New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-01-16
A New Book ON Primitive
Folkmusic by Mrs. Burlin
songs and Tales From the Dark Continent Con-
,ains Original Material Supplied by Stu
dents of Hampton Institute

WAS asked by her to recall q consider
able number of songs whose perform
anee called for choir and band of at
least from three to six persons. each
one concerned with an independent
part.
Except in respect to syncopated
rnythms, the music Of the songs record
ed from the singing Of Mrs. Burlin's
helpers gives the student of Afro=Amsvi-
can folksongs little help, though It
confirms much that has been written
abou, the innate musical capacity of the
negro. The Zulu songs are POLITICALLY
and musieally on higher plane Of ar
tistic development than those from East
Africa, and show greater evidence Of
foreign influences. which might suf-
fciently account for the fact, even II it
did not SO chance that the Zulus are in
all respects superior race to the ma
tives of the East Coast. Cele, Mrs. Bur-
Inns cel}aborator, was the nephew and
son of Zuius of high rank. The father
gave up an official post in the palace of
the King to embrace Christianity and
became missionary among his people.
He himself sent Madikane to the United
States for an education and after he
had left the Hampton Institute Mad
;kane went back to Zululand ito found
with Gods help little Hampton among
the Zulu people," Before going to
Hampton in 1907 he had studied five
years at a school down In North
Carolina"
Songs of the Ndau Tribe
The songs of the Ndau tribe sung by
Simange are textually as curt as the
songs Of the red men Of North Amer
lea. In form and fancy those of the
zu!ns show g higher degrees Of intel
lectuality and sense of the beautiful.
The two songs of the Grain Ceremony
of the Ndaus illustrate the popular be-
lief that the noise of thunder is
caused by the clashing together Of
thunder birds" in conflict and the
beating of their wings against the iro:.
sky. The Spirit Songs" are songs sung
to exorcis witches or evil spirits who
have taken possession of the bodies OF
men and caused their illness; also
songs of divination sung at the trial
Of persons accused of witcheraSt.
Three songs in the colleetion are &c
compartments to the play games of
children. "Drip, drop rain" inyokes tn,
shower and lauds it, being antithetieal
in sentiment to our own Rain, rain, 90
away" A Drying Song is sung by
the little ones as they jump about in
the sunlight to dry their bodies aftsr
swimming. A Hopping Song" stimu-
lates one-legged race. In one Of the
dance songs, called "Pwita," after the
drum which accompanies the singer,
the instrument is made TO sound two
tones at the interval OF shout fourth
by pressure against the skin drum
head. This device Is still in use among
the negroes Of Martinique, whexe
membrane Of skin stretched over the
end Of . hollow log, on which tho drunl-
mer sits astride, is made to stalk" as
tuC ACAG0So SaJt ~ PAo11Ae6 SsNS NV"
Of one foot against 1t. A vivid account
Of the effects thus produced may be
found In this writer's Afro-American
Folksongs. quoted from Lafcadio
Hesrn's Two Years in thu French West
Indies The African origin Of the
aatirical songs of the Black Creoles Of
Louisiana and the West Indies, Of
which there is a study in this writer's
book. is indicated by "Mocking Song
which ridicuIss the bearing and gait c
person passing by the malicious or
fun-lcving singers.
Folktales Akin to "Brer Rabbit
Stories
of the iclktsies related by sstmango
four are "Brer Rabbit" stories like
those Of Uncle Remus. In enc the
hare is outwittcd by the tortoise ("Brer
Taxrapin'), who cresps in.o bag Of
sweet potatoes which the pair have
4 I'll. Hax on1ro 20