Taj Mahal - "Cakewalk Into Town" (original version, 1972 & 1973 version), with information about the Cakewalk dance

olliestark, Sept. 18, 2009
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Here's some information about the African American Blues singer/musician known as Taj Mahal from https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal_(musician)
"Henry Saint Claire Fredericks, better known by the stage name Taj Mahal (born May 17, 1942), is an American blues musician. He has been performing and recording since 1964 and is still popular."...

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases two versions of Taj Mahal's 1972 Blues song "Cakewalk Into Town". 

The Addendum of this post includes information about The Cakewalk dance.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Taj Mahal for his cultural legacy. Thanks to all other musicians who are featured on these recordings and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube. 

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
Here are some comments from this sound file's discussion thread, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBGbrFlWwsE

1. sayyes2bull, 2011
"this is so cool i was waitin' for a bunch of polar bears to walk in."

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Reply
2. Morgan Taylor, 2019
"SAME"

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3. Unicornlove 10000, 2015
"How great is this song. Rock that tuba"

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4. Phillip Buscema, 2015
"Yeah the tuba and the hand claps."

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5. Teresa Rondo Blanco., 2015
"Love Howard Johnson's tuba playing!!"

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Reply
6. tankthetuba, 2021
"Unfortunately Howard Johnson passed away last month, January 2021"

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7. Tom Schneck, 2017
"Taj, tuba and handclap form innovative, joyful combo in blues tune - very nice"

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Reply
8. mymayapapaya, 2020
"Tom Schneck don’t forget the whistle solo"

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9. Howard Slade, 2016
"Just another way to step out of the "blues" "

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Reply
10. Morgan Taylor, 2019
"TRUE"

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domitype, 2020
…. "Cakewalking was a generally a parody of the ballroom dances the masters had - with exaggerated steps and swaggers, and the most outlandish dancers won a cake. This was also adapted into the minstrel shows that were popular at the time. Much more here: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/23/256566647/the-extraordinary-story-of-why-a-cakewalk-wasnt-always-easy
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An excerpt of this article is given in the Addendum of this pancocojams post.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: Taj Mahal - Cakewalk Into Town 1973



1016vortex, Sept. 18, 2015
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Here are some comments from this sound file's discussion thread, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAPqGZNtXTE

andy06525, 2016
"So Cool"

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2. Mr. Vinegaroon, 2017
"I think this is the happiest blues I have ever heard."

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3. Leisa K, 2019
"I absolutely Love me some Taj Mahal!"

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4. Zachary Robinson, 2021
"Optimistic blues:🙌🏼"

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LYRICS - CAKEWALK INTO TOWN

(Taj Mahal)

I had the blues, so bad one time it put my face in a permanent frown

You know I'm feeling so much better, I could cakewalk into town

Honey, I woke up this mornin' feelin' so good, you know I laid back down again

Throw your big leg over me mama, I might not feel this good again

 

My baby, my baby, I do love the way she walks

And when my woman gets sleepy, I love the way she baby-talks

My work is getting scarce, oh baby, my work it done got hard

I spend my whole day stealin' chickens, Honey, from the rich folks yard

I would love to take a picnic in the country and stay all day

I wouldn't do nothing but while my blues away

I had the blues so bad one time it put my face in a permanent frown

You know I'm feelin' so much better I could cakewalk into town


Online Source: https://genius.com/Taj-mahal-cakewalk-into-town-lyrics

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ADDENDUM - INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAKEWALK
From https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/23/256566647/the-extraordinary-story-of-why-a-cakewalk-wasnt-always-easy "The Extraordinary Story Of Why A 'Cakewalk' Wasn't Always Easy" December 23, 2013 by Lakshmi Gandhi
..."The cakewalk was a pre-Civil War dance originally performed by slaves on plantation grounds. The uniquely American dance was first known as the "prize walk"; the prize was an elaborately decorated cake. Hence, "prize walk" is the original source for the phrases "takes the cake" and "cakewalk."

Here's how the dance worked: Couples would stand in a square formation with men on the inside perimeter and then dance around the ballroom "as if in mimicry of the white man's attitudes and manners," according to Richard Kislan. The steps included "a high-leg prance with a backward tilt of the head, shoulders and upper torso."

Plantation owners served as judges for these contests — and the slave owners might not have fully caught on that their slaves might just have been mocking them during these highly elaborate dances.

In the 1912 novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, James Weldon Johnson has a character describe attending a cakewalk during the Reconstruction era:

"Then the floor was cleared for the cake-walk. A half-dozen guests from some of the hotels took seats on the stage to act as judges, and twelve or fourteen couples began to walk for a sure enough, highly decorated cake, which was in plain evidence. The spectators crowded about the space reserved for the contestants and watched them with interest and excitement. The couples did not walk round in a circle, but in a square, with the men on the inside. The fine points to be considered were the bearing of the men, the precision with which they turned the corners, the grace of the women, and the ease with which they swung around the pivots. The men walked with stately and soldierly step, and the women with considerable grace." "....
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/09/information-about-cake-walk-with-1903.html for a 2020 pancocojams post entitled "Information About The Cake Walk (with a 1903 Library Of Congress film clip & a reprint from streetswing.com)."

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Visitor comments are welcome.

"Walk, Chalk, Chicken With His Head Pecked Off" (old song & old time fiddle tune video, information, lyrics, & speculative meaning)

Chuck Levy, January 1, 2013

Joe Bone (Greg Allen, Bob Murphy, and Caitlin Murphy) at the Florida Masters concert at the Stephen Foster Old-Time Music Weekend, September, 2012.  Walk Chalk Chicken is a Melvin Wine tune.
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Although I'm showcasing a video of this old time fiddle tune, this post focuses on information about this song and its lyrics instead of the song's tune.

This is one of  several YouTube videos of the old time fiddle tune "Walk Chalk Chicken".

I chose to highlight this particular video because I live within walking distance (ten blocks) from the Stephen Foster Memorial Home (where that composer was born and lived) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about and lyrics for the old time song and fiddle tune "Walk Chalk Chicken With His Head Pecked Off". That song is also known as "Walk Talk Chicken With His Head Pecked Off", "Walk Chalk Chicken With A Necktie On" and "Walk Chalk Chicken".

This post also includes my guess about the meaning of the "Walk, Chalk Chicken With His Head Pecked Off" song. 

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song. Thanks also to (African American) Thomas W. Talley for his collecting this song and including it in his now classic 1922 book Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise And Other Wise. Thanks to (White American) Melvin Wine for performing this fiddle tune and sharing it with others. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of the YouTube video whose link is provided. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "WALK CHALK [or WALK TALK] CHICKEN WITH YOUR HEAD PECKED OFF"

[Numbers and alphabetical order added for referencing purposes only] 

Excerpt #1
From https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Walk_Chalk_Chicken
"Traditional tune archive

WALK, CHALK CHICKEN. AKA - "Walk Chalk Chicken with a Necktie On." Old-Time, Reel. A cross-tuned (AEae) piece related to the “Farewell to Whiskey (1)/Young America/Ladies Triumph (1)” family of tunes, from the playing of Coppen, West Virginia, fiddler Melvin Wine. He learned the tune from his father, who was the only person he ever heard play it. Comparisons with a similarly-titled rhyme from early 20th century collector Thomas Talley's 1922 collection (Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise and Otherwise) called "Walk, Talk, Chicken with Your Head Pecked," or with the early minstrel song "Ginger Blue" (which uses the words "walk, talk"), are speculative, and no direct connection has been established."...

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/315826
A) Tobus - Posted - 03/04/2016
"As my first TOTW contribution, I'd like to post one of my favorite tunes, Walk Chalk Chicken.  Also known as Walk Chalk Chicken With a Necktie On.

Many of you probably already know this tune, but I think it's time to get it official in the TOTW list.

The source recording seems to be the late great West Virginia fiddler Melvin Wine (1909-2003).  He claimed to have learned it from his father, but never heard anyone else play it.  This tune appears in the Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle tunes, and was on Melvin Wine's 1976 album Cold Frosty Morning.

The title of the tune, and thus its origin, seems to be a regular source of debate.  The name is thought by some to be a reference to the Chalk Line Walk or Cake Walk, which has a storied history in the antebellum South (allegedly spreading from Florida from about 1850).  Apologies for the sensitivity of the subject, but this was a dance performed by slaves to parody the high-society mannerisms of their masters, and ended up being the subject of later minstrel shows as a reverse parody.  However, there has been no actual documented connection between the Chalk Line Walk and this tune.  Other suggested origins include folk poems and more minstrel show material.

Claims of these connections tend to be based on the name of the tune alone, and it is certainly understandable.  The title is so unique, it would be difficult to imagine any other origin unrelated to these possibilities.  Any additional information or input would be appreciated, if anyone has it.  I wonder if more background could be gleaned from the book on Melvin's life?

So, on to the tune...”
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Tobus' comment continues with a description of how this tune is played and information about some of the recordings of this tune. Including YouTube videos.

Most of the responses to that comment also focus on how it is played as well as recordings of this tune, including YouTube videos. However, here are two  comments from that discussion thread that focus on the source for the tune and focus on the song's lyrics:

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B) BrendanD - Posted - 03/04/2016
…"The tune had always seemed oddly familiar to me from the time I first learned it, and at some point I realized that it's a version of the Irish tune "Farewell to Whiskey"! I'd love to know the path it took to get from Ireland to Braxton County, WV, and into the Wine family's repertoire. I have not heard it from any other source than Melvin.”….

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C) JanetB - Posted - 03/06/2016
"Welcome to TOTW, Tobus!  Your choice of tunes is wonderful, as is your presentation.  I'm always happy to learn more from the fiddling of Melvin Wine.   In the book Fiddling Way Out Yonder, the Life and Music of Melvin Wine by Drew Beisswenger there is almost a page of information on the tune, as well as a transcription of his fiddling.  It discusses the musicality of Walk Chalk Chicken, confirms that he learned it from his father, and compares it to related tunes.  Here's a quote from the book:  "The term 'walk chalk' is found in the song 'Ginger Blue,' described by White (ANFS, p. 380-81) as a pre-minstrel song, but the song's connection to 'Walk Chalk Chicken' is unclear."
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Here's an excerpt about the chalk line that I shared in 2005 on this Mudcat folk music forum's discussion thread: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=80680  "Folklore: The Cake-Walk & Other Plantation Dances"
"Also, with regard to the chalk line, here's a quote that is excerpted from Lynne Fauley Emery's book "Black Dance From 1619 to Today" { Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton Books,1988, p.92}

"Entertainer Tom Fletcher heard stories about the Cake-Walk from his grandfather, who had won many prizes in calkwalking on the plantation. Fletcher quoted his grandfather as saying "Your grandmother and I, we won all the prizes and were taken from plantation to plantation."

Flether related that his grandfather had told him, that when the Cake-Walk began it was known as the 'chalk-line walk'.

"Sometimes on pleasant evenings, boards would be laid down for an impromptu stage before the verandah so the guest could have a good view of the proceedings and a real shingig would take place with singing and dancing. The cake-walk. in that section and at that time, was known as the chalk line walk. There was no prancing, just a straight walk on a path made by turns and so forth, along with the dancers made their way with a pail of water on their heads. The couple that was the most erect and spilled the least or no water at all was the winner." {Tom Fletcher, "The Tom Fletcher Story-100 Years of Negro In Show Business" [New York: Burdge and Company, Ltd. 1954, p. 19]"

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LYRICS FOR "WALK TALK CHICKEN WITH YOUR HEAD PECKED OFF" IN THOMAS W. TALLEY'S BOOK "NEGRO FOLK RHYMES"

WALK, TALK, CHICKEN WITH YOUR HEAD PECKED!
Walk, talk, chicken wid yō' head pecked!
You can crow w'en youse been dead.
Walk, talk, chicken wid yō' head pecked!
You can hōl' high yō' bloody head.

You's whooped dat Blue Hen's Chicken,
You's beat 'im at his game.
If dere's some fedders on him,
Fer dat you's not to blame.

Walk, talk, chicken wid yō' head pecked!
You beat ole Johnny Blue!
Walk, talk, chicken wid yō' head pecked!
Say: "Cock-a-doo-dle-doo—!"

Negro Folk Rhymes Wise And Other Wise , originally published in 1922 by (African American)  Thomas W. Talley https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm, [Pg 5]
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"Walk talk" probably is a folk processed form of  "walk chalk". In 19th century and early 29th century African American culture "walk chalk" meant "to walk the chalk line", the chalk line being the dance that later became known as "the cakewalk".  

The second verse of the entitled "Gooseberry Wine" in that book (on page 45) includes the words "walk, chalk":

Oh walk chalk, Ginger Blue!
Git over double trouble.
You needn' min' de wedder
So's de win' don't blow you double."

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SPECULATIVE MEANING OF THE SONG "WALK, CHALK, CHICKEN WITH HIS HEAD PECKED OFF"
My guess is that this song uses a fight between two chickens as a analogy for two men who have fought each other. The winner's is badly bruised (His head is (almost) pecked off or he suffered a lot of pecks (bruises). But he still won that fight (He beat up/whooped the other chicken. Therefore, instead of feeling bad that he didn't completely vanquish his opponent, he should accept his win and do a winner's walk (by strutting down the perhaps imaginary chalk walk and crow "Cock-a-doo-dle-doo—!"like a confident rooster.   

This song could have been used to teach coping skills, i.e. to help children and others prepare for how they should feel and react when they are confronted by people or circumstances and they do the best the best they can do. When that happens. remember to "give yourself some slack" and "big up yourself".

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Information About The Cake Walk (with a 1903 Library Of Congress film clip & a reprint from streetswing.com)

Library of Congress, July 10, 2009

SUMMARY Five African Americans--three men and two women--perform a cakewalk, a dance featuring fancy strutting that was named after the prize awarded in the original contests. The dancers wear rather formal attire, with the men in dark suits and black tie and the women in full-length, high-collared dark dresses; one woman carries a small American flag. As they step in place against a light background, the center male--holding up a top hat and twirling a cane--moves toward the camera and briefly performs some fancy steps. As he moves back, the man at the left end of the line does a quick twirling step and links arms with his partner. The other two dancers also pair off as the center male leads them in a strutting movement around the stage. When they return to the original line, all five step towards the camera with the center man slightly ahead of the others. The film ends just as they stop the cakewalk. CREATED/PUBLISHED United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903. NOTES Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 11May1903; H31674. Filmed at the Biograph New York City studio, perhaps on the roof. SUBJECTS Dance, Black--United States. Afro-American dance--United States. Dancers--New York (State)--New York. **** Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about the cakewalk dance in the United States and showcases a 1903 film clip of African American couples performing that dance.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown creators of the cakewalk dance, and thanks to all those who are featured in this film clip and all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the Library of Congress for publishing this film on YouTube.
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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on African American dances. Click the tags below for additional pancocojams posts in this series. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/cakewalk-grand-march-usa-canada.html for a 2012 pancocojams post on this subject entitled "The Cakewalk & The Grand March - The USA & Canada". That post is Part I of a series on The Cakewalk and The Grand March. (The Cakewalk began as an African American parody of The Grand March and other formal European dances).

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/examples-of-grand-march-europe.html for Part II of that series. 

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/grand-march-liberia-west-africa.html  for Part III of that series.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAKEWALK (DANCE) IN THE UNITED STATES
Pancocojams Editor's Note: I'm reprinting this information as it is given by streetswing.com because that article provides a concise but detailed history of The Cakewalk. However, please read the notes indicated by asterisks about the two offensive terms that are included in this writeup. 

From http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3cake1.htm
"Origins: The Chalk Line Walk as it was originally known in 1850 in the southern plantations later became very popular from 1895-1905 as the Cakewalk with a resurgence around 1915. It origins are in Florida by the African-American slaves who got the basic idea from the Seminole Indians (couples walking solemnly). Many of the special movements of the cake-walk, the bending back of the body, and the dropping of the hands at the wrists, amongst others, were a distinct feature in certain tribes of the African Kaffir* dances. The African Ring Shout has a certain tie to this dance as well (see Ring Shout.)

These "Walkers" as they were called, would walk a straight line and balance buckets of water on their heads. Over time the dance evolved into a exaggerated parody of the white, upper class ballroom dancers who would imitate the mannerisms

(namely the promenades and processionals) of the "Big House" (or masters house) that they observed the White's doing. These Slave's would have some fun with such a dignified walking, flirting, prancing, strutting, bowing low, waving canes, doffing hats, done in a high kicking grand promenade. The Master's and their guest found it amusing, while a few plantation owners frowned upon these shenanigans. For their 'Sunday entertainment', the plantation owners started having contests to prove to the other who had the best slave walker which would give the evolution of the Cake being given as a prize..

The idea of the Cakewalk was that of a couple promenading in a dignified manner, high stepping and kicking, mimicking whitey's high society. Some of the better plantation owners would bake a special cake called a hoecake wrapped in cabbage leaf and on Sundays and invite the neighbors over and have a contest of the slaves, different prizes were given but originally it was a Hoecake for the males and molasses pulled candy for the ladies and whichever slave(s) won, would get the cake / Candy ... thus varying terms such as "That Takes The Cake!" (Plus others such as 'It's a Cakewalk' = very easy, fun) and the name "Cakewalk" was now set. The dance grew in popularity even after the Civil War (1861-1865), but it would change and become more grand in style and clothing as time marched on.

The Breakdown, Buck dance, Jigs and the Chalk Line Walk would be mixed when the Minstrel Shows started using the Chalk Line Walk in their acts, a Minstrel parody, mixed, which later would be named the Cakewalk. The Minstrel shows of the time would paint their faces black and at the end of the show would do a "Grand Finale," which often times was the Cakewalk. The dance used little breaks in the prancing and strutting and only to allow the male to show off some dance moves and acrobatic like somersaults (Stearns: Jazz dance) while the woman would clap and admire his antics.

By the 1890's, the now named Cakewalk was the hottest thing around and Charles Johnson & Dora Dean are said to have introduced the Cakewalk in 1893 "The Creole Show", but it was already a featured dance in same show back in 1889. However in 1877, it was actually introduced in the Minstrel Show "Walking for dat Cake" and in 1892 the first Cakewalk contest were held in a New York ballroom hosted by Richard K. Fox (Stearn's says Madison Square Garden, but it wouldn't be built for another 20 years or so, so most likely it was a building at that location [or maybe Madison Sq. Roof Garden].) Coney Island also had Cakewalk Dance Contests. Williams and Walker inspired a Cakewalk in the play "Clorindy" Origin of the Cakewalk.

The Cakewalk sheet music would also list the March and Two-Step as dance options to the song so white audiences would be interested in buying it even if they did not know the  Cakewalk. It was first introduced upon the Broadway stage by Dave Genaro.

The competition dancers were called "Walkers" and these dance contests grew very big, such as the National Cakewalk Jubilee in New York City as well as others, where the champions would receive gold belts and diamond rings.

There were two categories of contests:

1) the "Grand Straight Cakewalk" (regular type) and

2)  the "Fancy Cakewalk," (dressed up type) the doors would open at 7:00p.m., Contest at 11:00p.m., and dancing would continue till 5:00am. These Cakewalk dance contests eventually would be held in big cities as Tin-Pan Alley would make a fortune off of the dance and the Rag-time music they would produce. There would be literally 100's of these contests given.

Historically, the Cakewalk was the first American dance to cross over from black to white society as well as from the stage (Minstrel shows) to ballroom. The Cakewalk would be the window for other African-American dances to enter white society in the future. Many of the upper class Summer and Seaside hotels would feature a Cakewalk at the end of the season. A man by the name of Dobbins (born in 1812) is said to have first introduced Cakewalk dancers to high society at Turners Hall in Brooklyn in 1866. The cakewalk lead the way for the future evolution of dances and the dancers to evolve with the contests proving invaluable to dancers personal inventions as eventually the dancers could do whatever dance inventions they wanted and at the end would Strut off with their partners.

The Cakewalk eventually died in the 1920's with the Charleston and other dances, but there were still traces of the Cakewalk in the newer, more modern forms of dance, even the Lindy hop had the Apache and the Cakewalk thrown in as can be seen in the "Shorty George" video clip in "After Seben / At the Jazz Band Ball" video. The Cakewalk music eventually evolved into the birth of Ragtime (around 1899).

The Cakewalks 'high stepping strut' (see strut) would also be adopted by marching bands (originally New Orleans) and later Drum Majors would incorporate the Cakewalk into their routines thanks to John Phillips Sousa who took his marches and cakewalks to London, Russia, France and elsewhere, featuring a "strutting" drummer who would "syncopate" his steps (DeBussey's "Golliwogs"** Cakewalk and Georgia Camp Meeting testify to his success abroad.) A later offshoot of the Cakewalk was the Strut (dance), it was used a lot in the Cakewalk's description of later days. The Champion Strut (1954) was a mixture of the Lambeth Walk, Cakewalk and Swing dance.

In Old Ireland, there was a practice of offering a cake to the best Jig dancer on the Sunday get together. These dancers would do a Penny Jig, which the dancer would pay the fiddler a penny after dancing, trying to win the cake. Quoting from Mrs. Lully's Book: "Although the fare of Sunday seldom rises beyond the accustomed potatoes and milk of the rest of the week, some few halfpence are always spared to purchase the pleasures which the Sunday cake bestows. This cake set upon a distaff is the signal of pleasure and becomes the reward of talent; it is sometimes carried off by the best dancer, sometimes by the achiest wag of the company."....
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*Read this note about the term "African Kaffir":
From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kaffir
"Definition of Kaffir

1. archaic : a member of a group of southern African Bantu-speaking peoples

2. often not capitalized, chiefly South Africa, offensive, see usage paragraph below —used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a black African

Usage Discussion of Kaffir

In South Africa, the use of the term Kaffir to refer to a black African is a profoundly offensive and inflammatory expression of contemptuous racism that is sufficient grounds for legal action. The term is associated especially with the era of apartheid, when it was commonly used as an offensive racial slur, and its offensiveness has only increased over time. It now ranks as perhaps the most offensive term in South African English.

First Known Use of Kaffir

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1"
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** Here's some information about the word "Golliwog" from https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/golliwog/#:~:text=Apparently%20derived%20from%20the%20word,slur%20against%20dark%2Dskinned%20Arabs.
"The Golliwog (originally spelled Golliwogg) is the least known of the major anti-black caricatures in the United States. Golliwogs are grotesque creatures,1 with very dark, often jet black skin, large white-rimmed eyes, red or white clown lips, and wild, frizzy hair.2 Typically, it's a male dressed in a jacket, trousers, bow tie, and stand-up collar in a combination of red, white, blue, and occasionally yellow colors. The golliwog image, popular in England and other European countries, is found on a variety of items, including postcards, jam jars, paperweights, brooches, wallets, perfume bottles, wooden puzzles, sheet music, wall paper, pottery, jewelry, greeting cards, clocks, and dolls. For the past four decades Europeans have debated whether the Golliwog is a lovable icon or a racist symbol.

The Golliwog began life as a story book character created by Florence Kate Upton. Upton was born in 1873 in Flushing, New York, to English parents who had emigrated to the United States in 1870. She was the second of four children. When Upton was fourteen, her father died and, shortly thereafter, the family returned to England. For several years she honed her skills as an artist. Unable to afford art school, Upton illustrated her own children's book in the hope of raising tuition money.

 In 1895, her book, entitled The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls, was published in London. Upton drew the illustrations, and her mother, Bertha Upton, wrote the accompanying verse. The book's main characters were two Dutch dolls, Peg and Sarah Jane, and the Golliwogg. The story begins with Peg and Sara Jane, on the loose in a toy shop, encountering "a horrid sight, the blackest gnome." The little black "gnome" wore bright red trousers, a red bow tie on a high collared white shirt, and a blue swallow-tailed coat. He was a caricature of American black faced minstrels -- in effect, the caricature of a caricature. She named him Golliwogg.

The Golliwog's reputation and popularity were also hurt by the association with the word wog. Apparently derived from the word Golliwog,6 wog is an English slur against dark-skinned people, especially Middle or Far East foreigners. During World War II the word wog was used by the British Army in North Africa, mainly as a slur against dark-skinned Arabs."...
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Click https://blog.imagesmusicales.be/debussys-controversial-golliwog/ for information about (and a photo of the cover of the sheet music for) Debussey's Golliwog Cakewalk. 

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African American Examples Of Non- Religious Walk Arounds Such As The Cakewalk, Chicago Stepping (Chicago Walk), & BGLO Strolls

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update: October 10, 2021

This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series on African American examples of historical and contemporary walk around (circle) movements.

Part III features eight examples of non-religious walk around movements including the cakewalk, Chicago stepping (dance), Detroit stepping (ballroom) dance, and historically Black Greek letter fraternity and sorority strolling.

This examples included in this post aren't meant to represent all examples of African American non-religious walk around movements.

The essay that is showcased in Part I of this series provides some background to these walk around examples.

Part I showcases Andrew Antonio Allen's essay about African American walk around dances and other movements including the Chicago style walk. This essay was written for the "Personal Recollections: The History Of Stepping Project. ("Chicago Stepping" is also known as "Chicago Bop" dance styles.) Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/reflections-on-history-meanings-of.html for that post.

Part II features examples of religious walkaround movements - videos of religious ring shouts and other religious expressions. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/african-american-examples-of-walk.html for that post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic reasons.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates on YouTube, with the exception of the cake walk examples which are presented first.

Example #1: Cakewalk - Vintage Blues Dance



SwingcatVB, Uploaded on Dec 31, 2011

The Cakewalk dance was developed from a "Prize Walk" done in the days of slavery, generally at get-togethers on plantations in the Southern United States. Alternative names for the original form of the dance were "chalkline-walk", and the "walk-around". At the conclusion of a performance of the original form of the dance in an exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, an enormous cake was awarded to the winning couple. Thereafter it was performed in minstrel shows, exclusively by men until the 1890s. The inclusion of women in the cast "made possible all sorts of improvisations in the Walk, and the original was soon changed into a grotesque dance" which became very popular across the country.

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Example #2: Cakewalk 1936: YouTube video entitled "An Authentic Cake Walk"



adamgswanson,  Jan. 29, 2011

Ragtime pianist, collector, and historian Johnny Maddox described this scene to me as one of the "most authentic cake walks I've ever seen." The clip is from the classic 1936 movie San Francisco, starring Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald. It features Abe Holzmann's hit "Smoky Mokes" and Kerry Mills's famous "At a Georgia Camp Meeting" as background music, which almost perfectly fit the period of the film, 1906. I let the scene continue until the music stops.
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Example #3 The Cakewalk 1943



Vintage Swing Dance, Published on Sep 5, 2015

From the movie: STORMY WEATHER 1943
Very theatrical but very well done. Lena Horne and Bill Robinson join in near the end.
-snip-
The summary below is from another video of this same movie clip which is no longer available:
"The Cakewalk may not be a form of Swing Dance but it is one of the first African American dances to become popular with white audiences. Its origins go back to slavery days but it first became popular as theatrical dance in the Minstrel shows and Vaudeville of the 19th century. This more modern example features Lena Horne, Bill Robinson and an excellent chorus."

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Example #4: Steppin & Ballrooming N Detroit / Kitrel Williams



NVS Music Group, Uploaded on Jan 19, 2009

Steppin!! & Ballrooming!!
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These couples dance styles originated in Chicago (hence the name "Chicago Stepping" and "Chicago Bop"*). Couples move in a circle around the dance floor to (usually Soul music) records. Read information about these dances in the comments under Example #5 and Example #6.

*The contemporary dances known as the Bop (Dlow Shuffle) are completely different from the Bop styles that are featured in this post.

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Example #5: AKA Stroll



JeMarcTV, Uploaded on Apr 19, 2009

Albany State Universitys 43 P.E.A.R.L.S of the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling to their old school song after their probate.
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"Strolling" (also known as "stroll offs" and "party walks") are non-competitive and competitive group struts and dancing performances to recorded music. Strolling shares the same history and early sources as historically Black Greek letter[ed] fraternity and sorority stepping and is now performed by Latino Greek lettered organizations, multi-cultural Greek lettered organizations, and others. Like sorority and fraternity "stepping", "strolling" has undergone and is still undergoing considerable performance changes. Click http://www.greekster.tv/page/greek-strolling-history-and  [Page no longer available 10/10/2021] for another definition of "strolling" and comments about the history of strolling (stroll offs, party walks). Also click the "stroll off" tab below for more pancocojams posts that about strolling and more pancocojams post that feature examples of historic ally Black Greek lettered organization stroll offs.
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"Old School" is a usually positive phrase that means something from the past. The AKA probates [new members] and their sorors [sisters] are strolling to the 1984 record "Set It Off" by Strafe.

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Example #6: Steppers: Winning Performances Cadillac Presents 21st Annual Steppers Contest



The Six Brown Chicks Uploaded on Sep 18, 2011

Cadillac presented the 21st Annual World's Largest Steppers Contest recently in Tinley Park, Illinois. This year's winners were judged in several categories, including routines and creativity. Special thanks to Yanni Brown, and organizers Pete Frazier, Terrance Pratt and Andre Blackwell.
-snip-
"Steppers" here refers to the dance styles that are known as "Chicago Stepping". Those dancers were previously known as "jitterbug" and "Chicago Bop". Notice that there are also similar dances from other midwest cities in the United States (such as "Detroit Stepping".) Here's some information about the dances that are referred to as "Stepping":
From http://www.steppershistory.org/definitions.htm
"The BOP was the most popular dance in Chicago; often sharing the popularity spotlight with individual dances like the Twist, The Monkey, The Mash Potatoes, The Twine Time, etc.. It also had The Walk, a slowed down version of The Bop. The intimate side of things, truly one of the most graceful aspects of Steppin one could ever witness and many around Chicago say actually existed before the Bop. The fact of the matter is, the Walk remain a major part of Chicago Steppin and continue to exist as the intimate aspect of the dance." - Reproduced pn that website with permission DanLanProductions ©From an article by: Mr. Daniel Land SteppersExpress.com all rights reserved

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Example #7: Walkers Competition at the 2010 Chicago's Largest Steppers Contest



StepperDJ Uploaded on Apr 13, 2011

This is video I shot from the 2010 Chicago's Largest Steppers Contest held at the Burbank Manor. Steppers put on their best walking shoes for the classic walkers competition. This is the walkers category. The audience judged the contest and some people got paid for their efforts. Visit SteppersUSA.Com for steppers events listings, Classes & workshops and more.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
jason brown, 2012
"What is walking?"

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dru barrett, 2013
"Jason sorry no one has answered your question this long... Walking is a slow dance . You can skip, 2 step and others I can't recall. Usually dance close togather. Really e z. The music is slower. There is also a slow bop you can off time to. Hope that answers yo question. Look up walkers on u tube."

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Example #8: Southern University Greeks Strolling On the Yard 🔥

TRIN, March 30, 2019

Southern University & A&M College | Spring 2019 SPRINGFEST Pretty Wednesday Greek life strolling on the yard.

-snip- This stroll included the music sorority Sigma Alpha Iota that isn't a member of the Ntional Pan Hellenic Council. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (which are members of the NPHC also known as the Divine Nine) didn't stroll that day.

Here's a comment from that video's discussion thread:

Dee Rich, 2019
"We know we will stroll on top of each other in small circular spaces....and still be respectful. BGLO culture. lol. I love it. Shout out to the bruhs. Ice!"
-snip-
"The Bruhs. Ice!" refer to brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 

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The Cakewalk & The Grand March - The USA & Canada

Edited by Azizi Powell

Uncle Tom's Cabin - Cakewalk - 1903 Edison Version



Uploaded by uncletomscabindvd on Aug 17, 2010

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This is Part II of a three part video series on The Grand March.[revised 5/1/2013]

Part II provides an introduction to The Cakewalk in the United States and the Grand March in the United States & Canada. The Cakewalk is a 19th century African American dance which began as a parody of The Grand March, and other 19th century European formal dances.

Part I http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/examples-of-grand-march-europe.html of this series provides an introduction to The Grand March in Europe.

Part III http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/grand-march-liberia-west-africa.html of this series presents a video introduction to The Grand March in Liberia, West Africa.

These posts are presented for their historical and aesthetic value.

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PART II: THE CAKEWALK

Example #1: Uncle Tom's Cabin - Cakewalk - 1903 Edison Version

This film clip is presented at the top of the page.

Here's the uploader's comment about that historical film clip:
"From Uncle Tom's Cabin Reconsidered - http://www.uncletomscabindvd.com

By 1903, the "simple, happy darkie" was becoming a well-established cultural and racial stereotype that was embedded in, and projected by, the many devolved stage versions of the play and the more vaudevillian traveling "Tom Shows." Not only did they dance while waiting to be auctioned off as slaves, they also danced while waiting for the riverboat to come in and, in this scene, entitled "Tom and Eva in the Garden," the producers insert an entirely gratuitous cakewalk-type dance sequence for over a minute before the story action of the play picks up again.

The complete 1903 Edison film version of Uncle Tom's Cabin is included on the DVD in the Uncle Tom's Cabin Reconsidered program - http://www.uncletomscabindvd.com"

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Example #2: Uncle Tom's Cabin - Group and Solo Cakewalk dance (1903)



Sonny Watson, Published on Feb 23, 2013

1903 Uncle Tom's Cabin Group Cakewalk scene with some solo cakewalk dance as well.

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Example #3: Cake Walk



LibraryOfCongress,Uploaded on Jul 10, 2009

SUMMARY
Five African Americans--three men and two women--perform a cakewalk, a dance featuring fancy strutting that was named after the prize awarded in the original contests. The dancers wear rather formal attire, with the men in dark suits and black tie and the women in full-length, high-collared dark dresses; one woman carries a small American flag. As they step in place against a light background, the center male--holding up a top hat and twirling a cane--moves toward the camera and briefly performs some fancy steps. As he moves back, the man at the left end of the line does a quick twirling step and links arms with his partner. The other two dancers also pair off as the center male leads them in a strutting movement around the stage. When they return to the original line, all five step towards the camera with the center man slightly ahead of the others. The film ends just as they stop the cakewalk.

CREATED/PUBLISHED
United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903.
NOTES
Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 11May1903; H31674.

Filmed at the Biograph New York City studio, perhaps on the roof...

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THE GRAND MARCH
Information about the Grand March
From http://www.mnopltd.com/cdance/grandmarch.html:
"The Grand March is a traditional way in which to being a formal ball. All the couples line up in promenade order, and prance around the hall in various figures."

Example #1: The Grand March



Uploaded by mlsdesigns on May 11, 2008

A dance from the Seagrave Victoria Day Ball, May 10th 2008

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Example #2 - Grand March



Uploaded by nhcaller on Jan 18, 2011

The Grand March starts the Saturday night dance at the annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, held in mid-January each year at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. This footage was taken on January 15, 2011.

Named in honor of the great New England caller of contra and square dances, the RPDLW celebrates the traditions of New England style dancing, including dances and music that are centuries old and those that have been composed more recently.

This year's Grand March was led by Beth and Tony Parkes, with music provided by Bob McQuillen, piano; Randy Miller, fiddle; and Peter Siegel, mandolin. The tunes in the medley are All the Way to Galway, Mari's Wedding, Jenny's Gone to Linton, and Liberty (also known as the Reel de Ti-Jean)

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