Soulful Sounds In Honor Of "Souls To The Polls" Early Voting Efforts

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post honors the "Souls To The Polls" early voting efforts by showcasing five musical selections whose titles include the word "soul". Information & comments about "Souls To The Polls" initiatives & a video about the "Souls To The Polls" project in Ohio are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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COMMENT ABOUT THE USE OF THE WORD "SOULS" IN THE PHRASE "SOULS TO THE POLLS"
"Souls To The Polls" are community specific initiatives to recruit potential voters and help facilitate transportation for those persons who need it so that they can get to early voting locations on those days when such voting is permitted. While these initiatives are primarily church based, participants in "Souls To The Polls" efforts don't have to be members of the church which is sponsoring that particular initiative. Nor do participants have to be members of any church or religious organization.

The title "Souls To The Polls" creatively uses in-rhyming (rhyming withing a phrase) to quickly convey the purpose of that effort. The word "souls" has two meanings in the context of the "Souls To The Polls" initiative. "Souls" has a spiritual meaning, given this initiative's majority sponsorship by churches. Secondly, "soul people" is a familiar colloquial synonym for "Black people". Black people's connection to our soul is said to be reflected in the way we "live, and move, and have our being". The colloquial definition of "soul" meaning "Black folks" fits the "Souls To The Polls" title for these early voting efforts as the majority of those who coordinate "Souls For The Polls" initiatives are African Americans and the majority of the people who participate in "Souls To The Polls" initiatives are African Americans.

In the United States, voting locations are known as "polls".

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"SOULS to the POLLS" ORIGIN & HISTORY
From http://www.stlsoulstothepolls.org/history.htm.
"The name "SOULS to the POLLS" is taken from a 2008 voting initiative in parts of Florida that allowed citizens to vote the last Sunday before the general election. Pastors would typically emphasize the importance of voting during morning worship and following service, congretants [sic] would collectively sojourn to the polls. According to the NAACP, statistics showed that in the 2008 general election in Florida, 33.2% of those who voted early on the last Sunday before Election Day were African-American, while 23.6% were Hispanic"...

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EXCERPT OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT SOULS TO THE POLLS
From http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-10-28/news/os-souls-to-polls-sunday-20121028_1_elections-office-black-churches-orlando-police
"Souls to the Polls carries on Sunday tradition"
7:15 p.m. EST, October 28, 2012|By Jeff Kunerth, Orlando Sentinel

"The line of cars, vans, and church buses backed up for blocks on Kaley Street as hundreds of voters participated Sunday in a Souls to the Polls early-voting event at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office.

The traditional day for early voting among black churches is the Sunday just before Election Day, but this year the Florida Legislature shortened the number of days for early voting, eliminating that Sunday.

You can take a Sunday away, but you can't take away our vote or our voice," said Bishop Kelvin L. Cobaris, pastor of the Livingston Street Church of God in Orlando.

Cobaris said about 75 members from his church carpooled to the early-voting event, organized by the African American Council of Christian Clergy.

Other churches and community groups participated in a Souls to Polls effort held by the Federation of Congregations United to Serve, a multiracial collective of clergy and congregations in Orange County. Their effort, aimed at black and Hispanic voters in Orlando and Kissimmee, was part of an early-voting effort by PICO United Florida, a statewide network of faith-based federations.

"Across the board, our faith congregations at FOCUS understand the importance of this one Sunday of early voting," said Executive Director Liz Buckley.

Muslim organizations also organized an early-voting drive Sunday in Orlando.

"We want to get them out early and build momentum in the community," said Rasha Mubarak, regional field coordinator for Emerge USA, an Islamic civil-rights organization. "For us, this is very important for us to go out to the polls because of the anti-Islamic rhetoric we have seen in this election."

Orlando police rerouted the procession of vehicles along Kaley down Atlanta Avenue, where people parked and walked to the elections office in dark suits and long dresses, ties and T-shirts, jeans and dress slacks, heels, sandals and sneakers. They walked the narrow path in the grass by a recycling center, across the railroad tracks, and past the political signs that lined the street like a crowd waiting for a parade...

By early evening Sunday, 1,622 people had voted at the Supervisor of Elections office, according to election officials."
-snip-
Souls To The Polls efforts are also supported by Black fraternity and sorority organizations. The woman wearing a pink tee shirt with green letters who was featured in this article is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

While "Souls To The Polls" efforts are non-partisan, it's likely that the majority of voters -if not all of the voters- who participated in thsse initiatives support the re-election of President Barack Obama.

There are also "Souls To The Polls" early voting efforts in the state of Ohio and in other African American communities throughout the United States where early voting is possible.
Unfortunately, there's no early voting (except for absentee voting under certain conditions) in my state of Pennsylvania.

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A VIDEO ABOUT SOULS TO THE POLLS EARLY VOTING EFFORTS

High court allows early voting in Ohio



wcpo, Published on Oct 16, 2012

Local pastor talks about he court's decision.

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FEATURED MUSIC
(These examples are posted in no particular order.)

Video #1: Soulful Strut/Young-Holt Unlimited



oldies 55, Uploaded on Aug 22, 2008

put your soul in a groove

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Video #2: The Bar-Kays - "Soul Finger" (1967)



SweetGeorgiaPeache

Uoloaded on Aug 29, 2010

Released in 1967, great performance and song.

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Video #3: Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music



conkyjoe

Uploaded on Oct 25, 2006

Classic Arthur Conley music video from the mid 60's on The Rick Shaw TV Show, Miami, FL

-snip-
Released:1967
Genre:Funk Soul

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Video #4: "Memphis Soul Stew" (live) King Curtis & The Kingpins



McGarVision, Uploaded on Feb 8, 2008

The only band that could make Booker T & The MG's sweat. "And now we need a pound of fat back drums..." King Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 6, 2000.

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Video #5: Sam & Dave - Soul Man (best quality + lyrics)



E18sk8

Uploaded on Jan 15, 2011

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Thanks to all the person or persons who first conceptualized the "Souls To The Polls" effort. Thanks also to those who coordinate and who volunteer for "Souls To The Polls" early voting efforts in their respective communities in Ohio, in Florida, and in other United States communities.

My thanks to the vocalists and musicians who are featured in this video, and thanks to the writer of the article which is excerpted in this post.

Finally, thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

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Videos Of Black British Vocalist Michael Kiwanuka

Edited by Azizi Powell


This post showcases five videos of Michael Kiwanuka & features the lyrics for that vocalist’s song "Home Again". Information about Michael Kiwanuka is also provided in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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INFORMATION ABOUT MICHAEL KIWANUKA
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kiwanuka
"Michael Kiwanuka is a British soul musician who is signed to Communion Records. He has been compared to Bill Withers, Randy Newman, and Otis Redding, as well as Van Morrison and the Temptations. In January 2012 he won the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll...

Kiwanuka grew up in Muswell Hill, North London, the son of Ugandan parents who had escaped the Amin regime..

Kiwanuka has acknowledged influences from musicians such as Bill Withers, Otis Redding, Jack Johnson, Pops Staples, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Eric Bibb, Tommy Sims, Richie Havens, and has played with James Gadson, who drummed for Bill Withers"...

-snip-
Click http://us.michaelkiwanuka.com/ for the official website of Michael Kiwanuka

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FEATURED VIDEOS

Video #1: Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again



MichaelKiwanukaVEVO
-snip-
Lyrics: HOME AGAIN
(Michael Samuel Kiwanuka)

Home again
Home again
One day I know
I'll feel home again
Wrong again
Wrong again
One day I know
I'll feel strong again
And lift my head

Many times
I've been told
All this talk
Will make you old
So, I'll close my eyes
Won't look behind
Movin' on
Movin' on
So I'll close my eyes
Won't look behind
Movin' on

Lost again
Lost again
One day I know
Our paths will cross again
Smile again
Smile again
One day I hope
I'll make you smile again
And I won't hide

Many times
I've been told
Speak your mind, just be bold
So I'll close my eyes
Won't look behind
Movin' on
Movin' on
So, I'll close my eyes
And the tears will clear
Then I'll feel no fear
Then I'd feel no way
Bypass what we made straight

Home again
Home again
One day I know
I'll feel home again
Wrong again
Wrong again
One day I know
I'll feel strong again
And lift my head

Many times
I've been told
All this talk will make you old
So I'll close my eyes
Won't look behind
Movin' on
Movin' on
So I'll close my eyes
Won't look behind
Movin' on

Reposted from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/michael_kiwanuka/home_again.html

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Video #2: Michael Kiwanuka : I'm Getting Ready



MichaelKiwanukaMusic

Uploaded on Sep 20, 2011

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Video #3: Michael Kiwanuka : Tell Me A Tale



Uploaded on Apr 13, 2011

Michael Kiwanuka - Tell Me a Tale, The Isle of Wight Sessions (Communion)

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Video #4: Michael Kiwanuka - "Lasan" (live from Brussels)



Published on Mar 8, 2012

Michael performing 'Lasan' - the b-side of 'I'm Getting Ready' -on the streets of Brussels in March 2012.

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Video #5: Michael Kiwanuka - "Waterfall" (Jimi Hendrix cover)



MichaelKiwanukaMusic

Published on Aug 15, 2012

Michael performs a cover of Jimi Hendrix's 'Waterfall' live in North London, summer 2012.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Michael Kiwanuka for his soulful music. Thanks also to the producers and uploaders of these featured videos, and thanks to the transcriber of the lyrics for the song "Home Again".

Finally, thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

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Hip Hop Dancing - IllStyle And Peace Productions

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania dance company "IllStyle And Peace Productions".

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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OVERVIEW
On October 27, 2012 I had the pleasure of attending a performance of that all male dance company and other excellent dance companies at a Dance Africa performance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The other dance companies that performed were "August Wilson Dancers", "Balafon", and "Legacy Arts Dancers And Drummers".

FEATURED VIDEO

Iil Style and Peace Productions



MiNDTV35

Uploaded on Nov 2, 2011
-snip-
Here's my transcript of excerpts of the interviews of the group Founder/Artistic Director and some other group members:

Brandon “Peace” Albright (Founder & Artistic Director Of IllStyle And Peace Productions):
“IllStyle and Peace Productions is a Philadelphia based dance company that uses Hip-Hop and various other styles of dancing as our dance vocabulary.

The root of Hip Hop is African movement”...

I’m Brandon “Peace” Albright. “Peace” stands for “People Everywhere Are Created Equal”...

I believe dancers are all spiritual. You can’t feel it’s spiritual with your hands or nuthin but you know what inside it is. And then when you are moving, you go into a place, then you can finally feel it and see it ‘cause it comes out of you. You like ‘Oh, I didn’t know I could do that. Ooh, where that comin from?’. We call that the spirit of movement.

For me, as a choreographer, I wanted to find what was going to be my statement & my mission. And basically it was “Same spirit. Different movement” which is the title of our show. I wanted to take ah unity of movement and dance styles and really create something phenomenal that we all share which is that same spirit of dance but different but different movements like pop, and lock, and breakdance, modern, and tap, ballet. So that’s what IllStyle is about..."...

Joseph Ingram (Assistant Artistic Director):
"Some of the people who join IllStyle And Peace change they lifes completely. Like, some members lived in projects, some lived in some, like some crazy situations. And and to get with ah spiritual company like IllStyle And Peace, they can go to school, lift they head up high. They they can show you how to be ah leader and, you know, hard work pays off. So, that’s what I love about my team."

Brandon “Peace” Albright: ”We’re involved in a lot of educational things because the mission of IllStyle is inspiring the next generation...

“Project Positive” allows kids to actually showcase their talents at a street performance level and at the same time it teaches leadership skills, it teaches them their manners, it teaches them how to interact with people – not to be shy and uplift, and most importantly it teaches them focus on their goals through Hip-Hop dance.

Damon Holley (Rehearsal Director):
"I came into IllStyle And Peace when I was about fifteen. It’s like ah Brandon [said] it ah change my life completely. It inspired me and motivated me, kept me out of trouble. It kept me focused in school and outside of school.

My basic mission as to why I here at Ill Style And Peace Productions is to keep inspiring and keep motivating people through Hip-Hop dance."

Brandon “Peace” Albright:
"So we wanna get the kids involved in somethin positive. [The baby sitting on his lap makes some sound.]. Yeah, tell them. Positive!"
-snip-
For the folkloric record, my transcription of these interviews is faithful to speakers' use of African American English.

Corrections & additions of this transcription are welcome.
-snip-
2:13-2:18 shows some IllStyle And Peace Production members recite the chant “Everywhere We Go”/people wanna know/ Who we are/so we tell them...” This is a military cadence which I've also heard chanted by children & teen drill team groups and other children/teen groups.
-snip-
In African American English (Hip-Hop slang), the word "ill" can mean "very good". I'm unsure about the earliest date for this expanded meaning for the word "ill", but it may date from the 1990s or early 2000s.

It's possible that "ill" came from the word “skill” or the word “chill”. However, the word “sick” was (is?) also used to mean something very good and I’m not sure if that definition of “sick” was used prior to the expanded definition of the word "ill". The African American English (Hip-Hop) phrase "off the hook" means the same thing as this meaning of "ill".
-snip-
*"Projects" is a colloquial American term for low income, low rent government subsidized housing.

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TWO ADDITIONAL VIDEOS OF ILLSTYLE AND PEACE PRODUCTIONS

Illstyle & Peace Productions

Angeluv1230•

Uploaded on Nov 5, 2010

Performance at BAM's Dance Africa
-snip-
BAM = Brooklyn Academy of Music (Brooklyn, New York)

The people going up to the stage during the show are putting money in some receptacle in appreciation of that group's performance.

**
IllStyle & Peace Productions at Rutgers-Newark



InstOnEthnicity

Published on Jul 5, 2012

A clip of Illstyle & Peace Production's performance at the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience's Spring 2012 Dance Symposium

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RELATED VIDEO & LINK
This video of a famous folk dance company from Guinea, West Africa showcases the traditional acrobatic dance movements that are one of the sources of African American originated Hip-Hop dancing.

Les Balletts Africans Performance...



Uploaded on Mar 10, 2011[Filmed in 2007]

New version in HD can be seen on http://www.vimeo.com/26454296
-snip-
This performance is very similar to the dance style & drumming of the "Balafon" dance group that was a part of the October 27, 2012 Pittsburgh Dance Africa show. The clothing & ornaments worn by the dancers and drummers were also very similar to this Guinean dance, which isn't surprising given that the Artistic Director of Balafon is Mama Kadiatou, who is a native of Conakry, The Republic of Guinea, West Africa.

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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/breakdance-like-movements-in-african.html for a related Pancocojams post on "Breakdance Like Movements In African & African American Dances"

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the producers of Pittsburgh's Dance Africa program for featuring Ill Style And Peace Productions and the other dance companies. Thanks also to the members of all of the dance companies and drum groups who performed in that show.

My thanks also to the Les Balletts Africans and thanks to the producers and uploaders of all of these featured videos.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

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Ten Playground Rhymes Performed By Two African American Women

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video in which two young African American females chant & perform ten handclap rhymes and one movement rhyme.

The content of this page is presented for historical, folkloric, sociological, and recreational purposes.

My thanks to the young women featured on this video for their interest in sharing those rhyme examples with others via YouTube. Thanks also to those whose comments I've republished in this post.

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EDITORIAL COMMENT & INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THIS POST
Since the mid 1980s, I have been collecting, compiling, and studying the lyrics & performance activities of English language playground rhymes & cheers. Although I'm interested in most of the genres of English language playground rhymes, my main interest is in African American playground rhymes & cheers from the 1960s to date. For that reason, I was very glad that I happened upon this video while "surfing YouTube" (clicking somewhat randomly on one video after another that are found on the youtube.com website.)

That said, I didn't add this video to the two handclap rhymes pages or the children's movement rhymes of my Cocojams website because one of the rhymes that the girls chanted included actions that are racially offensive & hurtful.

Yet it seems to me that discussions about the words & performance activities of playground rhymes - including words & actions that are considered offensive - should also be part of the folkloric record. For that reason, I've chosen to feature that video & selected comments from that video's viewer comment thread on pancocojams instead of on my Cocojams' website where it appears that a large percentage of the visitors are children.

Focusing on a discussion (that I participated in) about the inclusion of offensive words & actions in playground rhymes is only one of the reasons why I chose to showcase this video. I'm also in documenting the fact that the two women in that video used different handclap movements (routines), sometimes including other accompanying mimicking movements, for each handclap rhyme they chanted. I have observed similar routines for each of these rhymes among African American children and teens in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area where I live (observations of rhymes from 1980s to date). And I have observed the same or similar routines for versions of the same rhymes via YouTube videos. The belief that there are specific, agreed upon hand movements for certain handclap rhymes is, in my opinion, an important point that should be documented and explored for the folkloric record. Note, for example, how the one woman who introduces the rhyme examples indicates that the "Tweet Tweeet Tweet" rhyme (also known as "Rockin Robin" or "Tweedleelee" or some other similar title) is performed with four people together. This conforms with my direct (in person) observations of this rhyme and also conforms with my observations of this rhyme via videos.

This post does not include any transcriptions of the rhymes that the young women perform in this featured video. However, multiple text versions (the words to) each of the handclap rhymes, along that the young women chanted, with videos of those rhymes can be found on these two pages of my Cocojams' website:
http://www.cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes

http://cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes-2

Text versions & video examples of The "Little Sally Walker" rhyme can be found on this page of my Cocojams website: http://www.cocojams.com/content/childrens-game-songs-and-movement-rhymes

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FEATURED VIDEO

Fun hand games



fatcat123455, Uploaded on Dec 24, 2011

old school hand games from way back.. can u remember any more??? i got like 10 of them
1.bo bo seantin tatin 2.miss mary mack
3. i dont want to go to mexico 4.tweet tweet tweet 5.my mother your mother 6. down down baby 7. little sally walker 8.double double this this 9. ini mini sicilini
10. i went to a chineese restaurant 11. ce ce my play mate
-snip-
The last rhyme also contains words to a version of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge".

Since I believe it's important to document demographical information when collecting playground rhymes, I'll add the following information that I've gleaned from observing this video:

It appears to me that these young women are in their late teens or their early twenties. If so, my guess is that they would have performed those rhymes in late 1990s and/or the early 2000s.

These young women didn't say that they are African Americans. I guessed that based on the way they pronounced their words, and the narrator's use of African American English slang term "old school" to describe those rhymes - "Old school" is a term that I first heard around the early 1990s, though it might have been used before that. That term is still used today and means means "something from the past", in particular a dance step or a song. Something described as "old school" could be good, bad, or neutral. But my sense is that people usually refer to something as "old school" when they are reminiscing about the music & dance (and in this case, the playground rhymes), they have fond memories of from their childhood or teen years.

I also guessed that these young women are African American based on the playground rhymes that they performed, and based on their appearance, including their clothing, & their hairstyles. However, I'm not sure which region or state in the USA they are from, since most African American accents seem the same to me.

These young women certainly appear to be from the middle economic class [in the USA], judging from their diction, the appearance of the room where this video is being taped, and judging from their access to the Internet to tape this video.

I'd love it if one or both of those women would confirm my guesses and share additional demographical information such as when (which decade/s), where (geographical location), and how they learned those rhymes.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S VIEWER COMMENT THREAD

"I love these! Great job!! my only complaint is to have wished you to have changed the ending of "Chinese Restaurant" so that the stereotyped Asian faces part was excluded or better yet, changed to something that was celebratory and not derogatory. Otherwise, so glad that you shared.
-othaday54 . August 2012
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"well the chinese restasurant was how i sang it as a kid... we didnt kno any better back then to kno if we were singing offensive things... but thx for the comments anywho :)"
-fatcat123455, August 2012, Reply in reply to othaday54
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"No way! Stop being so PC! Changing them would ruin them. Don't be so sensitive. This is in no way derogatory."
-faeriefirefly917 September 2012, Reply in reply to othaday54
-snip-
["PC" = "politically correct". In the United States, being "politically correct" is also used to refer to non-political actions and/or communications that conform to social norms regarding cultural sensitivity/cultural competency, particularly with regards to saying or doing those things that aren't offensive to people of other races, ethnicities (with ethnicity here meaning "Latinos/Latinas" who according to USA census policies can be of any race), religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability etc.]
**
"Actually, there are alot of derogatory words (& in this case accompanying mimicking actions) in children's rhymes. And the words to playground rhymes change all the time accidentally because of mishearing or misremembering or not recognizing a word or phrase & substituting that unfamilar word/phrase for another one. So there's nothing wrong with purposely changing a word/phrase that is offensive & hurtful. And if you were Asian, it's likely you'd fine that version offensive & hurtful.
-azizip171, October 2012, in reply to faeriefirefly917
**
"Part 2 of my comment

Just like the "eenie meenie" rhyme was changed on purpose, that Chinese Restaurant rhyme has been & can be.

That said, I congratulate the two girls who made the video for documenting the way the rhymes were when they learned them. It's one thing to document the way rhymes were for the "folkloric record" & another thing to encourage children nowadays to perform them in the exact same way you remember.
-azizip171, October 2012
**
"Part 3 of my comment

For the folkloric record, I featured this video & selected comments found here (including my own comments) in a post on my cultural blog. Google Pancocojams Various Playground Rhymes Performed By Two African American Women.

My sincere thanks to the young women who performed in this video for their interest in encouraging interest in these rhymes. My sincere thanks also to those whose comments I re-published in my blog post.
-azizip171, October 2012

-snip-
Also for the folkloric record, I'm re-publishing this exchange between three commenters:

"wow nice i remember a lot of these. But u got them but some of its a little wrong but good job"
-bubbles bubbles, August 2012
**
"I don't think there is a "right" or "wrong" way to do these...it's mostly a regional thing. Several of them are a bit different from what I learned growing up in Florida, but I still recognized most of them... :)"
-NubianP6 , August 2012
**
"Agree - there is no right or wrong.....these are part of the folk tradition of music-making, story-telling, game-playing and dancing. As such, they change and evolve.....Growing up in Chicago, I recognize a number of them as variants on what kids used to do in the 60's and 70's. THANKS for sharing them! As a Black music educator and drum circle facilitator it is so good to see young Blacks beginning to make and share videos like this."
-othaday54, September 2012, in reply to NubianP6
-snip-
In her comments Othaday54 identifies herself as Black. And the screen name "NubianP64" also identifies that commenter as Black.

As an aside, it's interesting how many bloggers choose screen names that include numbers, myself included (My screen name on YouTube is azizip171). A study of why people do this would be interesting. A study of how blogger names reveal the blogger's race, ethnicity, and/or nationality would also be interesting...

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Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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Music In Mali, West Africa (Two Videos & Links)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Two times during the third United States Presidential Debate 10/22/2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney very briefly mentioned the nation of Mali, West AfricaBoth of those comments focused on the rise of terrorist groups in that nation. However, those comment prompted me to look up the post I've published on this cultural blog about Malian music.

Among those posts are:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/mendiani-menjani-manjani-dance-drum.html
"Mendiani (Menjani, Manjani) Dance & Drum Rhythm"

and

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/videos-of-dogon-mask-dancers-mali-west.html
"Videos Of Dogon Mask Dancers (Mali, West Africa)"

-snip-
The very brief comments about Mali in that debate also motivated me to scan YouTube for other videos about music in the West African nation of Mali. This is one of the videos that I found:

New Movie Trailer "Music in Mali: Life is Hard, Music Is Good"



Published on Sep 26, 2012

http://www.systemkrush.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kanaga-System-Krush/164940735147

Music In Mali: Life Is Hard, Music Is Good" is a feature-length documentary about the musicians, dancers and everyday people of Mali who are creating inspiring heartfelt music in some of the most difficult living conditions of West Africa. The crew from System Krush Productions have been going to Mali for a decade to record and document the lives of musicians such as Djelimady Tounkara, Lobi Traoré, Mangala Camara, Dejenba Seck, and Toumani Diabate, in intimate settings, performing their music and sharing their story.

From one of the world's most impoverished countries viewers will hear the music that has inspired artists all around the globe including celebrities such as Bonnie Raitt, Damon Albarn, Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder and Bannning Eyre. From the villages of Segou to the ghettos of Bamako the message is clear "Life is hard, music is good".

-snip-

I also found this video:

African Music and Dancing



Uploaded on Aug 21, 2008


Take a look at the beautiful African dancing and music from Mali, West Africa. The instruments being played are balafons, African D'Jembe drums, and talking drums. You can see more videos at http://www.africaimports.com

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RELATED LINK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali

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ACKNOWLEDGEMNT AND THANKS
Thanks to Malian musicians, vocalists, and dancers for keeping the wonderful traditions of Mali, West Africa alive inspite of the political difficulties that that nation is going through.

Thanks to the publishers of these videos.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

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Various Meanings Of The Word "Jive" & Cab Calloway's "Jumpin Jive"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post focuses on the origin of & various African American originated meanings of the word "jive". This post also showcases a copy of the film clip of Cab Calloways' now memorable performance of his song "Jumpin Jive" that features the tap dancing routine of the Nichols Brothers.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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THE ORIGIN & VARIOUS MEANINGS OF THE WORD "JIVE"
From http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=jive
The Online Etymology Dictionary [known as the OED]
"jive (v.1) 1928, "to deceive playfully," also "empty, misleading talk" (n.) and "a style of fast, lively jazz and dance music," American English, from Black English, probably of African origin (cf. Wolof jev, jeu "talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner"). Related: Jived; jiving. Used from 1938 for "New York City African-American slang."

jive (adj.) "not acting right," 1969, U.S. black English, from jive (n.) (see jive (1)). Extended form jive-ass (1964, adj.; 1969, n.) is defined in OED as "A word of fluid meaning and application."

**
From http://www.tcswing.com/PDFs/Hepsters%20Dictionary.pdf CAB CALLOWAY'S Cat-ologue [Hipsters' Dictionary]
REVISED 1939 EDITION

jive
(1) (n) Harlemese speech or lingo; also stuff and things. Ex. "did you bring the jive (liquor?"

(2) (v) to kid along, to blarney, to give a girl a line. Ex. "He
can jive his way into any chick's heart".
-snip-
Here's the preface for the 1939 edition of that dictionary:
"So successful was Cab Calloway's original "Hepster's Dictionary", the first glossary ever compiled of the colorful and unique words, phrases and expressions employed by Harlem musicians and performers in their own exclusive language or patios, that he decided to revise the booklet, elaborating upon the definitions, including additional terms and giving examples to demonstrate their use. It is presented herewith, containing about two hundred words and expressions employed by the "hep cats" when they talk their "jive", as Harlemese is called on Lenox Avenue. This is nearly twice the number of words included in the original glossary.

The author is indebted to Billy Rowe's Notebook, a column in The Pittsburgh Courier, for some of the new expressions, and to his associates in the profession for calling others to his attention. Since Harlemese or "jive", like all languages, constantly is
changing, he promises a new revised edition of his now famous "Cat-ologue" at still a later date."

COPYRIGHT 1938 NED E. WILLIAMS

**
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jive Urban Dictionary - jive

Editor's Comment:
These examples are from this site's readers. The up and down numbers are the number of readers' votes these entries have received as of the date retrieved. (10/24/2012)

urbandictionary.com has multiple other pages of definitions for the word "jive".

WARNING: Urban Dictionary pages often contain profanity, homophobic references, explicit sexual references, racist comments, and other content that is inappropriate for children.

jive
321 up, 166 down

v.:1) to irritate or annoy
2) to throw off someone's style
n.:1) pointless or deceptive talk/rhetoric

v.:"Quit jivin' me, turkey"
n.:"Don't give me that jive"

by 1337|Smi13Y Sep 14, 2003

**
Jive

113 up, 89 down

Jive is a bad thing you fool. If you're talking some jive, it means you're talking bulls**t. If somebody calls you a "jive turkey" you just got insulted.

Fool: "Ima jive turkey"

Me: "I believe you"
by Dope Slanger Oct 18, 2006

-snip-
Editor's Comment:
In African American cultures, no one would call himself or herself a "jive turkey", just like no one would diss (insult) himself or herself in The Dozens insult exchanges.

Also, the screen name "Dope Slanger" includes an example of African American vernacular - the word "dope" is a Hip Hop word which means "very good, excellent" (since the 1990s?). "Slanger" in that name is a term that was probably coined by that poster and just means "a person who uses slang".

**
From the Editor's Experiences:
jive

1. something which is poorly made, cheap, inauthentic, lame (meaning not "hip”, not up to date with the latest fashions)

He gave me a jive Mickey Mouse watch for my birthday. What a cheapskate!
-snip-
"Mickey Mouse" further reinforces the definition of "cheap", no good as the products such as watches sold by Disney franchises (including clothing with Mickey Mouse characters) were considered to be poorly made, and un-hip. (from at least 1980s to date)

2. jive
someone who isn't any good, lame (read the definition above), a general put down term for a person or thing

That song was so jive. Yeah, who thought that would be a hit?

You think you got it goin on, but you're just jive.
-snip-
In my opinion, both of these definitions evolved from one of the earlier definitions of jive – "to lie or deceive"
-Azizi Powell, October 24, 2010

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FEATURED VIDEO

Jumpin Jive - Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers

Posted by laughland, July 31, 2006

-snip-

This clip is from the 1943 American movie Stormy Weather.

Click http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Hep-Hep-The-Jumpin'-Jive-lyrics-Cab-Calloway/83F982FD1A34413F48256C230008D277 for two versions of Cab Calloway's song "Jumpin Jive".

****

RELATED LINK

Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cab_Calloway for information about Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994).

Click http://www.nicholasbrothers.com/ for information about the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard (born 1914) and Harold (born 1921-2000).

****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
My thanks to Cab Calloway, and the Nicholas Brothers for their artistry and legacies. My thanks also to those who comments and transcriptions I quoted in this post.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More

Racial & Other Societal Implications Of Touching Black People's Hair

Written by Azizi Powell

[Revised 2/2013]

This serves as a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-hair-bad-hair-black-attitudes.html Good Hair & Bad Hair (Black People's Attitudes About Our Hair)

****
Why do White people touch Black people's hair and what do Black people think about that custom?

The following comment was written in reference to a post on the Afro-Europe.com blog about racism experienced by Black people in Russia:
...”You get a smile here, as a black, when you are ready to disburse some cash and make a purchase that brings in money to a czech, or when they wish to fee* the texture of your skin or hair, if they are seing a black for the very first time. So** even go as far as saying that touching a black can bring some luck or fortune to one white czech.”
- http://afroeurope.blogspot.com/2011/02/should-black-people-travel-to-russia.html?showComment=1350987399032 "Should Black people travel to Russia?", posted by Anonymous October 23, 2012 12:16 PM [a Black male in the Czech Republic]
-snip-

[Italics added by me to highlight that sentence]

*The word "fee" is probably a typo for the word "feel".
**The word "so" in the last sentence is probably a typo for the word "some".

That comment reminded me of information that I came across years ago that in several European traditions it was considered to be good luck to be the first person to see or get a kiss from a sooty faced chimney sweep or a dark skinned person on the first day of the year.

In one article about the old custom in Hungary of giving out postcards on New Year's Day, one postcard from 1938 shows the chimney sweep holding a bucket of four leaf clovers. Perhaps it was those clovers that led to the superstition that it was good luck to meet a dark faced individual in the beginning of the New Year. Of course, the chimney sweep was dark faced because of the soot which covered his face as a result of the work that he did.
http://www.luckymojo.com/chimneysweep.html

Also, a portion of an online article about New Years superstitions includes information about the custom of "first footing" at midnight on New Year's Eve. According to that custom, it was considered good luck if a person who was dark haired was the first to cross the threshold of your house, and it was considered bad luck if a person who was blond or red haired did so. http://www.snopes.com/holidays/newyears/beliefs.asp.

Those superstitions may be updated versions of the belief that good luck would be conferred on the first person who saw a chimney sweep or a dark faced person on New Year's day.

Given that "black" was generally considered a color of evil in those European cultures - indeed "black" was considered the color of the devil - I wonder if those traditions meant that on the first day of the year, all beliefs were turned upside down (or "turned on their head", if you will pardon that pun).

The comment cited above that was written by a Black man from the Czech Republic motivated me to look online for other articles about why Black people think that White people want to touch their hair, with or without permission. As a result of that search I found this 2008 blog post: http://www.womanist-musings.com/2008/09/can-i-touch-your-hair-black-women-and.html
"Can I Touch Your Hair? Black Women and The Petting Zoo"
Renee, Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The poster indicated that when she was a child living in a Greek and Italian neighbourhood in the USA, she "was a curiosity. People would touch it, and ask questions about its care like my hair was some kind of pet dog."
-snip-
The poster wrote that "they were being racist, or treating me like some kind of exotic creature, never once occurred to them"....
-snip-
She also wrote that she has grown in confidence as an adult and now asserts that "My blackness and your curiosity does not give you the right to touch me. I don't care if you smile while you do it, or whistle Dixie out of your ass. My body deserves just as must respect as anyone else. In answer to your question both verbalized and assumed, NO YOU MAY NOT TOUCH MY HAIR."
-snip-
To date (October 24, 2012), there are twenty one comments that people wrote on that blog. The commenters who self-identified their racial/ethnic ancestry indicated that they were Black, or indicated that they were White, or indicated that they were of some mixed racial ancestry. One of the commenters, a Black male named Anthony, wrote that he wanted to share his story because he didn't want people to think that it was only Black females who experienced White people touching their hair without permission. Here's an excerpt of Anthony's comment:

I'm a black male and for about 14 years I had dreadlocks. While in college, at the university of Minnesota, I had numerous white people ask to touch my long dreads. Usually it was more people touching/grabbing my hair without asking. Never was it a pleasant experience educating or refusing someone about my hair. The fact that i was placed into a position where i had to "educate" someone about my hair made me different, which I didn't like. How many times have you had your hair grabbed by a man or woman that you don't know?

-snip-
My sense was that most of the commenters to that blog post disagreed with the blogger Renee's position that racism was the reason why White people (and other non-Black people) wanted to touch Black people's hair. Instead, the majority of those commenters indicated that curiosity about hair that was different than their own was the reason why White people wanted to touch Black people hair. One commenter shared her experiences of people in China wanting to touch her hair -and her skin. That commenter wrote that she believed that the Chinese people wanted to do this because they were curious about her hair & skin since they had never seen a Black person before.

Two of the commenters shared their experiences of children in the Caribbean rushing up to them to touch their hair. One of those commenters described herself as a Black woman with long hair & indicated that this happened to her during her vacation in Jamaica. The other commenter described herself as being Hispanic/Caucasian and wrote that this happened to her during her vacation in Haiti.

And at least one commenter who identified herself as Black shared that she has had a number of experiences in which other Black people wanting to touch her long hair to determine if her hair was "real" or if it was a weave or extensions (hair that is woven into or otherwise attached to a person's hair in order to add to the length of that person's hair).

That said, most of the commenters wrote that the act of touching someone else's hair is an act of disregarding that person's personal space.

I agree with this conclusion and would also add that touching someone's hair or body without permission, or even asking to touch the hair or body of a stranger violates societal rules of etiquette. And, returning to the conclusions reached by Renee and some other commenters to her blog post, it seems to me that the belief that you can violate other people's personal space, and disregard their rights to privacy by touching their hair or their skin just because you are curious about those people's differentness suggests to me that you don't believe that those people are as worthy of respect as you are. If you feel that you can only get away with this act of disrespect with people of who are members of a race or ethnicity which historically has been considered inferior to your race/ethncity, that might, indeed, mean that you actually are racist.

That said, there may be other reasons why people-including Black people-may want to touch a Black person's hair. A particularly powerful photograph that was taken by the White House photographer Pete Souza is of a young Black boy in the White House Oval Office touching President Barack Obama's hair. In an article accompanying that photograph, Jonathan Capehart, a Black journalist writes:

Thanks to the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, we African Americans are sensitive about our heads and our hair. A pat on the head, especially from someone white, would be considered to be patronizing at best. “Don’t let anybody touch your head,” my mother told me when we moved from Newark to a predominantly white town in New Jersey. I would learn at school that some would rub the head of someone black for good luck. And there were all sorts of put-downs for black hair — from Brillo to something not appropriate to mention in a family forum such as this. Thus, having your head touched is a rather intimate gesture that only family could get away with.

For Jacob, asking Obama about his hair was clearly about establishing a connection, about confirming that the powerful person who looks like him is really like him in so many ways. As Obama adviser David Axelrod told Calmes, “Really, what he was saying is, ‘Gee, you’re just like me.’ And it doesn’t take a big leap to think that child could be thinking, ‘Maybe I could be here someday.’”

The power of that photo taken by White House photographer Pete Souza had those two elements for me. A black man allowing his head to be touched by a stranger. But not just any stranger. A child seeking a familiar link between himself and the black man, who also happens to be the leader of the free world. Still, I don’t think I can ever articulate everything the Souza photo says to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/photo-speaks-volumes-about-obama-and-race/2012/05/24/gJQA2T2lmU_blog.html Photo speaks volumes about Obama and race By Jonathan Capehart 05/24/2012

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FEATURED VIDEOS

Dear ti: Random people keep touching my hair



lovelyti2002, Uploaded on Sep 26, 2010

I'm talking about random people touching your black folks hair,
long, short, curly, thick, folks love touching natural hair
why? well i'm addressing this for one of my subs.

****
Never Touch a Black Woman's Hair



AShotofJenn, Uploaded on Feb 1, 2012

Horrific thoughts when someone tries to touch my hair.
-snip-
Here are three comments from that video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQB0THw6-wg:

TaShar16, 2012
"I have a serious question. Why can't/shouldn't you touch a black woman's hair? Seriously what are the reasons? I can see if the woman has a week and she don't want someone to know it's not really her hair. Or, is it because you feel the person's hand is dirty? I hear jokes about this all the time, but I really don't know why.

**
jackalo34, 2012
"From my experience, it’s a myriad of things. 1. Like you said, I don’t know where the person’s hand has been. 2. You might mess up my hairstyle. 3. MOST people do it without even asking and it’s plain rude. 4. A lot of people do it because they think you have a weave eg “weave checking” 5. Some people just don’t like being touched in general. Personally, I love when someone plays in my hair…but it’s gotta be someone I know like my bf or my family but yea."

**
OmoItsekiri, 2013
"If your hair isn't permed i.e. curly or coiled a LOT of random people on the street will actually ask to touch your hair! Sometimes you're just not in the mood to have hands pulling at your hair! I don't mind people touching my hair but within reason!"

****
RELATED LINK
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/07/25/touching.natural.black.hair/index.html

'Can I touch it?' The fascination with natural, African-American hair

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the persons whose comments I quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of the YouTube video that is featured in this post.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More

Gandy Dancers & Linin' Track Sound Files & Videos

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post is Part II of a two part series on the African American work song "Can't You Line 'em ("Linin' Track", "Tie-Shuffling Chant"). "Can't You Line 'em is an African American work song that was composed by "Gandy Dancers" (men who worked on the railways "linin' track".)

Part II of this series features a YouTube sound file of several lining track songs as performed by former Gandy Dancers. That sound file includes video of a re-enactment of lining track as well as photographs of lining and video clips of a re-enactment of lining track.

Part II of this series also showcases one sound file & transcription of a version of that song as performed by Blues/Folk artist "Leadbelly, and three renditions of the song "Linin' Track" as performed by contemporary vocalists & musicians. My transcriptions of those songs as performed by those contemporary artists are also included in this post

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/early-versions-of-cant-you-line-em.html Early Versions Of "Can't You Line' Em" ("Linin' Track") for Part I of this series. Part I of this series features early versions of this song & provides general information about Gandy Dancers.

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FEATURED SOUND FILES & VIDEOS

Example #1: Gandy Dancers



Uploaded by folkstreamer on Jun 23, 2008

Musical traditions and recollections of eight retired African-American railroad track laborers whose occupational folk songs were once heard on railroads that crisscross the South.
-snip-
This video's visuals & narratation are a historical treasure. The video producer includes excerpts of Gandy Dancer songs as text superimposed on the screen.

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Example #2: Can't You Line 'Em - Lead Belly



Uploaded by maolchalium on Sep 12, 2008

Classic Leadbelly number. Unknown recording date.
-snip-
From what I’ve read online, this Leadbelly performance was recorded sometimes between 1940 to 1943

LYRICS: LININ' TRACK
[traditional]

Ho, boys, is you right?
I done got right
All I hate about linin' track
These ol' bars 'bout to bust my back

Chorus:
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em –track*
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em -track
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em -track
Here we go linin track

if I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em –track
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em –tracka lack
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em –tracka lack
Here we go linin track

Moses stood on the Red Sea shore
Smotin that water with a two-by-four
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em –tracka lack
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em –tracka lack
Ho, boys, cancha line 'em –tracka lack
Here we go linin track

[Transcription from the sound file by Azizi Powell, 10/22/2012]
**
This same version is also on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpGtnxQl05s "Leadbelly - Line Em'"
-snip-
* The words "track" and "trackalack" aren't clearly pronounced, which is probably why "rackalack”, “jackalack”, and other approximations of those words are found in transcriptions of Leadbelly's version of this song.

As an aside, I believe that the word "shakalaka" in the phrase "boom shakalaka" has its earliest source in the "trackalack" (and similarly sounding) phrases from the Gandy Dancer's track linin' songs. However, a more direct source for "boom shakalaka" is the phrase "Boom laka-laka-laka" riff that is found in Sly & The Family Song's 1969 hit song "I Wanna Take You Higher".
**
"Smotin that water with a two by four" = hitting that water with a board [to cause the sea to separate and yield dry land as indicated in the Bible].
**
It’s clear that Leadbelly is saying “here we go linin track”. His renditions of this song where that line is given as “See Eloise gonna linin track” are from other performances.
From http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=28408 "Who was Eloise in Leadbelly's Linin'", posted by Roger in Baltimore, Jun 05 - 01:06 PM
"Document released a CD in September of 2004 called Leadbelly Live: New York 1947 and Austin, Texas 1949. On it, he does a spoken introduction of Linin' Track that talks about Ella Louise as a woman who is calling out the lead, directing the other workers how to line the track... I, too, suspect that Lead Belly's story may be apocryphal..."
-snip-
The "Related Links" section of Part I of this series contains an additional hyperlink to a Mudcat Folk/Blues forum discussion about the meaning of the name "Eloise" in the "Linin' Track" song.
**
Here's a pertinent quote from commenter "12-stringer" on the Mudcat Blues/Folk discussion forum:
Date: 30 Jan 06 - 05:25 PM http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=19043 Lyr Add: Linin' Track
[It's] "Not remotely likely Leadbelly wrote it ['Linin Track"]from scratch," though he standardized and popularized it. I suspect at least some of his songs were picked up while he was chauffeuring John Lomax on various field trips after he got out of Angola [prison]..."

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Example #3 - LYRICS: LININ' TRACK*
[traditional]

Ho, boys, is you right?
I done got right.

What I hate about linin' track
These ol' bars 'bout to bust my back
Singin

Chorus:
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em –trackalack
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em -track
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em
See how Eloise go linin' track*

Woman and I'se lyin in the shade
Talkin 'bout the money that I ain't made
Sayin

Chorus

Moses stood on the Red Sea shore
Smote that water with ah two-by-four

Chorus

If I could I surely would
Stand on the rock that ah Moses stood

Chorus

????
The bosses ain't hot I pray to die [?]

Chorus

Mary Martha Luke and John
All of the disciples are dead and gone.

Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em –trackalack
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em -track
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em

[instrumental]
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em –trackalack
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em -track
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em
See Eloise gonna linin' track*

I may be right. I may be wrong.
But you sure gonna miss me when I'm gone.

Chorus [sung multiple times with other another singer joining in.]

-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video Austin Walkin' Cane - Linin' Track (Tie-Shuffling Chant). This video doesn't appear to be on YouTube anymore.

*This line might be "See how wese gonna linin' track".

??? I'm not sure about this verse's lyrics. [from 1:40 - 1:44]

Additions & corrections for this transcription -and all other transcriptions on this page - are very much appreciated.

****
Example #4: Linin' Track - The Johnny Possum Band



Uploaded by johnnypossum on May 22, 2009

….The Johnny Possum Band performing 'Linin' Track'. Recorded live at the Harbour Light Theatre in Lyttelton, New Zealand….

LYRICS: LININ' TRACK
(Traditional)

Ho, boys, is you right?
[We right]
I done got right

All I hate about linin' track
These ol' bars 'bout to bust my back

Chorus:
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em –trackalack
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em -trackalack
Ho, boys, can’t you line 'em -trackalack
Let's see how wese gonna linin' track

Mary and the baby were settin' in the shade
Thinkin' of the money that I ain't made
Mary, Marthy, Luke and John
Well all them 'ciples now they're dead and gone

Chorus

Moses stood on the Red Sea shore
Battin' at the waves with a two-by-four
[Hey, boy]
Well if I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood

Chorus

Down in the holler below the field
Angels are workin' on my chariot wheel
I told my Lord I was ready to go
He sent me down way below.
Chorus

Ho, boys, is you right?
[We right]
I done got right

All I hate about linin' track
These ol' bars 'bout to bust my back

[Transcription by Azizi Powell from video, 10/22/2012]
-snip-
Explanations for selected words
'ciples = disciples

battin = hitting

Down in the holler (hollar)= a geographic formation similar to a valley, or a ravine

He sent me down way below – to hell

****
Example #5: The Dream Blues Team - Lining Track (2011)



Uploaded by AlruneRod2811 on Aug 14, 2011

Svante Sjöblom: mandolin - Olav Poulsen: slideguitar - Peter Nande: harp - Paul Banks: vocal & guitar - Mik Schack: washboard - Hugo Rasmussen: bass - Tim Lothar: drums - An amateur footage shot at Huset in Aalborg, Denmark - August 2011

LYRICS: LININ' TRACK
[traditional]

Hey, boys, is you right?
I done got right
All I hate about linin' track
These ol' bars 'bout to bust my back

Chorus:
Hey, boys, don’t you 'em
Hey, boys, don’t you line 'em
Hey, boys, don’t you line 'em
See Eloise go linin track


Well if I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
I don’t know but I’ve been told
Streets of heaven are paved with gold.
saida

Chorus
Yeah-ah!

[instrumental]

Hey, boys, don’t you 'em
Hey, boys, don’t you line 'em
Hey, boys, don’t you line 'em
See Eloise go linin track

Hey, boys, don’t you 'em
Hey, boys, don’t you line 'em
Hey, boys, don’t you line 'em
See Eloise go linin track

And if I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Yeah, I don’t know but I’ve been told
Streets of heaven are paved with gold

Said ah
[chorus] 2x
-snip-
[Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video, 10/22/2012]

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all who composed this song, thanks to the early performers of this song, and thanks to those performers of this song that are featured in this post. My thanks also to John & Allan Lomax for collecting & recording this song. Thanks to all those whose comments I reposted and thanks to the producers and publishers of these featured sound clips and videos.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More

Early Versions Of "Can't You Line' Em" ("Linin' Track")

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post is Part I of a two part series on the African American work song "Can't You Line' em ("Linin' Track", "Tie-Shuffling Chant"). This post showcases three early text versions of "Can't You Line 'em".

For background purposes, this post also provides information & comments about the traditional way that this song was performed.

This post is not meant to be a comprehensive presentation of all early versions of this song.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/gandy-dancers-linin-track-sound-files.html for Part II of this series.

Part II of this series features a YouTube sound file of several lining track songs as performed by former Gandy Dancers. That sound file includes video of a re-enactment of lining track as well as photographs of lining and video clips of a re-enactment of lining track.

Part II of this series also showcases one sound file & transcription of a version of that song as performed by Blues/Folk artist "Leadbelly, and three renditions of the song "Linin' Track" as performed by contemporary vocalists & musicians. My transcriptions of those songs as performed by those contemporary artists are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT GANDY DANCERS
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandy_dancer
"Gandy dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines.

...most sources refer to gandy dancers as the men who did the difficult physical work of track maintenance under the direction of an overseer.

There are various theories about the derivation of the term, but most refer to the "dancing" movements of the workers using a specially manufactured 5-foot (1.52 m) "lining" bar (which may have come to be called a "gandy") as a lever to keep the tracks in alignment...

Though all gandy dancers sang railroad songs, it may be that black gandy dancers, with a long tradition of using song to coordinate work, were unique in their use of task-related work chants.

Rhythm was necessary both to synchronize the manual labor, and to maintain the morale of workers..."
**
It should be noted that all Gandy Dancers weren't African American, and all Gandy Dancers-African American or otherwise-weren't prison inmates.

Here's a contemporary article which provides information about Gandy Dancers:
From http://www.vre.org/service/newsletter/2007/may31.pdf [volume 3, issue 11] May 31, 2007 program the Manassas Railway Festival, Virginia Railway Express Update
"This year, a special performance by the Birmingham Lining Bar Gang will also be offered, featuring a group of re-enactors who demonstrate the way railroad tracks were aligned and maintained before the advent of mechanized devices in the 1950s and ’60s. In demonstrating track-lining, one group member serves as a “caller”, offering a two-line rhyme in a loud, clear voice that serves to synchronize the movement of other members so that each heaves with his iron lining bar at the same moment. These calls, which “helped the hard work go easy” according to a retired worker and former caller, served an indispensable function by uniting men’s efforts and easing their minds."

****
FEATURED LYRICS OF CAN'T YOU LINE' EM (or other known titles of that song)
(These versions are posted in chronological order with the earliest examples posted first)

VERSION #1 [excerpt]
(John 'Black Sampson' Gibson in 1933 and other African American male inmates)

Leader: Ho, boys, is you right?
Gang: I done got right!
Leader: If I could I sholy would, [sholy = surely]
Stand on de rock where Moses stood.

Chorus: Ho, boys, cancha line ‘em? [cancha = can you]
Ho, boys, cancha line ‘em?
Ho, boys, cancha line ‘em?
See Eloise go linin’ track.
-snip-
From http://books.google.com/books?id=Dn0cSe2ecuoC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=TIE+SHUFFLING+CHANT&source=bl&ots=i5m7PpHmxD&sig=2LYElct7ZCnDW6qhDIQ5sckANV0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=A_9-UOu0EYTo9ASWm4DQBg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=TIE%20SHUFFLING%20CHANT&f=false American Ballads and Folk Songs(Dover Books on Music)
John A. Lomax (Author), Alan Lomax (Author)
Publication Date: October 21, 1994 | Series: Dover Books on Music , pps 14, 15 [Other verses from John "Black Sampson" Gibson's rendition and other renditions are found on those pages.
**
snip-
Comments about the lines "Is you right?"/ Done got right
One interpretation of the line "Is you right?" is the religious meaning of "Are you right [with the Lord]?" or "Are you living right?" (according to the church's religious beliefs & tenets. In those interpretations, the word "right" means righteous". "I done got right" means "I've gotten right" (I'm living the right way now although in the past I wasn't.) That interpretation is based on this Biblical scripture:

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God."
-Acts 8:21

The Christian hymn "Is Your Heart Right With God" was composed in 1899 by Elisha Albright Hoffman Pennsylvania (a native of Pennsylvania, USA). Beginning in 1921 that song has been included in various Christian hymnals.

Notice that the "Linin' Track" song includes religious verses mixed with secular verses. It's very likely that the "...your heart is not right with God" Biblical verse was known to the African American men who composed the "Linin Track" song.

As an aside, I recall singing "Is Your Heart Right With God" in my New Jersey African American Baptist church from the 1950s on. And judging from its mention on the Internet, it appears that this song is still sung today in American Christian churches and in Christian churches elsewhere.

In contrast, I didn't become familiar with the song "Linin' Track" until this year as a result of surfing YouTube (somewhat randomly clicking on videos and sound files of African American prison songs on YouTube).

****
Comment about the name "Eloise" in the "Linin' Track" song
I belong to the school of thought that believes that the line "See Eloise go linin track" was a mishearing of the line "See how wese go linin' track". ["See how wese go linin' track"= See how we are lining [railroad] track."]

One alternative theory which originated with a spoken introduction by Blues & Folk artist Leadbelly in one or several (but not all) of his performances of "Linin' Track" was that a female named "Ella Louise" was the one who first led laborers who sung this song. Given that there weren't any female gandy dancers, I very much doubt Leadbelly's story about why the female name "Eloise" is found in that song.

Additional comments about the name "Eloise" in the "Linin' Track" song are found in the entry for Leadbelly in Part II of this series. Also, hyperlinks to Mudcat discussion forum "threads" (series of comments) on the meaning of "Eloise" in this song are found below in the "Related Links" section.

****
VERSION #2
("sung by Allen Prothero, (a railroad man) State Penn. Nashville. Tenn 1933")

Hey, boys joint ahead
I'm gonna tell something now
Oh, all I want, my navy beans
A big fat woman & a wheeler team

Hi,hi.won't you line em
Hi, hi won't you line em
Ho, ho won't you line em
See Eloise go lining track
-snip-
Collected by John & Allan Lomax and included in their book Railroad Songs & Ballads reposted from http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=28408 "Lyr Req: Who was Eloise in Leadbelly's Linin'" by Barry Finn, Date: 13 Apr 03 - 03:01 PM
**
Notice that there's no phrase such as "trackalack" at the end of this version's chorus lines. Nor is there any such phrase in Version #1. I wonder if that phrase wasn't sung or if the Lomaxes didn't think it was important enough to include. The "trackalack" (or similar sounding phrase" is also often omitted from online lyrics that I've read for this song. That’s unfortunate because that phrase is a crucial part of the song as it was actually performed by Gandy Dancers, railroad workers who lined track, most of whom were African Americans.

****
VERSION #3
(Sung by Henry Hankins at Tuscumbia Alabama, 1939)

I. God told Noah about the rainbow sign,
No more water but a fire next time.
Hey boys, can't you line,
hey boys, just a hair,
Hey boys, can't you line,
hey boys, just a hair.
All right, we're mavin' on up the joint ahead.

2. Capt'n keep a-holletin' 'bout the joint ahead,
Ain't said notbin' about the hog and bread.
Hey boys, can't you linc, hey boys, just a hair,
Ho boys, line them over, hey boys, just a hair.

Better move it on down to the center head.

3. Capt'n keep a-hollerin' about the joint ahead,
Ain't said nothin' 'bout the bowl and bread.
Hey boys, can't you line, hey boys, just a hair,
Ho boys, line them over, hey boys, just a hair.
0l’ soul, let's move ahead children.
All right, is you right? Yes we're right.

4. Gone to town, gain' to hurry back,
See Corinna when she ball the jack.
Hey boys, can't you line, hey boys, just a hair.

5. All right, Capt'n keep a-hollerin' about the joint ahead.
All right, children will you move?
Move on down 0l' soul,
Is you right children? Yes we're right.

6. Gain' to town, gonna hurry back,
See Corinna when she ball the jack.
Hey boys, can't you line, ho boys, just a hair

http://www.loc.gov/folklife/LP/AFS_L61_opt.pdf
[These lyrics and the comments that follow are reposted as they are found in that pdf]
Song -A-4
Sung by Henry Hankins at Tuscumbia Alabama, 1939 recorded by Hebert Halpert

"Fortunately, Negro construction railroad songs are well known through recordings and print collections. The building of any roadbed section involved myriad skills: timber failing, brushing, blasting, grading, tie and steel unloading, track laying and lining, spike driving, tie tamping. Each detailed function called for a characteristic rhythm that drew to itself hundreds of floating lyrics. Henry Hankins' "Lining Track," which mentions the Biblical Noah as well as a worldly Corinna, is but one example of hundreds of Library of Congress field recordings for this gente. Excellent analogs by Henry Truvillion are found on LC recordings L8 and L52. A reoent article by Ambrose Manning leads to earlier readings. I cite but two commercial 78 rpm discs to note material which preceded field recordings.
Texas Alexander, "Section Gang Blues," Okeh 8498.
T.C.1. Section Crew, "Track Linin'," Paramount 12478.
Ambrose Manning, "Railroad Work Songs," Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin, 32:41-47 (June 1966).
-snip-
"just a hair" might mean "just a little bit" and/or it might have been a phrase that served the same purpose as the "trackalack", "rackalack", or other such phrases at the end of lines in the chorus of other versions of this song.
**
Ol’ = old
**
ball that jack = the name of an African American originated Blues dance

****
RELATED LINKS
The words to a 1927 recording of "Track Linin'" by an African American choral group are found on page 646 of the book Long Steel Rail: The Railroad in American Folksong (2d ed.) by By Norm Cohen. http://books.google.com/books?id=AY7St4-8x10C&pg=PR45&lpg=PR45&dq=Black+Sampson+linin+track+song&source=bl&ots=Od-Ksz0oB7&sig=TnVrrA8urkXT69hV-s7gYzu9Ngg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mGiFUJ2cIKXp0gH7h4GoCg&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Black%20Sampson%20linin%20track%20song&f=false

**
Additional lyrics for "Can't You Line 'em" ("Linin' Track") are found in http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6591 "Eloise?" That same post includes other theories about the meaning of the female name "Eloise" in that song.

Other Mudcat threads that provide lyrics and comments about the name "Eloise" in that song are http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=28408
"Who was Eloise in Leadbelly's Linin' Track?" and "http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=19043#192986 Lyr Add: Linin' Track

****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all who composed this song, and thanks to the early performers of this song - those featured here and others. My thanks also to John & Allan Lomax for collecting & recording this song. And thanks to all those whose comments & transcriptions I reposted.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

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Sam Cooke, Otis Redding - Chain Gang (Lyrics, Sound Files, & Comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a rendition of the song "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke and a rendition of that same song by Otis Redding. Lyrics to those versions are also included in this post.

This post also includes information about chain gangs.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

WHAT ARE CHAIN GANGS?
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_gang
"A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone. This system existed primarily in the southern parts of the United States, and by 1955 had been phased out nationwide, with Georgia the last state to abandon the practice.[1] Chain gangs were reintroduced by a few states during the "get tough on crime" 1990s, with Alabama being the first state to revive them in 1995. The experiment ended after about one year in all states except Arizona,[2] where in Maricopa County inmates can still volunteer for a chain gang to earn credit toward a high school diploma or avoid disciplinary lockdowns for rule infractions.[3]

FEATURED SONG EXAMPLES

Example #1: Sam Cooke "Chain Gang"



jijbentlilik,Uploaded on Apr 9, 2008

Video ripped from www.chaingangpictures.com so visit their website and give them the credits
-snip-

LYRICS: CHAIN GANG
(Sam Cooke and Charles Cooke)

I hear somethin' sayin'


(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they're singin'
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they work so hard
Till the sun is goin' down
Working on the highways and byways
And wearing, wearing a frown
You hear them moanin' their lives away
Then you hear somebody sa-ay


That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


Can't ya hear them singin'
Mm, I'm goin' home one of these days
I'm goin' home see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I got to work right he-ere


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they're singin', mm
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
Give me water, I'm thirsty
My work is so hard

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/sam_cooke/chain_gang.html

****
Otis Redding - Chain Gang



Tribalsanne1984, Uploaded on Mar 29, 2010
-snip-
LYRICS: CHAIN GANG
(Sam Cooke, as sung by Otis Redding)

That's the sound of the men
They are working on the chain gang, huh
That's the sound of the men
They're working on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang

All day long you hear them, ooh!
I'm going home, just one of these ole days
Man, i'm going home to see my woman
For my love's so dear
But meanwhile I gotta work right here now, huh

And that's the sound of the men
They're just working on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
They're working on the highways and the biways
That's the sound of the men
Working on the highway and biway
All day long they're going, ooh

Man, i'm going home to see that woman
who I love so dear
I gotta see the woman
Who I love so well
But than meanwhile I gotta work right here now, huh

Now that's the sound of us mens
When we're working on the chain gang
Oh, it's alright now, well out there

That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang, ha
That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang
All day long you hear them, ooh
Man, i'm going home one of these ole days
Man i'm going home
I got to see the woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I've gotta sit right here now, ha

Now that's the sounds of the mens
Working on the chain gang

Working, we're working
Ah, we're working man
Got to be working
Oh, every day we work a little bit stronger
Every night, man, a few bit longer
Got to be working, man
The time is going up
We got to be working, man

-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. Additions & corrections are welcome.

RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/gandy-dancers-linin-track-sound-files.html Gandy Dancers & Linin' Track Sound Files & Videos

****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
This post acknowledges all the men who worked on the chain gang. You are not forgotten.

Thanks to the musical legacy of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Thanks also to the uploaders of this featured video and this featured song file.

Thanks for visiting pancocoojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More

President Obama's "Romnesia" Speech (Video & Text)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents a video & the text of President Barack Obama's "Romnesia" speech that he gave at a campaign rally on October 19, 2012 in Fairfax, Virginia.

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, motivational, political, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
FEATURED VIDEO: President Obama in Fairfax, Virginia: "Romnesia"



Published on Oct 19, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom [4:42]

Share this: http://OFA.BO/1BeYij
Tweet this: http://OFA.BO/CGuXjM

President Obama breaks down Mitt Romney's case of "Romnesia."

****
TEXT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S "ROMNESIA" SPEECH

The choice between going backwards and moving forward has never been so clear.

But now that we’re eighteen days out from the election, Mr. “severely conservative” wants you to think that he was “severely kidding” about everything he said over the last year.

He told folks he he was the ideal candidate for the Tea Party. Now, suddenly, he’s sayin “What? Who me?”

He’s he’s forgettin what his own positions are. And he’s bettin that you will too.

I mean he's he’s changin up so much -- backtrackin and sidesteppin-- we've gotta, we, we gotta name this condition that he's going through. I think I I I think it's called “Romnesia”.... That’s what it’s called...I think that’s what he’s goin through.

Now, I'm not I’m not a medical doctor, but I do I do wanna go over some of the symptoms with you. Because I wanna make sure nobody else catches it...

If-you know-if yah say-if you say you’re for equal pay for equal work, but you keep refusin to say that you would sign a bill that protects equal pay for equal work, you might have “Romensia”...

If you say women should have access to contraceptive care, but you support legislation that would let your employer deny you contraceptive care, you might have a case of Romnesia....

If yah say that you'll protect a woman's right to choose, but you stand up at a primary debate and said that you'd be delighted to sign a law outlying-ah outlawing that right to choose in all cases - man, you definitely got Romnesia.

And and ah this extends to other issues.

If if if you say if you say earlier in the year “I’m going to give tax cuts for the top 1 percent”, and then in ah debate you say, “I I don't know anything about giving tax cuts to rich folks.” then you you ah you you need to get ah ah thermometer, take your temperature, because you you probably got Romnesia...

And if if yah say if you say that you’re a champion of the coal industry while when you where Governor you stood in front of a coal plant and said “This plant will kill yah”.... that’s Romensia.

So so the I I I think you’re bein able, you’re being to be able to identify these symptoms.

And and if you come down with a case of Romnesia..Aha!... and you can't seem to remember- the policies that are still on your website …or the promises you've made over the six years you've been runnin for president, here's the good news- OBAMACARE COVERS PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS!....WE CAN FIX YAH UP!... WE'VE GOT AH CURE!...WE CAN MAKE YAH WELL, VIRGINIA!... THIS IS A CURABLE DISEASE!...

Ah ha! Women! Men! All of yah- these, these are family issues. These are economic issues.

I want my daughters to have the same opportunities as anybody’s sons.

I believe that America does better, that the economy grows more, we create more jobs when everybody participates. When everyone’s gettin a fair shot, everybody’s getting a fair shake, everybody’s playin by the same rules, everybody’s doin their fair share.

That’s why I’m running for a second term for President of the United States. I need you to help me finish the job.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell, 10/19/2012 from the video.

Code: "-" space between President Obama's words.
"..." applauds & other exclamatory responses from the rally attendees.

****
NOTES
This transcription is given without the responses of the rally attendees. However, I believe that those responses are integral to the spirit of this speech, and may have influenced the prepared text of that speech.

For instance, it appears that President Obama altered his prepared statement after his words "This plant will kill yah" because someone or more than one person from the crowd followed his previous pattern and said something like "You know you've got "Romnesia".

**
Portions of this speech can be found in multiple news reports such as http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/19/us-usa-campaign-idUSBRE89F07J20121019
Obama accuses Republican rival of suffering "Romnesia"
By Margaret Chadbourn; Fairfax, Virginia | Fri Oct 19, 2012 2:13pm EDT

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama turned his opponent's name into an ailment on Friday, accusing rival Mitt Romney of suffering from "Romnesia" for emphasizing moderate positions rather than the conservative ones he put forward in the Republican primary race.

-snip-
However, as is the case with other news reports of President Obama's speeches, those news report present President Obama's words in Standard American English instead of the combination of one form of African American English and one form of Standard American English that President Obama used during that speech. I've chosen to transcribe President Obama's speech as I heard it, including the African American vernacular English and the words he stuttered.

It's my sense that the cadence and the pattern of repeating certain words such as "If____, then___" in President Obama's lighthearted but serious "Romnesia" speech reflect some of the traditions of the oratory of Black Baptist preachers. certain other speeches by President Obama also reflect this tradition. One other such speech by President Obama that immediate comes to mind is his comments addressing the "The Dark Knight Rises" movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado during a campaign visit to the Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers, Florida. Friday, July 20, 2012. http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/07/president-obamas-comments-dark-knight.html

I will leave it to those more knowledgeable than me to explore the similarities between President Obama's oratory practices and the traditional oratory of Black Baptist preachers.

****
RELATED LINKS
The "Romnesia" speech is only a small portion of the speech that President Obama gave at that rally. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSq9srH5pxQ for a full video of that speech.

**
Click https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ROMNESIA&src=hash for the "Romnesia" twitter account that was started by the Obama campaign.

Judging from tweets by persons on that page, "Romnesia" is not just a form of amnesia, that is to say "selective memory loss" which has caused Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney to constantly change his positions on issues and not remember that he has done so. Futhermore, "Romnesia" is contagious, and other politicians such as Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan also exhibit symptoms of that condition.

[Update: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/21/1055041/rubio-defends-romney-contraception/ article "Rubio Develops ‘Romnesia’ While Trying To Explain Romney’s Position On Contraception" provides another definition for "Romnesia":
"Last week, President Obama joked that some Romney surrogates are suffering from “Romnesia” — an ability to forget the candidate’s old positions on major campaign issues, in favor of his new positions."]

"Romnesia" can also cause people to act against their own best interest - for instance, the elderly who need health care voting for Romney although he has indicated that he would change Medicare to a voucher program.

****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
My thanks to President Obama for his words, his actions, and his positive role modeling.

My thanks also to the attendees of that rally, and to the uploader of this video.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More

Black Children's Hairstyles In The "Vote For Somebody" Video

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a performance by students from Harlem, New York's Democracy Prep charter school of a song motivating adults to vote in the 2012 United States Presidential election. This song is a political take-off of Carly Rae Jepsen's hit Pop song "Call Me Maybe".

This post includes the lyrics to that school's song "Vote For Somebody" as found on their video, documents the purpose of the students learning & singing that song within that school setting, and also documents the singing performance styles of those students.

For historical purposes, this post particularly focuses on the hairstyles of these 4th grade students.

The content of this post is presented for sociological, historical, motivational, and aesthetic purposes.

My interest as a community folklorist & historican is to document aspects of African American culture.

I presume that this song was composed by a teacher or teachers affiliated Democracy Prep school. I'd love to credit the composer/s of this song by name/s.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
FEATURED VIDEO - Democracy Prep Citizen-Scholars: Vote for Somebody!



Published on Oct 15, 2012 by DemPrepPublicSchools
Democracy Prep's amazing fourth grade scholars want YOU to vote this November 6th! The Harlem Prep Hawks sing their civic message loud and proud to the tune of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe."

A "Straight A" network, with 2,000 students across seven campuses in Harlem, NY and Camden, NJ, Democracy Prep is proving what is possible in urban education. We are preparing our responsible citizen-scholars to succeed in the college of their choice and a life of active citizenship. We hope they inspire YOU to Vote for Somebody! The scholars are hoping to get 100,000 views and likes, so please forward this to your friends and visit DemocracyPrep.org to learn more. Work Hard. Go To College. Change the World! Follow us @DemocracyPrep or visit http://www.democracyprep.org/

****
VOTE FOR SOMEBODY
(Democracy Prep, Harlem, New York)

It’s time again now to speak
to what your nation needs
and time to challenge your beliefs.
The power is yours today.
So put your hands to the fight.
Start exercising your rights.
Debates are yours to ignite.
What do you have to say?
Blue Democrats and red Republicans want
Your support on tax and healthcare, but
Are you going to be persuaded?

VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody!
So many ‘round the world
Long for democ-RA-cy.
So here’s YOUR reminder!
Vote FOR somebody!

VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody

So many ‘round the world
Long for democ-RA-cy.
So here’s YOUR reminder!
Vote FOR somebody!

VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody!

How do you think we can solve
the issues facing us all
from JOBS to energy and war?
Tell me your reasons why.
You might say, “It’s just one vote.”
You might think you just don’t know.
The TRUTH is you’re really not alone.
Research the facts tonight.
Blue Democrats and red Republicans are
out trying to make a difference, but
HOW are you going to help them make it???

VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody!

So many ‘round the world
Long for democ-RA-cy.
So here’s YOUR reminder!
Vote FOR somebody!

VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody!
VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody!

So many ‘round the world
Long for democ-RA-cy.
So here’s YOUR reminder!
Vote FOR somebody!

VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody!

If you’re going to vote on November 6th
then put your hands up!
VOTE!
Voice your choice loud!
HAWKS!
Yeah, you’re a citizen now!
If you’re going to vote on November 6th
then put your hands up!
VOTE!
Voice your choice loud!
HAWKS!
Yeah, you’re a citizen now!
VOTE for Obama
or VOTE for Romney!
It’s your CIVIC duty!
Vote FOR somebody!

So many ‘round the world
LONG for democ-RA-cy.
So here’s YOUR reminder!
Vote FOR somebody!

[Wooo!] (This exclamation isn't a part of the song, but is the students' reaction to their performance of the song.)

This is my transcription from the text which is superimposed on the video screen. Additions and corrections are welcome.

EDITOR'S NOTES
Explanation For Certain Terms In The Lyrics
Blue = the color used to symbolize the United States Democratic party. "Red" = the color used to symbolize the United States Republican party.

**
“Hawks” is the school’s nickname and/or mascot.

The Purpose Of Teaching That Song To These Students
From https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=EVkfNUxRh7g
Note: "Warning- YouTube comments may contain profanity, racist language, and/or other language that may be inappropriate for children".

As stated in the summary given by this video uploader, and as stated on this school's website, the central purpose of this song & video is to motivate adults to vote in the 2012 United States.

The following comment from this video's viewer comment thread reminds potential commenters that children may be reading those comments. This comment also responds to other comments found on that comment thread that criticize the school for teaching such a song, particularly because the song doesn't include any mention of other political parties in the USA besides the Democratic Party & the Republican Party.

"Little Eyes have access to these comments as well. As my mother always says, "If you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything at all".

Also, this was teamed with weekly ALL SCHOOL civics lessons so the kids at Democracy Prep get a well rounded education about all parts of government...not just the things that the teachers want them to learn. We teach the full story!
-PerformingArtsHPE, October 19, 2012
-snip-
The use of the pronoun "we" in the last sentence of this comment & the commenter's name infers that he or she is a teacher, or is otherwise affiliated with the Democracy Prep charter school.

My interpretation of this comment is that teaching & performing "Vote For Somebody" was a joint project of Democracy Prep charter school's Performing Arts (Music) and Civics departments.

For the record, it should be noted [no puns intented] that several commenters on that video's viewer comment thread took issue with the fact that the "Vote For Somebody" song only mentions the Democratic and Republican parties. Other commenters critized the fact that in the song President Obama's name was given before Governor Romney's name. And other commenters took issue with the fact that such a song was taught in school, calling teaching such a song "brainwashing". I vehemently disagree with those criticisms.

I applaud Democracy Prep charter school's teachers for creatively & effectively combining the subjects of Music & Civics. I also applaud the composer/s of this song and I applaud the producer/s of this video. I especially applaud these 4th grade students for the quality of their singing & for the joy that they showed in their performance of that "Vote For Somebody" song.

I'm glad to also document that several commenters to that video's viewer comment thread indicated that the "Vote For Somebody" song is being taught at other schools throughout the United States.

Singing Performance Styles
The 4th grade students of the Democracy Prep school wore uniforms - girls either wore jumpers & shirts, or shirts & pants, and boys wore shirts & pants. Students were seated in individual chairs in a classroom (the music classroom?) The song was performed to recorded instrumental music. The children swayed from side to side as they sung, and accompanied their singing with handclapping, with movements that mimicked specific words, and with dance-like movements.

Description Of & Comments About The Students’ Hair Styles
[These comments are for sociological record. I'm making no value judgments about these hairstyles. Additions and corrections are welcome.]

Most of the girls in this classroom are wearing their hair in a cornrows or micro braids*. Some of the girls who are wearing their hair in cornrows or micros have any beads attached to their braids.

A few girls wore their hair in two ponytails with or without ballies on the top or at the end of each ponytail. ("Ballies" is the colloquial term for rubber bands which have one small plastic ball on each end).

At least one girl wore multiple ponytails with the same colored rubber bands on them. Another girl wore multiple ponytails with a pattern of different colored rubberbands on each ponytail.

I also noticed one girl wore her hair in a ponytail with a bun on the top and a small ribbon piece in the front.

I also noticed one girl's hair was styled in a ponytail in the back with long side bangs.

One girl wore a colorful Muslim hair covering. Consequently, her hair wasn’t shown.

I believe that one of the girls in this video wore her hair loose (also known as "wearing your hair out").

Some girls had bangs.**

By the viewing the video, I wasn't able to determine which girls' hair was naturally or chemically straightened.*** It should be noted that the cornrow or micro hair style can be done with hair that is natural or hair that is straightened.

Most of (or all of?) the boys wore their hair shaved close to their heads. None of the children had any dreadlocks (dreads) or wore their hair in afros.

Notes:
* From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornrows
“Cornrows, also known as braids, are a traditional African style of hair grooming where the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to produce a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often formed, as the name implies, in simple, straight lines, but they can also be formed in complicated geometric or curvilinear designs."
-snip-
Since at least the 1980s, cornrows or micros with beads of two or more colors appear to be a very popular hairstyle for African Americans girls from 2-12 years old. This style might also worn girls younger or older than that age. Sometimes hair extensions are added to make the hair longer. Those extensions are then braided and beaded.

"Micros" are a popular style of multiple long tiny braids. "Micros" are often made from store bought hair. These hair pieces are called "extensions". Here's some information about taking care of "micros":
From http://thirstyroots.com/braiding-hair/micro-braids
"Micros are a beautiful hairstyle but they can also be a little rough on your locks. A lot of people usually leave them in an average of three months. The longevity of your braids really all depends on who did your hair and how they did it. If they left them to loose the may start falling out immediately. Although the looser they are the better they are for your hair, because of the fact they are not pulling the locks so tightly. Like I said it depends on the skill set of the braider. He or she must no [sic] how to take care of your hair all while at the same time making it look good and giving you your moneys worth in longevity."
-snip-

** bangs = a short piece of a female’s hair which is worn over her forehead and usually curled

*** straightened hair = tightly curly hair that is loosened ened by using a perm, relaxer, hot comb, or a flat iron.

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RELATED LINK
Click for http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic for a video of Carly Rae Jepsen performing "Call Me Maybe".

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the students, teachers, and administration of Democracy Prep. Thanks also to those whose comments I quoted and to the uploader of this video.

Finally, thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

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