Minstrels

The Minstrel

A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories about distant places or about real or imaginary historical events. Though minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty and high society. As the courts became more sophisticated, minstrels were eventually replaced at court by the troubadours, and many became wandering minstrels, performing in the streets and became well liked until the middle of the Renaissance, despite a decline beginning in the late 15th century. Minstrelsy fed into later traditions of traveling entertainers, which continued to be moderately strong into the early 20th century, and which has some continuity down to today's buskers or street musicians.

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Minstrelsy or Minstrel shows

The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface.

For more information go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show

Minstrels and Minstrel Shows in South Africa

The introduction of minstrel shows to the country

Deriving from the popular 19th century African-American tradition of minstrel shows, the form apparently first brought to South Africa by the Christy Minstrels during their 18** tour, this style of performance has had an enormous impact on South African performance culture, as Bosman (1964), Coplan (1985) and Kruger (1999) show.

The 1860s and early 1870s are interesting in this respect. The names and terms such as the S.A. Minstrels (1860), African Minstrels (1862), Amateur Christy's, Nigger Burlesque, Grand Christy Entertainment, Minstrels, Comic Negro Song, Christy Concert frequently crop up in Cape Town theatres for example, and F.C.L. Bosman (1980) for example refers to the type of performances as "Christy's" or "Christy programmes", etc.

One of the most noticeable of the longer term effects of the exposure to the Christys performances, is to be seen in the way they directly influenced the form, dress and style of the so called Coon Carnival in Cape Town, while such South African minstrel groups as the African Darkies, African Own Entertainers, and the Midnight Follies became popular, and in their turn influenced township performance through their use of coon songs and skits borrowed from recordings and sheet music from Britain and the USA.

Minstrel companies and their performances in South Africa

The African Minstrels

The African Minstrels was perhaps related to the S.A. Minstrels of 1860, consisting of eight men under the leadership of "Colour Sergeant" Heaven performed an interlude during a performance of The Miller and His Men and Kiss in the Dark by officers and men from the 11th Regiment in the Barracks Theatre, Cape Town on Tuesday 2 December 1862.

The 86th Royal Devonshire Minstrels

The 86th Royal Devonshire Minstrels, who - under the patronage of Captain Jackson of the 86th Royal Downshire Regiment, performed a Grand Christy Entertainment Show in the Oddfellows Hall on 19 April 1869 and another evening's entertainment on the 27th May, then reappeared with similar work (and billed as a "celebrated Troupe") in 1872.

The Amateur Coloured Troupe

The Amateur Coloured Troupe was the name given to a private (i.e. non regimental) concert company, performing under in the Minstrelsy[1] style popularized by the Christy Minstrels. They were active in Cape Town between 1869 and 1871. They seem to have emerged from the Y.M.I. Amateur Christy's, also performing in the Young Men's Institute Institute and Club, and soon replacing it as the leading Chrity company. Their repertoire included typical Christy material, e.g. pantomimes, burlesques, also what were euphemistically called "Ethiopian burlesques" and more bluntly "nigger farces" at the time. These were usually part of a more conventional programme of songs, dances and virtually always included a dramatic entertainment of some kind.

Regular performers named in the early years were H. Burton, J. Lyal (or J. Lyall) and T. Grimier, with occasional mention of Mr Marchand, Mr Dix. Later E. Clifton and Miss Peverill became leading figures in the company. Others mentioned include Mr France, Mr Pomp, Mr Hamilton, Mr Stuart.

Their theatrical performances included The Challenge Dance, The Photographic Salon, Wha'rs Your Ticket, Who Stole the Chickens, Executive Lovers, The Dentist's Shop, The White Statue, Polka Maria, Othello (described as a "Ethiopian Burlesque in 3 Acts".

Sources

F.C.L. Bosman, 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 255, 266, 274, 278-280, 291

Bosman (1964), Coplan (1985) and Kruger (1999)

(Coplan??p 124)

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