John Melville Bishop, Dec 13, 2009
Georgia Sea Island Singers from the DVD- The Films of Bess
Lomax Hawes- available from http://www.media-generation.com
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about the low country clap (also known as "the Charleston Clap" and "the Gullah clap") that began as accompaniment to Gullah Geechee singing. This clapping pattern is from the Gullah Geechee culture of Charleston, South Carolina (USA).
Five showcase YouTube videos of low country singing and clapping are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, religious, aesthetic, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the producers and publishers of these videos on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-double-clap-information-examples.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "The Double Clap (information & examples from Gospel, R&B, & Pop Music)".
****
INFORMATION ABOUT "THE LOW COUNTRY CLAP" THAT ACCOMPANIES GULLAH GEECHEE SINGNG
From https://www.seasidemb.com/blog/gullah-geechee-culture-of-the-low-country/ GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE OF THE LOW COUNTRY, 1/8/2021
"When most travelers think of coastalSouth Carolina, they have visions of white sandy beaches, great restaurants,and all the glitz and glamour of Myrtle Beach. While those attractions are great,theres a fantastic culture here that is often overlooked by vacationers: TheGullah Geechee culture of the Low Country.
The term Gullah most likely originates from the people of Angola, in Western Africa. When slaves were brought to the Low Country, they kept many of their traditions. Through the years, with relative isolation from whites, their culture, dialect, religion, and talents have melded with the Native American and Creole influences in the area. Gullah culture stretches from the Cape Fear River in Wilmington all the way to the Sea Islands of Georgia. The term Geechee is derived from the Ogeechee river, near Savannah. The proud history and traditions of these amazing people are fascinating and have had a PROFOUND influence on the Low Country.
When rice fields were established in South Carolina and Georgia, the descendants of people originating in Africas Rice Coast were able to use their skills and talents to help establish a tremendous food source and cash crop which has had lasting effects on our economy. The first freed slaves of South Carolina were in the Low Country, the majority of which were Gullah. After the Civil War ended, the Gullah people were able to develop and sustain their culture with isolation from the rest of the world. To this day, you are able to visit markets, vendors, and see, hear, and taste the amazing impact of the Gullah culture.
So, what are some of the things you might see, hear, and taste when you want to experience Gullah culture onyour next trip to the beach? Youre in luck, because you wont have to go farto broaden your love of our area.
Gullah music finds its roots in African songs, which served to entertain, ease the monotony of work, educate children, and for religion. Following an AAB pattern, with lots of call and response, Gullah songs involve everyone! Simple drums, hand claps, feet stomps, and voices make up the instrumentation. Gullah music has some great syncopation, which had a definite influence on South Carolinas jazz history. There are lots of Gullah playlists out there on services like Spotify and YouTube. Its very soothing music to have on while you work, cook, or simply relaxing. Just like the cuisine, Gullah music is made up of sounds and stories borrowed from Europeans, Native Americans, Southern, and African people. Ostinato patterns are the staple of Gullah songs and compliment the music of the soul, like great food and company."...
This video is given at the top of this post.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Yonder Come Day
According to a comment in this video's discussion thread, this film clip was recorded in 1963.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Lowcountry Clap aka Charleston Clap - South Carolina
BRENDA J. PEART, Oct 25, 2019 #Jamaica #airbnb #AroundJAin7Days
When drums were outlawed the Gullah Geechee made their own
sounds combining their African rhythms ....
SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - The Lowcountry Sound
Karen E. Thrower, May 5, 2016
Rev. Isaac Holt and Trinity Missionary Baptist Church Choir
capturing the sound of the Lowcountry. Charleston,SC
SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - "Already Done" Low Country Church Singing and Hand Clapping
Sylvia B-Send Judah First, Jun 24, 2023
This is church! Yes indeed! Nobody does it better, bring the Low country clap with you each Sunday. Love this! Beautiful Church Too! Nothing like Low Country singing and hand clapping!
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment