historical, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to Kevin Clash for following his dream, for becoming a role model for so many people, and for creating the loveable character Elmo and other Sesame Street puppets. My thanks also to Constance Marks, the producer of that film, and her production company. In addition, I thank the uploaders of these featured videos, and the authors of the excerpted online articles.
INFORMATION ABOUT "BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_Elmo:_A_Puppeteer's_Journey:
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey is a 2011 American documentary film directed by Constance Marks about Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo, the widely beloved Sesame Street character.**
The film follows Clash on his early years in Baltimore, Maryland, how he came to meet Kermit Love and Jim Henson, and the phenomenon of Elmo.
From http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/the_bloodshot_eye/2012/02/being-elmo-a-puppeteers-journey---hes-your-puppet-or-marvelous-muppet-movie-makes-memphis-debut-at-b.html:
The story of how a shy and sweet-natured but imposingly big black dude (and yes, race, though only briefly acknowledged, is a part of the narrative) became one of the world's most successful kid's-show artists is told in the terrific documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey,"...
A believer that puppets should be "true, good and meaningful," Clash gave Elmo a high-pitched and unthreateningly infantile voice and a personality to match. The idea was to make the puppet especially appealing to very young children: "I knew that Elmo should represent love -- just kissing and hugging," Clash explains. It was this appeal that made the "Tickle Me Elmo" doll the hottest toy of 1996. As a result of the Elmomania that ensued, the puppet -- with Clash just off-camera, or making himself as inconspicuous as possible -- has made personal and television guest appearances with Oprah, Michelle Obama and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, among many, many others.
THE INFLUENCE OF KEVIN CLASH'S RACE AND HIS PUPPET CHARACTERS
I'm interested in exploring whether and how puppeteer Kevin Clash's race influences his depiction of the loveable three and one half year old red monster named "Elmo". For that reason (and because I'm currently working on posts about African American hand gestures)*, I was delighted to find two examples of Elmo giving someone a High Five. One of those examples is found at 3:01-3:02 in Video #2 below. Another example is found in the beginning of a video clip of Elmo singing with a beatboxer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pnVyPjSTkE.
*Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html for Part II of a five Part series on hand gestures.
I believe that "Elmo" is outside of (or beyond) race or ethnicity. However, other characters that Kevin Clash has created exhibit more Black cultural characteristics than Elmo. For instance, it seems to me that the characters of Hoots the Owl and Clifford the musician clearly express their "Blackness" through their use of African American Vernacular English and, in the case of Clifford, in his physical appearance. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiQsaEdJ1aI "Put Down The Duckie" for a video clip that includes Hoots The Owl. And click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1-PwZltH8E for a video clip that includes an appearance of Clifford the musician. That Arsenio Hall show clip is memorable because the first part of that interview featured puppeteer Jim Henson- the founder of Sesame Street- with one of his star character's "Kermit The Frog" and this was to be Jim Henson's last interview before his death.
It's my position that it's significant that Elmo's puppeteer is an African American male regardless of whether Elmo exhibits any cultural Blackness or not. Kevin Clash is a role model because he dared to follow his dream of being a puppeteer, and because he's very good at what he does. A perhaps unexpected bonus of the "Being Elmo" documentary is that some non-Black people may have their perspectives of Black people broadened. And it's possible that some of Elmo's likeability extends to his puppeteer Kevin Clash. In a world where Black people are routinely protrayed negatively, and where so many Black children and youth think their options are limited, the more positive stories and positive role models of Black people we have, the better it is and the better it will be.
Click a href="http://beingelmo.com/index.html for more information about "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey", including where you can purchase the DVD, and/or where you can see the film in your area.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Clash for more information about Kevin Clash.
Hat tip to Andrea Plaid for her article http://www.racialicious.com/2012/05/25/racialicious-crush-of-the-week-kevin-clash/ which inspired me to showcase Kevin Clash and the "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" documentary on this pancocojams blog.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: 'Being Elmo' Trailer
Uploaded by MakingOf on Oct 5, 2011
The trailer for 'Being Elmo' the story behind Kevin Clash the man behind Elmo.
Watch more at http://makingof.com/
****
Video #2: Kevin Clash with Elmo at 'Being Elmo' Screening September 25, 2011
Uploaded by stitchkingdomsite on Sep 26, 2011
brought to you by http://www.stitchkingdom.com - Muppeteer Kevin Clash is joined by Elmo at the Museum for the Moving Image in New York City on September 25, 2011 for a screening of 'Being Elmo.' Elmo discusses working with Richard Hunt and his love for wasabi.
-snip-
[The film's producer Constance Marks, and an aspiring young puppeteer are also shown in this interview with Kevin Clash & Elmo. Richard Hunt was the puppeteer who worked with Elmo before Kevin Clash.]
****
Video #3: Nightline: Kevin Clash on being Elmo
Uploaded by MuppetMusings on Oct 25, 2011
****
Video #4: Puppeteer of "Elmo" Kevin Clash Talks About Living His Childhood Dream
Uploaded by movingpicturesnet on Mar 10, 2011
Elliot Kotek interviews puppeteer Kevin Clash and director Constance Marks from "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Rappers In Europe - The Diversidad Experience
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases three videos of the multi-racial and multi-cultural European hip-hop group "The Diversidad Experience (The Diversity Experience).
The content of this post is presented for sociological, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers and performers of this music. My thanks also to the videographers and uploaders of these featured videos.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
This blog's policy is not to feature any video that includes profanity and/or sexually explicit language. Because I don't speak or read any language except English, I don't know if these videos contain any of that language. If so, my apologies to any readers who may be offended by that language.
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: DIVERSIDAD @ CULTURA URBANA 15/05/2010
Uploaded by DiversidadExperience on May 12, 2010
CULTURA URBANA : 15/05/2010
ESCENARIO MOVISTAR 13:30 - 14:50 DIVERSIDAD ARTISTS: LA MELODIA & FRENKIE & COOKIN SOUL
Check out Nach and CookinSoul's video introducing Diversidad's artists: La Melodia ( Netherland ) and Frenkie (Bosnia ) for their gig at Cultura Urbana Festival on May 15, a preview to the 2011 big show with all the artists.
Descubra el video de Nach y CookinSoul presentando los artistas de Diversidad: La Melodia ( Holanda ) y Frenkie (Bosnia) y sus conciertos a Cultura Urbana el 15 de mayo 2010 antes de la gran gira de 2011 con todos los artistas.
Découvrez la vidéo de Nach et Cookinsoul présentant les artistes Diversidad : La melodia (Hollande) et Frenkie ( Bosnie ) pour leur passage a cultura urbana le 15 mai 2010 en avant première de la grande tournée qui aura lieu avec tous les artistes en 2011
www.diversidad-experience.com
****
Video #2
Diversidad Single Experience (Subtitles)
Uploaded by DiversidadExperience on Sep 2, 2008
Even if the artists come from all over Europe and don't use the same words, they speak the same language:
The urban culture language...
For the 1st time, European rappers are together in a recording studio
No need to make endless presentations: Just Listen !!
Here’s the refrain that is given in the subtitles [written as is]
"When the music starts 2 play
major differents doesn’t matter.
Melodies are here 2 stay
for you and I – There’s beat’s and rhymes
deep inside, there’s no lie music,
is what you will find."
-snip-
Here's a list of the rappers & the single's producer (given in the summary statement of a YouTube video of the same song without subtitles):
AKHENATON / SHURIK'N (IAM - FRANCE)
ABD AL MALIK (FRANCE)
NIKKFURIE (LA CAUTION - FRANCE)
PROMOE (LOOPTROOP ROCKERS - SWEDEN)
CURSE (GERMANY)
BALOJI (BELGIUM)
NOORA NOOR (NORWAY)
SAM THE KID (PORTUGAL)
DJ CRUZFADER
MUCHO MUCHACHO (7NOTAS7COLORES - SPAIN)
PRODUCED BY SPIKE MILLER (FRANCE)
****
Video #3: Diversidad - The Experience (Valete)
Uploaded by Minhocazz on Apr 15, 2011
Mais um grande sonoro dos MC's europeus..
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post showcases three videos of the multi-racial and multi-cultural European hip-hop group "The Diversidad Experience (The Diversity Experience).
The content of this post is presented for sociological, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers and performers of this music. My thanks also to the videographers and uploaders of these featured videos.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
This blog's policy is not to feature any video that includes profanity and/or sexually explicit language. Because I don't speak or read any language except English, I don't know if these videos contain any of that language. If so, my apologies to any readers who may be offended by that language.
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: DIVERSIDAD @ CULTURA URBANA 15/05/2010
Uploaded by DiversidadExperience on May 12, 2010
CULTURA URBANA : 15/05/2010
ESCENARIO MOVISTAR 13:30 - 14:50 DIVERSIDAD ARTISTS: LA MELODIA & FRENKIE & COOKIN SOUL
Check out Nach and CookinSoul's video introducing Diversidad's artists: La Melodia ( Netherland ) and Frenkie (Bosnia ) for their gig at Cultura Urbana Festival on May 15, a preview to the 2011 big show with all the artists.
Descubra el video de Nach y CookinSoul presentando los artistas de Diversidad: La Melodia ( Holanda ) y Frenkie (Bosnia) y sus conciertos a Cultura Urbana el 15 de mayo 2010 antes de la gran gira de 2011 con todos los artistas.
Découvrez la vidéo de Nach et Cookinsoul présentant les artistes Diversidad : La melodia (Hollande) et Frenkie ( Bosnie ) pour leur passage a cultura urbana le 15 mai 2010 en avant première de la grande tournée qui aura lieu avec tous les artistes en 2011
www.diversidad-experience.com
****
Video #2
Diversidad Single Experience (Subtitles)
Uploaded by DiversidadExperience on Sep 2, 2008
Even if the artists come from all over Europe and don't use the same words, they speak the same language:
The urban culture language...
For the 1st time, European rappers are together in a recording studio
No need to make endless presentations: Just Listen !!
Here’s the refrain that is given in the subtitles [written as is]
"When the music starts 2 play
major differents doesn’t matter.
Melodies are here 2 stay
for you and I – There’s beat’s and rhymes
deep inside, there’s no lie music,
is what you will find."
-snip-
Here's a list of the rappers & the single's producer (given in the summary statement of a YouTube video of the same song without subtitles):
AKHENATON / SHURIK'N (IAM - FRANCE)
ABD AL MALIK (FRANCE)
NIKKFURIE (LA CAUTION - FRANCE)
PROMOE (LOOPTROOP ROCKERS - SWEDEN)
CURSE (GERMANY)
BALOJI (BELGIUM)
NOORA NOOR (NORWAY)
SAM THE KID (PORTUGAL)
DJ CRUZFADER
MUCHO MUCHACHO (7NOTAS7COLORES - SPAIN)
PRODUCED BY SPIKE MILLER (FRANCE)
****
Video #3: Diversidad - The Experience (Valete)
Uploaded by Minhocazz on Apr 15, 2011
Mais um grande sonoro dos MC's europeus..
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Non-White People With Naturally Blond Hair & Blue Eyes
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post features a video and comments about non-White people with naturally blond hair & blue eyes. This post also includes a long excerpt from an article about this subject.
The content of this post is presented for educational and sociological purposes. My thanks to the photographer/s, videographer, as well as the commenters and the article's author who I quoted. All copyrights remain with their owner.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
As a university student advisor years ago, I remember talking with a young dark brown skinned African American woman who had straigtened black hair and naturally blue eyes. The woman shared with me that she was very tired of people constantly staring at her, and taunting her because of the color of her eyes. I remember that woman saying that she was saving up money to buy brown contact lenses. I was both angry & sad about that woman's experience, and I am still sad & angry that that experience is probably still happening today to people who have a different physical appearance than others around them. We need to love our neighbor as ourselves.
FEATURE VIDEO: other ethnicities with blue eyes 2/3
uploaded by Vision2300 on Aug 20, 2011
-snip-
Selected comments from that video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=NtZxjwT8PT8:
WARNING! This comment thread contains profanity, racist exchanges, and other argumentative comments.
"blue,green,grey...its all a mutation. before that everybody had brown eyes. somewhere along history there was a mutation causing people to have different color eyes. its a beautiful mutation though...its basic genetics."
-adayinothersshoes, May 2012
**
"Blue and green eyes are not unique to light skinned people, it's just most common in Europe due to adaptation to less direct sunlight. (Blue and green eyes are the most receptive to light.) Lighter Eye Pigmentation is recessive while Dark is dominant, but it can still happen to other races, and it can also happen due to a natural mutation."
-indigothecat, May 2012
**
"my wish is that all human beings will love each other regardless of ''stuff'' that we can all just see past ''stuff'',that we are all just living,breathing beings with the same feelings.That is my prayer."
-hyper10shun; May 2012
-snip-
Regarding the music:
"What's the song title/artist please? Luv it."
-MrPouponneau, April 2012
**
"1)John Williams - Remembering Munich
2)the music theme of the movie "Exodus" 1960"
-magdageor in reply to MrPouponneau; April 2012
EXCERPT OF FEATURED ARTICLE
(Hat tip to niguaeli who posted the title of this article on that above video comment thread)
The Origin of Mysterious, Dark-Skinned Blonds Discovered
http://www.livescience.com/20078-gene-mutation-blond-hair.html
"Residents of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific have some of the darkest skin seen outside of Africa. They also have the highest occurrence of blond hair seen in any population outside of Europe. Now, researchers have found the single gene that explains these fair tresses.
A single mutation is responsible for almost half of the variation in Solomon Islanders' hair color, the scientists reported Thursday (May 3) in the journal Science.
Most strikingly, this gene mutation seems to have arisen in the Pacific, not been brought in by fair-haired Europeans intermarrying with islanders.
"[T]he human characteristic of blond hair arose independently in equatorial Oceania," study researcher Eimear Kenny, a postodoctoral scholar at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a statement. "That's quite unexpected and fascinating…
"As a geneticist on the beach watching the kids playing, you count up the frequency of kids with blond hair, and say, 'Wow, it's 5 to 10 percent.'" [Photos of Beautiful Beaches]
That's not very far off from the proportion of blond-haired people in Europe, Kenny said. The researchers gathered saliva from 43 blond and 42 dark-haired Solomon Islanders to analyze for clues to the genes behind their hair color.
A genome-wide analysis turned up a shockingly clear result, rare in the world of genetics where a single trait can be influenced by dozens or more genes. A gene called TYRP1, which resides on the ninth chromosome of human's 23 pairs of chromosomes, explained 46.4 percent of the variation in the islanders' hair color. (Chromosomes are coiled packets of DNA.) A mutation in this gene affects an enzyme known to be involved in human pigmentation, the researchers found.
This mutation doesn't appear in European genomes, an analysis of genomes from 52 human populations around the world revealed. Rather, it seems to have arisen independently and persisted in the Melanesian population.
That makes the gene different from the one responsible for blue eyes, which arose from a single common ancestor between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. Before then, there were no blue eyes, they said…
The find solves a nifty genetic mystery, but it also highlights the dangers of assuming that genome findings from one population will translate to another, said study author Carlos Bustamante, a professor of genetics at Stanford…."
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/seven-black-female-singers-with-blond.html Seven Black Female Singers With Blond Hair
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post features a video and comments about non-White people with naturally blond hair & blue eyes. This post also includes a long excerpt from an article about this subject.
The content of this post is presented for educational and sociological purposes. My thanks to the photographer/s, videographer, as well as the commenters and the article's author who I quoted. All copyrights remain with their owner.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
As a university student advisor years ago, I remember talking with a young dark brown skinned African American woman who had straigtened black hair and naturally blue eyes. The woman shared with me that she was very tired of people constantly staring at her, and taunting her because of the color of her eyes. I remember that woman saying that she was saving up money to buy brown contact lenses. I was both angry & sad about that woman's experience, and I am still sad & angry that that experience is probably still happening today to people who have a different physical appearance than others around them. We need to love our neighbor as ourselves.
FEATURE VIDEO: other ethnicities with blue eyes 2/3
uploaded by Vision2300 on Aug 20, 2011
-snip-
Selected comments from that video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=NtZxjwT8PT8:
WARNING! This comment thread contains profanity, racist exchanges, and other argumentative comments.
"blue,green,grey...its all a mutation. before that everybody had brown eyes. somewhere along history there was a mutation causing people to have different color eyes. its a beautiful mutation though...its basic genetics."
-adayinothersshoes, May 2012
**
"Blue and green eyes are not unique to light skinned people, it's just most common in Europe due to adaptation to less direct sunlight. (Blue and green eyes are the most receptive to light.) Lighter Eye Pigmentation is recessive while Dark is dominant, but it can still happen to other races, and it can also happen due to a natural mutation."
-indigothecat, May 2012
**
"my wish is that all human beings will love each other regardless of ''stuff'' that we can all just see past ''stuff'',that we are all just living,breathing beings with the same feelings.That is my prayer."
-hyper10shun; May 2012
-snip-
Regarding the music:
"What's the song title/artist please? Luv it."
-MrPouponneau, April 2012
**
"1)John Williams - Remembering Munich
2)the music theme of the movie "Exodus" 1960"
-magdageor in reply to MrPouponneau; April 2012
EXCERPT OF FEATURED ARTICLE
(Hat tip to niguaeli who posted the title of this article on that above video comment thread)
The Origin of Mysterious, Dark-Skinned Blonds Discovered
http://www.livescience.com/20078-gene-mutation-blond-hair.html
"Residents of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific have some of the darkest skin seen outside of Africa. They also have the highest occurrence of blond hair seen in any population outside of Europe. Now, researchers have found the single gene that explains these fair tresses.
A single mutation is responsible for almost half of the variation in Solomon Islanders' hair color, the scientists reported Thursday (May 3) in the journal Science.
Most strikingly, this gene mutation seems to have arisen in the Pacific, not been brought in by fair-haired Europeans intermarrying with islanders.
"[T]he human characteristic of blond hair arose independently in equatorial Oceania," study researcher Eimear Kenny, a postodoctoral scholar at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a statement. "That's quite unexpected and fascinating…
"As a geneticist on the beach watching the kids playing, you count up the frequency of kids with blond hair, and say, 'Wow, it's 5 to 10 percent.'" [Photos of Beautiful Beaches]
That's not very far off from the proportion of blond-haired people in Europe, Kenny said. The researchers gathered saliva from 43 blond and 42 dark-haired Solomon Islanders to analyze for clues to the genes behind their hair color.
A genome-wide analysis turned up a shockingly clear result, rare in the world of genetics where a single trait can be influenced by dozens or more genes. A gene called TYRP1, which resides on the ninth chromosome of human's 23 pairs of chromosomes, explained 46.4 percent of the variation in the islanders' hair color. (Chromosomes are coiled packets of DNA.) A mutation in this gene affects an enzyme known to be involved in human pigmentation, the researchers found.
This mutation doesn't appear in European genomes, an analysis of genomes from 52 human populations around the world revealed. Rather, it seems to have arisen independently and persisted in the Melanesian population.
That makes the gene different from the one responsible for blue eyes, which arose from a single common ancestor between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. Before then, there were no blue eyes, they said…
The find solves a nifty genetic mystery, but it also highlights the dangers of assuming that genome findings from one population will translate to another, said study author Carlos Bustamante, a professor of genetics at Stanford…."
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/seven-black-female-singers-with-blond.html Seven Black Female Singers With Blond Hair
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Slang Meaning Of "Bad" In Songs & Playground Cheers
Edited by Azizi Powell
Michael Jackson BAD (Kids Version)
Uploaded by kcataylo on Feb 6, 2008
****
This post showcases three videos of songs that contain the African American slang word "bad". This post also showcases one video & three foot stomping cheers that contain the African American slang word "bad".
The content of this post is presented for historical, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the known and unknown composers of these songs & cheers. My thanks also to the performers of these songs & cheers, as well as to the producers & uploaders of these videos, and the contributors of these cheer examples.
****
SLANG DEFINITION OF "BAD"
"Bad" = very good (according to the value system of those conferring that descriptor)
FEATURED SONG VIDEOS:
Video #1: Michael Jackson – Bad
Uploaded by michaeljacksonVEVO on Oct 3, 2009
Music video by Michael Jackson performing Bad. © 1987 MJJ Productions Inc.
****
Video #2: Michael Jackson BAD (Kids Version)
This video is posted at the top of this page.
This performance is a parody of Michael Jackson's hit song "Bad". The rendition of that song is entitled "Badder" and is from Michael Jackson's 1988 movie Moonwalker.
Here are two comments that I wrote on that video's viewer comment thread in response to a question about why the boy portraying Michael Jackson covered his mouth after saying something toward the end of that scene:
The other songs & playground rhymes (cheers) in this post include self-bragging and dissing (insulting another person) lyrics or words in the style of the dozens.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dozens for information about The Dozens.
****
Video #3: LL Cool J - I'm Bad
Uploaded by LLCoolJVEVO on Jun 16, 2009
Music video by LL Cool J performing I'm Bad. (C) 1987 LL Cool J under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
WARNING. This video's YouTube viewer comment thread contains profanity.
****
FEATURED CHEER VIDEOS AND TEXT EXAMPLES:
Video #1
The words to that cheer are given here as "Example #1" below.
Example #1: HULA HULA
Voice #1 (Nyya): Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Voice #2 (Ritza): I do.
Voice #1 (Nyya): Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Voice (Ritza) #2: I do.
Well, I think I’m bad cause
Ritza's my name
and pink is my color
Don't you worry 'bout my brother.
Voice #1 (Nyya): Ooh, she thinks she’s fine.
Voice #2 (Ritza):Soloist #1:Correction, baby I know I’m bad.
Voice #1 (Nyya): Ooh, she thinks she’s hip.
Voice #2 (Ritza):Hip enough to steal your chips.
-Naturalandthecity; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0pnufDOxgU&feature=endscreen&NR=1 ; Dec 17, 2011
-snip-
I believe that the word "hula" in the cheer "Hula Hula" means "Hey!" (as in "Hello"). "Hula" may have come from the Spanish word "Hola". But I think that "Hula" might actually be a form of the old time English greeting "How do" meaning "How do you do?". The word "howdy" is a more common English language form of "How do you do". The television clown "Howdie Doody" got his name from the phrase "How do you do".). The colloquial American greeting phrase "Hoodie Hoo" is another form of the phrase "Howdy do." and may also have been a source for the word "Hula" in this cheer. "Hoodie Hoo" is pronounced "who day who".
For a related piece of information, click http://voices.yahoo.com/february-20-hoodie-hoo-day-5435649.html to find information about a newly invented American holiday to chase away winter by going outside on February 20th and yelling "Hoodie Hoo!".
****
Example #2: HULA HULA
Group: Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Soloist #1: I do.
Group: Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Soloist #1: I do.
Well, I think I’m bad cause
[insert soloist's name or nickname]'s my name
and love is my game.
I got this boy on my mind
and Lord knows he’s fine.
I got his name on my shirt
and don’t call it dirt.
Group: Ooh, she thinks she’s bad.
Soloist #1: Correction, baby I KNOW I’m bad.
Group: Ooh, she thinks she’s fine.
Soloist #1: Fine enough to blow YOUR mind.
-Tazi M. Powell (African American female, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, mid. 1980s)
****
Example #3: HOLLYWOOD
Here's a handclap called hollywood!
(person 1) My name is (your name) im number one my reputation's just begun so turn around and touch the ground get back up and break it down
(person 2) you think you're bad
(1) b-a-d i know im bad
(2) you tink you're cool
(1) cool enough to rule the school
(2) you think your fine
(1) fine fine blow your mind mind take em up take em back give the man a heart attack
(2) you think you're hott
(1) hott anough to blow your pot!
That's it....there's clapping and all but its too hard to explain on this...good luck!
-DC; 12/9/2005 ; http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php [website no longer accessible]
-snip-
The song source of this foot stomping cheer is Kool & The Gang's 1973 song "Hollywood Swingin". Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD-VvbGa8H4 to find a video of that song.
Click http://cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0 for more analysis of these examples, for more examples of foot stomping cheers, and more comments about the structure and performance of these playground cheers.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Michael Jackson BAD (Kids Version)
Uploaded by kcataylo on Feb 6, 2008
****
This post showcases three videos of songs that contain the African American slang word "bad". This post also showcases one video & three foot stomping cheers that contain the African American slang word "bad".
The content of this post is presented for historical, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the known and unknown composers of these songs & cheers. My thanks also to the performers of these songs & cheers, as well as to the producers & uploaders of these videos, and the contributors of these cheer examples.
****
SLANG DEFINITION OF "BAD"
"Bad" = very good (according to the value system of those conferring that descriptor)
FEATURED SONG VIDEOS:
Video #1: Michael Jackson – Bad
Uploaded by michaeljacksonVEVO on Oct 3, 2009
Music video by Michael Jackson performing Bad. © 1987 MJJ Productions Inc.
****
Video #2: Michael Jackson BAD (Kids Version)
This video is posted at the top of this page.
This performance is a parody of Michael Jackson's hit song "Bad". The rendition of that song is entitled "Badder" and is from Michael Jackson's 1988 movie Moonwalker.
Here are two comments that I wrote on that video's viewer comment thread in response to a question about why the boy portraying Michael Jackson covered his mouth after saying something toward the end of that scene:
The call & response chanting (from 2:53 on) is a take off of the African American insult game The Dozens where yo mama is a core phrase. If you are serious, talkin about someone's mama has real consequences. The boy probably covered his mouth because kids are taught they aren't supposed to talk about someone's mama unless they're really looking for a fight. That's why the rest of the kids changed "your mama" to "your sister" since the consequences of that in real life isn't nearly as "bad".-snip-
-azizip171 in reply to quadprincess1 http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=l78ho3Y8P_I , May 23, 2012
**
I meant to write that the call & response chanting in this scene is a take-off of the African American insult AND BRAGGING game The Dozens. In the original song & in this parody, the emphasis is on the bragging part.
-azizip171, May 24, 2012
The other songs & playground rhymes (cheers) in this post include self-bragging and dissing (insulting another person) lyrics or words in the style of the dozens.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dozens for information about The Dozens.
****
Video #3: LL Cool J - I'm Bad
Uploaded by LLCoolJVEVO on Jun 16, 2009
Music video by LL Cool J performing I'm Bad. (C) 1987 LL Cool J under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
WARNING. This video's YouTube viewer comment thread contains profanity.
****
FEATURED CHEER VIDEOS AND TEXT EXAMPLES:
Video #1
The words to that cheer are given here as "Example #1" below.
Example #1: HULA HULA
Voice #1 (Nyya): Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Voice #2 (Ritza): I do.
Voice #1 (Nyya): Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Voice (Ritza) #2: I do.
Well, I think I’m bad cause
Ritza's my name
and pink is my color
Don't you worry 'bout my brother.
Voice #1 (Nyya): Ooh, she thinks she’s fine.
Voice #2 (Ritza):Soloist #1:Correction, baby I know I’m bad.
Voice #1 (Nyya): Ooh, she thinks she’s hip.
Voice #2 (Ritza):Hip enough to steal your chips.
-Naturalandthecity; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0pnufDOxgU&feature=endscreen&NR=1 ; Dec 17, 2011
-snip-
I believe that the word "hula" in the cheer "Hula Hula" means "Hey!" (as in "Hello"). "Hula" may have come from the Spanish word "Hola". But I think that "Hula" might actually be a form of the old time English greeting "How do" meaning "How do you do?". The word "howdy" is a more common English language form of "How do you do". The television clown "Howdie Doody" got his name from the phrase "How do you do".). The colloquial American greeting phrase "Hoodie Hoo" is another form of the phrase "Howdy do." and may also have been a source for the word "Hula" in this cheer. "Hoodie Hoo" is pronounced "who day who".
For a related piece of information, click http://voices.yahoo.com/february-20-hoodie-hoo-day-5435649.html to find information about a newly invented American holiday to chase away winter by going outside on February 20th and yelling "Hoodie Hoo!".
****
Example #2: HULA HULA
Group: Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Soloist #1: I do.
Group: Hula Hula.
Who think they bad?
Soloist #1: I do.
Well, I think I’m bad cause
[insert soloist's name or nickname]'s my name
and love is my game.
I got this boy on my mind
and Lord knows he’s fine.
I got his name on my shirt
and don’t call it dirt.
Group: Ooh, she thinks she’s bad.
Soloist #1: Correction, baby I KNOW I’m bad.
Group: Ooh, she thinks she’s fine.
Soloist #1: Fine enough to blow YOUR mind.
-Tazi M. Powell (African American female, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, mid. 1980s)
****
Example #3: HOLLYWOOD
Here's a handclap called hollywood!
(person 1) My name is (your name) im number one my reputation's just begun so turn around and touch the ground get back up and break it down
(person 2) you think you're bad
(1) b-a-d i know im bad
(2) you tink you're cool
(1) cool enough to rule the school
(2) you think your fine
(1) fine fine blow your mind mind take em up take em back give the man a heart attack
(2) you think you're hott
(1) hott anough to blow your pot!
That's it....there's clapping and all but its too hard to explain on this...good luck!
-DC; 12/9/2005 ; http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php [website no longer accessible]
-snip-
The song source of this foot stomping cheer is Kool & The Gang's 1973 song "Hollywood Swingin". Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD-VvbGa8H4 to find a video of that song.
Click http://cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0 for more analysis of these examples, for more examples of foot stomping cheers, and more comments about the structure and performance of these playground cheers.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Videos Of African Musical Productions, Part II
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part post which showcases African musical productions.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/videos-of-african-musical-productions.html for Part I of this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers and performers of this music. My thanks also to the producers of these musicals, the videographers, and the uploaders of these featured videos.
By no means are these featured videos the only video clips of African musicals that are available on YouTube. As an aside - judging from the videos available on YouTube, it appears that for some reason most of African musical productions showcase the culture of the nation of South Africa and/or the region of South Africa.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are posted in no particular order.)
Video #1: Zambezi Express - The Amazing New African Dance Musical...
Uploaded by gypsiiboy on Oct 6, 2009
Highlights from this amazing new show. The story follows a boy named Zilli, born in the slums of a township in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe who dreams of becoming a top-flight footballer. His adventures on the Zambezi Express - the train that leaves Bulawayo for South Africa once a week - and his struggles in the big city have created this extraordinary, pulsating new show straight from the heart of Africa. Pounding, multi-layered African beats and powerful acapella vocals alongside jumping, jiving, and acrobatic dance numbers by a 30 strong company. A soccer-based musical for the approaching World Cup in South Africa 2010 - This is the beautiful game as its never been seen before! Appearing at: BRISTOL, THE DOWNS - In The Big Top Theatre - Wednesday 30th September Sunday 18th October. HACKNEY EMPIRE, HACKNEY, London, E8 1EJ - Tuesday 20th Wednesday 28th October. www.zambeziexpress.co.uk
****
Video #2: AFRICAN CIRCUS PRODUCTION TWO part one
Uploaded by circusafrica on Dec 1, 2009
for bookings of any individual acts and dancers you see contact winston ruddle www.african-circus.tz.com
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Video #3: Mama Africa www.circoedintorni.it
Uploaded by circoedintorni on Apr 15, 2009
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MOTHER AFRICA GUMBOOT DANCERS 2010.m2ts
Uploaded by circusafrica on Apr 9, 2010
****
Video #5: IZABOBO! - AN AFRICAN MUSICAL DRAMA (Celebrating Rhythms in the Circle of Life)
Uploaded by naytrader on Aug 25, 2009
A play by Comfort Ero.
Performance: 2006, Intrepid Theatre, Victoria BC
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This is Part II of a two part post which showcases African musical productions.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/videos-of-african-musical-productions.html for Part I of this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers and performers of this music. My thanks also to the producers of these musicals, the videographers, and the uploaders of these featured videos.
By no means are these featured videos the only video clips of African musicals that are available on YouTube. As an aside - judging from the videos available on YouTube, it appears that for some reason most of African musical productions showcase the culture of the nation of South Africa and/or the region of South Africa.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are posted in no particular order.)
Video #1: Zambezi Express - The Amazing New African Dance Musical...
Uploaded by gypsiiboy on Oct 6, 2009
Highlights from this amazing new show. The story follows a boy named Zilli, born in the slums of a township in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe who dreams of becoming a top-flight footballer. His adventures on the Zambezi Express - the train that leaves Bulawayo for South Africa once a week - and his struggles in the big city have created this extraordinary, pulsating new show straight from the heart of Africa. Pounding, multi-layered African beats and powerful acapella vocals alongside jumping, jiving, and acrobatic dance numbers by a 30 strong company. A soccer-based musical for the approaching World Cup in South Africa 2010 - This is the beautiful game as its never been seen before! Appearing at: BRISTOL, THE DOWNS - In The Big Top Theatre - Wednesday 30th September Sunday 18th October. HACKNEY EMPIRE, HACKNEY, London, E8 1EJ - Tuesday 20th Wednesday 28th October. www.zambeziexpress.co.uk
****
Video #2: AFRICAN CIRCUS PRODUCTION TWO part one
Uploaded by circusafrica on Dec 1, 2009
for bookings of any individual acts and dancers you see contact winston ruddle www.african-circus.tz.com
****
Video #3: Mama Africa www.circoedintorni.it
Uploaded by circoedintorni on Apr 15, 2009
****
MOTHER AFRICA GUMBOOT DANCERS 2010.m2ts
Uploaded by circusafrica on Apr 9, 2010
****
Video #5: IZABOBO! - AN AFRICAN MUSICAL DRAMA (Celebrating Rhythms in the Circle of Life)
Uploaded by naytrader on Aug 25, 2009
A play by Comfort Ero.
Performance: 2006, Intrepid Theatre, Victoria BC
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Videos Of African Musical Productions, Part I
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part 1 of a two part post which showcases African musical productions.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/videos-of-african-musical-productions_23.html for Part II of this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers and performers of this music. My thanks also to the producers of these musicals, the videographers, and the uploaders of these featured videos.
By no means are these featured videos the only video clips of African musicals that are available on YouTube. As an aside - judging from the videos available on YouTube, it appears that for some reason most of African musical productions showcase the culture of the nation of South Africa and/or the region of South Africa.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are posted in no particular order.)
****
Video #1: SaRaFiNa
Uploaded by yazoshea on Mar 10, 2011
"Sarafina! is a South African musical by Mbongeni Ngema depicting students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to apartheid. It was also adapted into a 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Leleti Khumalo. Sarafina! premiered on Broadway on January 28, 1988, at the Cort Theatre, and closed on July 2, 1989, after 597 performances and 11 previews. The musical was conceived and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, who also wrote the book, music, and lyrics. The play was first presented at The Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa, in June 1987.
The cast included Leleti Khumalo as Sarafina.
Leleti Khumalo received a Tony Award nomination, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, as well as a NAACP Image Award for her Broadway theatre portrayal of the title character. The production was also nominated for the Tony Award for: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Direction of a Musical.
The show presents a school uprising similar to the Soweto uprising on June 16, 1976. A narrator introduces several characters among them the schoolgirl activist Sarafina. Things get out of control when a policeman shoots several pupils in a classroom. Nevertheless, the musical ends with a cheerful farewell show of pupils leaving school, which takes most of the second act."
****
Video #2: FREEDOM IS COMING TOMORROW. [Sarafina]
Uploaded by yazoshea on Mar 10, 2011
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Video #3: Umoja- The Spirit Of Together
Uploaded by LConcert on Apr 6, 2010
****
Video #3: Umoja- The Spirit Of Together 2
Uploaded by Mrbobodigital on Mar 23, 2011
****
Video #4: gumboots dance story
Uploaded by crepusculeindien on Jul 11, 2007
artist : gumboots dancers, south africa
place : the playhouse theatre, london, uk
the show explained (eng.) : http://gumboot.dancers.users.btopenworld.com
history (fr. & eng.): http://www.gumbootsworldtour.com/fr/index.html
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This is Part 1 of a two part post which showcases African musical productions.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/videos-of-african-musical-productions_23.html for Part II of this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the composers and performers of this music. My thanks also to the producers of these musicals, the videographers, and the uploaders of these featured videos.
By no means are these featured videos the only video clips of African musicals that are available on YouTube. As an aside - judging from the videos available on YouTube, it appears that for some reason most of African musical productions showcase the culture of the nation of South Africa and/or the region of South Africa.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are posted in no particular order.)
****
Video #1: SaRaFiNa
Uploaded by yazoshea on Mar 10, 2011
"Sarafina! is a South African musical by Mbongeni Ngema depicting students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to apartheid. It was also adapted into a 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Leleti Khumalo. Sarafina! premiered on Broadway on January 28, 1988, at the Cort Theatre, and closed on July 2, 1989, after 597 performances and 11 previews. The musical was conceived and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, who also wrote the book, music, and lyrics. The play was first presented at The Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa, in June 1987.
The cast included Leleti Khumalo as Sarafina.
Leleti Khumalo received a Tony Award nomination, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, as well as a NAACP Image Award for her Broadway theatre portrayal of the title character. The production was also nominated for the Tony Award for: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Direction of a Musical.
The show presents a school uprising similar to the Soweto uprising on June 16, 1976. A narrator introduces several characters among them the schoolgirl activist Sarafina. Things get out of control when a policeman shoots several pupils in a classroom. Nevertheless, the musical ends with a cheerful farewell show of pupils leaving school, which takes most of the second act."
****
Video #2: FREEDOM IS COMING TOMORROW. [Sarafina]
Uploaded by yazoshea on Mar 10, 2011
****
Video #3: Umoja- The Spirit Of Together
Uploaded by LConcert on Apr 6, 2010
****
Video #3: Umoja- The Spirit Of Together 2
Uploaded by Mrbobodigital on Mar 23, 2011
****
Video #4: gumboots dance story
Uploaded by crepusculeindien on Jul 11, 2007
artist : gumboots dancers, south africa
place : the playhouse theatre, london, uk
the show explained (eng.) : http://gumboot.dancers.users.btopenworld.com
history (fr. & eng.): http://www.gumbootsworldtour.com/fr/index.html
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
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