New-York tribune., 1918-03-17

sent, with other specimens of Amer
lean slave music, by this writer. Mr..
Taylor also used it as the theme Of his
Rhapsody for Orchestra" which was
performed first at Norfolk Conn.,
festival in 1911, and afterward in New
York.
"Michie Banjo" (No. p is also sug-
gestive of the Bamboula, though we
have preferred to look upon it as an
example of satire, though not malevo-
lent one. Mr.. Cables translation of
the text is as follows:
"Look at that darky, there, Mister
Banjo,
Doesn't he put on airs!
! Hat cock'd on one side, Mister Banjo,
Walking-stick in hand, Mister Banjo,
Boots that 60 crank, crank Mister
Banjo,
Look at that darky, there, Mister Banjo.
Doesn't he put on airs"
I Words and melody of the song were
noted on plantation in st. Charles
Parish, La, and first printed in "Slave
Songs of the United States" (published
in New York in 1850. The word
translated "darky" is "mulet," and Mr..
Gable comments: eve have to lose the
saucy double meaning Between 1nulet
(mule) and nuttdtye (mulatto).' The
song in this writer's arrangement used
to figure in Nine. Sembrich's folksong
recitals. "Nla .mourri" (No. 81, though
quoted as dance tune by Mr.. Cable,
is evidently love song. The senti-
ment conveyed by the words is that the
singer must die insane for the love of
pretty Layotte. ("Mo connin zins
IONS, ma mourri, oui, 'nocent, ma
mourr, pou' la belle Layotte, ma
mourri, 'nocent, oui, 'nocent, ma
mourri.") To the half note CO., with
its hold, the singer utters wild, long
drawn cry, "Eh-h-h!" which is char
acteristic element found in other Gre
ole songs.
No. 4, "Caroline," is counjai or
counjaille. The name of the dance is
undoubtedly African. Years ago when
Mr.. Hearn was helping this writer in
his Creole studies and was asked the
possible meaning of "counjai" he an
swercd, "My quadroon neighbor, Mann
zelle Eglantine, tells me that the word
KoMndjo Gin the West Indies Cnndio
or CandjO refers to an old African
dance which used to be danced with
drums But candjo is an African
prince or chief, and it is not impos-
sible that in this song we have a relic
of some such dance of negro royalty
as is described by Vcrney Lovctt
Cameron in his "Across Africa" Mr..
Cameron, who was an officer in the
British navy, says: Dancing in Man.
yuema"-a cannibal country-"s pre-
rogative of the chiefs. When they feel
inclined for a terpsichorean perform
ance they single out good-looking
woman from the crowd. and the two
go through much wriggling and Curl
Gus gesticulaton opposite each other.
lhe village drums are brought out
and vigorously beaten, the drummers
meanwhile shouting Gamello! Camel
lo!' If the woman is unmarried the
1act OF chief asking her to dance is
equivalent to an offer of marriage, and
many complications often occur in con-
sequence" But the lady who noted
Caroline" in st. Charles Parish. La.
more than fifty years ago said the
dance to which it was sung was sim
pie and "sort of minuet"
When M. Tiersot, of the Paris Con-
servatoire, visited the United States
and Canada in pursuit of his folksong
studies he noted this song from the
singing OF negress in New Orleans;
put he gave the name of the heroine
as Azelie and set down the melody Of
the stanzas in 5S time and the re.
frain in 2-4. AS the song appears in
the publication "Slavc Songs of the
United States" it Is very simple, and