Cape Minstrel Carnival
The Cape Minstrel Carnival is the current name of the oldest carnival in South Africa.
Contents
THIS ENTRY IS BEING WRITTEN AND EDITED AT PRESENT
Originally referred to as the Coon Carnival, but also known as the Cape Coon Carnival or The Cape Coons (In Afrikaans: die Kaapse Klopse) Also called the Cape Carnival on occasion.
Performers in the carnival were long referred to as Coons in English and Klopse in Afrikaans.
Today the use of the denigrating term Coon has fallen away, though Klopse, which does not carry the baggage of the English term, has remained in use.
The origins
Originally referred to as the Coon Carnival, but also known as the Cape Coon Carnival or The Cape Coons (In Afrikaans: die Kaapse Klopse or simply Klopse).
Today the use of Coon has fallen away, though Klopse has remained.
Origins of the Coons or Klopse
Coons and Coon troupes
The performance styles
The Coon Festival as event
Sources
http://www.findtripinfo.com/south-africa/cape-town/festivals-cape-town.html#capeminstrels
The term "coon"
The term derives from raccoon, it was used in America to refer to performers in black-face entertainments, hence also any black man.
A more recent derivative of the term in the USA has been the term "coonery"[1], which refers to matters such as the antics and behavior displayed by certain individuals (usually African Americans) which may embarrass the rest of the Black community or reinforce and perpetuate commonly held racial stereotypes about their own community.
While it has other meanings, such as a racial slur for a black person as in the American usage, the term coon is most prominent in South Africa with reference to a performer in the Cape Town Coon Carnival, with its early association with the Christy's Minstrels and other "blackface" performers from America who visited the country.
See for example definitions provided by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coon and http://www.thefreedictionary.com/coon
Carnival
See also Festival
The idea of the carnivalesque
Origins and history
Carnivals in South Africa
The Coon Carnival in the Cape =
Also known as the Cape Coon Carnival or The Cape Coons (In Afrikaans: die Kaapse Klopse or simply Klopse).
Today the use of Coon has fallen away in the name of the carnival, though Klopse has remained.
Origins of the Coons or Klopse
Coons and Coon troupes
The performance styles
The Coon Festival as event
Student carnivals
Known as Karnaval or more commonly Jool in Afrikaans
Links
Return to South African Theatre Terminology and Thematic Entries
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
