Religious Songs and Drums in the Bahamas (1953) CD

"This item is part of the Folkways (Cook, or Paredon, or Monitor) archives. The original liner notes from the LP are included."


In this collection of Religious Songs and Drums in the Bahamas, Marshall Stearns demonstrates the strong external influences on Bahamian music and culture. The religious music by the Baptist-Methodist Group and the Congregation of the Church of God suggest a certain influence of American gospel music, while the drumming of the “Ring Game,” “Heel and Toe Polka,” and “Jumping Dance” indicate a continuance of African drumming traditions with the scraping element of a saw, unique to Bahamian “rake ‘n’ scrape” music.


     101      Walk and Talk to Glory      Baptist-Methodist Group      2:32     
     102     Please Hear Me When I Call     Baptist-Methodist Group     3:23    
     103     In the Upper Room     Baptist-Methodist Group     3:44    
     104     Church of God Congregation, Nassau     Church of God Congregation (Nassau, Bahamas)     3:25    
     105     Church of God Congregation, Nassau     Church of God Congregation (Nassau, Bahamas)     3:42    
     106     Church of God Congregation, Nassau     Church of God Congregation (Nassau, Bahamas)     6:27    
     201     Ring      Alfred Henderson     1:12    
     202     Heel and Toe Polka     Alfred Henderson and Howard Johnson     1:28    
     203     Fire Dance     Gabriel Adderly and Alfred Henderson     2:43    
     204     Jook Dance     Gabriel Adderly, Alfred Henderson, and Howard Johnson     2:22    
     205     Jumping Dance     Alfred Henderson, Gabriel Adderly, and Harcourt Symonette     4:37