African Spirituals Featuring the ' Ring Shout' (2919 hits)
AFRICAN SPIRITUALS The tunes and the beats of negro spirituals and Gospel songs are highly influenced by the music of their actual cultural environment. It means that their styles are continuously changing. The very first negro spirituals were inspired by African music even if the tunes were not far from those of hymns. Some of them, which were called “shouts” were accompanied with typical dancing including hand clapping and foot tapping.
RING SHOUT After a regular worship service, congregations used to stay for a “ring shout”. It was a survival of primitive African dance. So, educated ministers and members placed a ban on it. The men and women arranged themselves in a ring. The music started, perhaps with a Spiritual, and the ring began to move, at first slowly, then with quickening pace. The same musical phrase was repeated over and over for hours. This produced an ecstatic state. Women screamed and fell. Men, exhausted, dropped out of the ring.
Some African American religious singing at this time was referred as a “moan” (or a “groan”). Moaning (or groaning) does not imply pain. It is a kind of blissful rendition of a song, often mixed with humming and spontaneous melodic variation.
Totally awesome! You know I recall having written a short story I wrote inadvertically about 7 years ago Titled "Serenity--"Songs in the Circle" I haven't public published the story yet, but I only made a few copies which I gave away. I used the theme of angels holding hands forming and singing praises in a circle. This must have been a form of worshp. At least it is in my little story book. The things about circles is they shouldn't be broken a real representation of complete love. Wow!
Perhaps the ancestors saw visions of the angels gathering around the throne like that and worshipping or perhaps its a carry over from Africa. I do know that this music and song is exactly like the kind we sang in the back woods South Carolina the family church. The foot movement is similar except I don't recall us daning in a ring, but when the Spirit would move many mbrs would find themself in an aisle way or somewhere to MOVE! That was called catching the Spirit in the AME church and was frowned on, but when I moved to the Baptist Church it was acceptable and expected --- SHOUTING they called it --- when I moved to the Pentecostals it was called catching the HOLY GHOST. There we did the HOLY DANCE with the fancy foot movement! ((lol))
Friday, February 11th 2011 at 11:43PM
Jen Fad
What a rare find! I've glad you shared this with us. Unique.
The Holy Ghost sho' can get you dancing and singing, shouting, moaning, praying!!! Truly. What more can be said about that? God's Spirit is one of a kind.
Friday, February 11th 2011 at 11:58PM
MIISRAEL Bride
There is definitely more to the African American Experience!
Saturday, February 12th 2011 at 4:02PM
Jen Fad
This is great. Thanks very much for posting this.
Monday, February 14th 2011 at 7:40AM
Zhana Books
Beautiful post. The african experience is definitely unique. I attend the gullah festival every year at the Sea Islands, Hilton Head. If you really want to see the gullah and geechee people at their best, you should go. The children blow my mind. They still have the old way of living. Some homes don't even have bathrooms. WHAT! The skills horse farming, metal works, basket weaving, the foods. Man out of this world. Even though the islands are being taken over, just like everything else we own, this experience is so awesome, it opens ones eyes to who they really are. Nice post Sista!
Monday, February 14th 2011 at 8:02AM
anita moore
thank you again, jenFad for gving another example of Valuable and Real Human Experiences that The Creator gives the Family of Adaam(as)
Monday, February 14th 2011 at 8:08AM
powell robert
"I" am always excited especially when I learn something brand new...
@Jen, I am very, very excited.lol (smile)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
@MIISRAEL, thank you also for sharing and I would love to learn more about it from you and all of us on the site. (smile)
WE SHOULD TURN THIS INTO A BLACK HISTORY GET TOGETHER REUNION. WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE FOR SOME TIMES NOW. LOL (SMILE)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
...oops, the HOLY GHOST, yes, but not this version that Jen has presented...and, as you said MIISRAEL, "A rare find"...
Again, thanks so much Jen. (smile)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
