Minstrel shows in South Africa
Consisting of Minstrel shows, minstrel turns, minstrels and minstrelsy. ****** Deriving from the popular 19th century African-American tradition of minstrel shows, and 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.
Two early spin-offs are found in and La Africaine or High Tall Yawn Uproar, a burlesque, performed as part of a Grand Christy Entertainment Show put on by a group calling themselves the 86th Royal Downshire Minstrels in the Oddfellows Hall on 19 April 1869.
Firstly they directly influenced the form, dress and style of the “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 coons songs and skits borrowed from recordings and sheet music from Britain and the USA. .**??
See also (Coplan??p 124)
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