The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-07
WAVELETS
By ED LEAMY

be Easter Sunday soloist on "The Pause that Refreshes on the Air" with Andre Kostelanetz learned many of her numbers at revivals and camp meetings, including an inspiring spiritual, Were You There?" which she'll sing with chorus accompaniment Sunday. (CBS, 4:30 p. m)
 She gamers many of her stirring Spirituals, am told, in rather un- known places. These spirituals in- cidentally are unknown to her con- cert and radio audiences for reasons which Dick Mooney, who told me the rest, failed to pass along.
 A "gold mine" for students of African song and culture Miss May nor says is the little known island of St. Helena off the coast of South Carolina. A small atoll with a farm ing population of 500, all Negro whites having deserted during the Civil War-St. Helena, Miss May nor claims, is virtually unchanged by modern civilization. In recent visits there she has picked up strange and fascinating mus c which she is now adding to her re- pertoire. -.
 I don't suppose she has ever heard of place called Bukoba. It is a pin point on the map of Africa. When I knew 1t, it was a small town on the shores of Victoria lJyanza, 8 little below the Equator.
 At that time there were only five white men living in the town, in- cluding myself. We were an isolated community. Our mail came to us overland by runner, distance of some six hundred miles. For two or three months never a boat put into port outside of dhows and feluccas, manned by Arabs and Somalis. And then, occasionally ore of the small steamers plying the lake Viuld drop anchor, and we five would prepare for a festive evening. For in Africa that part of Africa you kept open house for whatever white man, whether you knew him or not, might turn up. On the steamer, invariably, in addition to the officers, there would be one or two passengers, planters or army men. We would be delighted to see them for we craVed company other than our selves. And always we went out to the anchor ed steamer, almost before the an- chor was dropped, to go aboard, have a drink, and to invite pass engers and officers for dinner to my bungalow for I had the best cook
 We could have waited for ships boat to come ashore and be Towed to the steamer, But we had state of our own; Two long dugout canoes manned by twelve or fourteen pad- dlers,
 Three of us would get into one canoe; two in the other, And we'd race, We'd race, the ace-of spades shaped paddles dripping crystal in the setting sun, and prize of bakv sheesh gleamlng to spur on eager crews,
 Ayjdly their tough young back would bend to paddle-stT0kes, muscles would ripple along their arms and shoulders and thighs, lips would part to show white, white teeth, and then would come a song, song after song, And what sopgsl
 There was one ] have never tor7 gotten, who cannot carry 2 tune It was sung as We peaTed shore after having accompanied our dln- neT guests back to the ship, and after our merry ereWmen had been paid, While We had been dinMg they had been visiting the dTlnklng hpts, and some of the melapphlly of the black man ip Africa would have GTept over them as they pad dled us home It vas expressed ln 8 song which could have been gay or sad as the mood decided ri could never make out the words, i1l my only knNWledge af African lan7 guages was KlsNahN and 2 dash of Euganda- And the song was 2 MNuanamReN,
 It would Do sung by Inc peAsYaln the lad who Steerea, Rs 2 solo Then the rest would take Np lhe chorus, 2 huntjng, hannting FelgaM, fsnepl jally II lt was late pt NiHht anq the stars Yere ATlllant in Q nuInlh velvet sky, The chorus fndeH nn 2 dTaRN Npi dyMg n9ie anh s0npr how that dylnH nAlf Npnld plfpl into our heaTts ang lle ihele pry ms s9fhy, l9 pNAalp AFaNlal pW aYn hNmfslpkNesS ms te anN Ri lMeAAe@ lll