The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-04-21
$50 IKoKO.

IsO IkOkO sat by the river
Kongo.
Iso was the son of a witch doc
tor. He watched the chattering
monkeys hanging from the vine
covered trees. His body was
creased with oil, and his little
wooley curls were done up in clay.
Iso was stylishly dressed, wearing
bracelets and anklets of shell.
The little fellow rolled his eyes in
every direction, from the enormous
sleeping crocodiles aud various wa
ter birds to the white. cranes float
ing like great cloud across the
sky. ~
Some day Iso would be great
witch doctor like his father and
use his paraphernalia. ESQ had I'M
herited great gift from a long
line of ancestors: He had wonder
full voice, and could initiate. the
many sounds about him. from the
| cry of a bird or animal. to the hiss
of snake, or the rustic of a leaf.
He spent much time with a natur-
alist who made his home with the
Belgian officials. and often amused
him with his voice. The naturalist
wanted him to accompany him to
a far away country and learn to
sing beautiful songs. This would
l,mean great sacrifice to lkoko, for
Me wanted to be a witch doctor.
Sidney Carter occupied an OBJ
scure seat in the great theater. In
Carriers life there had been but
one ambition. He loved music
| and his fellowman. His mind had
ever been thrilled with strange
and unaccountable melodies. He
| wanted the world to catch the
music which echoed in his soul.
He had hoped to do this himself.
There was wealth at his command,
but this was not enough. While
he had trained under the best
Instructors, and his dreams
| seemed about to be realized. there
had come the disappointment. His
vocal cords had become paralyzeds
The specialists gave him up. H6
could never. become world e,
nowned tenor. I'D
Despair and disappointment hk
resulted in a nervous breakdown.
His doctor had advised travis
Perhaps a wise Providence had
| guided the students steps to
Africa. He would soon know the
worst. for he had invested in other
talent Patiently and secretly he
had carried on his work until the
bill-boards had at last announced
that Ikoko, the greatest of all
tenors was to appear in New York.
1t was a trying moment for Sid
ney Carter. If Ikoko failed, the
disappointment would be hard to
endure. He had spent much
money on the venture. Iso's num-
Der was the next on the program.
The audience was eager. They e&-
pected something. They did not
even know how the tenor would
look AS the Kongo youth stepped
from behind the curtain there was
a ripple of laughter. Ikoko smiled,
and his ivory teeth were as white
as the collar he wore. 1t was all
like joke There was the slant
ing forehead, the thick lips, ano
fiat nostrils. Could this specimen
be a musical prodigy?
Ikoko didn't notice the audience
This was the great occasion for
which he had so long trained He
tried to forget the sea of faces.
He imagined that he was again
among his people by the Kongo.
He would think of them and the
friend who had done so much for
him. He waited a moment. The
great theater was as silent as
though it contained not living
SOUL Then the hush was broken.
The audience suddenly beheld a
black athlete transformed into an
artist of beauty and power The
effect of the singing defied analy-
sis. 1t acted upon the souls of
the audience. The music had a
simple, yet sweet and agreeable
quality unheard of. 1t was natural
and esthetically beautiful. Its
delicacy and tenderness was com
bined with richness of quality, vol
ume and force. 1t was perfect mel
ody and harmony, conveying emo
ton. Iso Ikoko bowed and passed
behind the curtaih.
The audience remained breath
less. The people were waiting.
They were thinking. They had
not yet recovered from the spell.
The song had impressed them,
Then the silence was broken by
laud and continued applause Ikoko
came back again and again. The
house was wild in it's demonstra;
ton. The manager hurried back To
| Sidney Carter. Your fortune is
made" he said, "Name yoiit
price" III,