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Monday, September 03, 2012

Civil War Events Feature Minstrel Song Revival

With their slouch hats, whiskers and time-worn instruments, members of the 2nd South Carolina String Band look and sound like a Civil War camp band. And while they play "Oh! Susannah" and other familiar fare, they don't shy from other historical songs with inescapably racist overtones that may offend some modern listeners.

The aim of these musical re-enactors is to accurately recreate music that soldiers from both the North and South enjoyed around battlefield campfires at Gettysburg, Antietam and Bull Run. Along with "Buffalo Gals" and "Dixie," they perform lesser-known songs in the exaggerated dialect of blackface minstrels from that tumultuous era when slavery was breaking apart.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As the article said the 2nd. South tries to stay away from the more offensive words and phrases of the songs, this is wrong! History is history, like it or not, don’t go PC on it. Should we refrain from saying “Nazi”, because it offends some or makes others cringe from the sound of it?, NO, it happened, get over it. The Right proved out, we concurred the wrong that was perpetuated on the Jews, we also righted the persecution of the slaves, we gave them their freedom, the equal rights amendment, the discrimination laws, the quotas in employment, the lowering of college entrance scoring so they could get in, the extra points on tests for advancements, the free housing, the free food, the free doctoring, and dental care. Americans have paid a big price to right the so called injustice of slavery, but I put this out there for a thought. If their ancestors had not been sold into slavery by their fellow Africans and brought to America, just where would they be today?
Would they have it better in Africa living in a hut, scrounging for food, no medical care, no cable, no air conditioning, no heat, and no RAP music?????
I say that the Black people here in America should be thrilled and thankful that their ancestors did get brought to America so that they can have it all without any work required!