New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-17
1ED0 1MERcAN FOl KSONGS- A STUDY OF NEGRO MUSl
The Structural F eatures
Of Negro Poetry
The Solo and the
Refrain.

composers OF the eighteenth century,"
SAYS ]. Muir Wood writing in Groves
Dictionary of Music and Musicians)
"for Burney, who seems to have invented
the name says in his account Of the
Italian opera in London, In las, that
there was at this time too much Of the
Scotch catch or cutting short or the first
two notes in melody He blames
Cocchi. Perez and Jommelli, all three
masters concerned in the opera 'Vologeso.'
for being lavish of the snap" Adding TO
his article on the subject in the second
edition of Groves work, he says: In
the hands of Hook and other puryeyors
of the pseudo Scottish music which was
in vogue at Vauxhall and elsewhere In
the eighteenth century IL became sense
less vulgarism, and, with the exception
of a few songs and the Strathspey
reel in which II is an essential feature,
its presence may generally be accepted as
proof that the music in which 1t occurs
Is not genuine
NOTE ON THE INDECENT TANGO.
What Wood here remarks about the
psuedo- Scotch music Of the eighteenth
century as il was cultivated in the music
halls may be said Of latter-day rag
time" which. especially i'm the turkey
trot" and tango" dances, monopolizes
the music almost to the exclusion OF
melody and harmony. There is no reason
why drums and gongs should not give
these dances all the musical impulse they
need. Though it is at the expense OF
DEPRESSION, it Is not out of place TO point
out that in this year OF pretended refine
ment, which is the year OF our Lord 1913,
the dance which is threatening to force
grace, decorUm and decency out OF the
bathrooms of America and England IS a
survival of African savagery, which was
already banished from the plantations In
the days of slavery. II was in the dance
that the bestiaity of the African blacks
found ITS frankest expression. The cuban
habafera, which has an African rhyth-
mical foundatio (the melodic superstruct-
ure having been reared by the white
natives of the southern countries %
America). grew into the most graceful
and most polite Of the Creole dances
Concerning it and its depraved ancestor
the tango. Prudential says In his Musk
TAM uni Dichtung bel den Kreolen
Americas:
But the habanera is not only danced
by the cultivated creoles, but also Dy
preference in the West Indies by tho
colored plebs In such cases not trace
OF grace is longer 10 be found; on the con-
! trary, the movements OF the dances leave
nothing TO be desired In the line Oh un-
/ eouivocal obscenity. 1t is this vulgar
dance. popularity called tango carter an
| African word "tangana"), which sought
| vainly 10 gain admission 10 our salons
under the title tango argentine by way
/ OF Argentina. II was shown 10 the lower
I classes OF Argentina last year-the jubilee
| year Of the republic To the honor or the
great country on the Silver River II may
/ be said at once that there the haoanera
/ is never danced except in the mos: decent
| form IL is indubitable. however, that the
/ Cuban tango was the original product
/ prepared for cultured circles. the creoles
! having borrowed not only the rhythms
| but also the choregraphic movements OF
/ the dances from the Africans.
II can scarcely be set down 10 the credit
of American and English women that In
adopting the tango they are Initiating the
| example not OF the ladies of Argentina,
but that OF the women OF the Black Re-
| public. Prudential says:
The Haytlan salon dance. Meringue, is
Continued on eighth page.