The Mid-Atlantic Minstrel Show
The Real Ethiopian Serenader
This is a song about, and not from, the 'business' of minstrelsy in the 1840s, written and performed by a popular British entertainer from the early music halls of London. Brother Jonathan's references to the money made by burnt cork entertainers, and to the number of performers who blacked up to cash in, reinforce and corroborate the evidence that minstrelsy was not just ordinarily popular during this period--it was a 'pop phenomenon.' For further information, see its page in The Juba Project's Minstrelsy Database. Credits Andrew Dale, lead vocals and tambourine; Tom Power, banjo; Kate Bevan-Baker, fiddle; Justin Merdsoy, sound technician.
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