In Dahomey (1902)

Paul Lawrence Dunbar (lyrics) Jesse A. Shipp (book) Will Marion Cook (music) Part III of IV

Vaudeville: “The Heart of American Show Business

”

1) Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. 2) Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill. 3) Types of acts included popular and classical musicians, dancers, comedians, trained animals, magicians, female and male impersonators, acrobats, jugglers, one-act plays or scenes from plays, minstrels and movies .

4) Although its origins may lie in Voix de Ville, it is a distinctly American form of polite, bourgeoisie entertainment.

WTF?: The Curious Conclusion: Caboceers, Culture, Cakewalks, and Continuity

• (Chorus enters as African chiefs, soldiers, natives, dancing

girls. After march, chorus comes to front of stage, kneels and sings choral descriptive of glories of Cannibal King and Caboceers. At the middle of the choral, they rise at the words "Mighty ruler of our nation" and sway to and fro with swinging palm leaves. At the end, the chorus falls prostrate

to the floor on their faces to greet SHYLOCK HOMESTEAD and RAREBACK PUNKERTON dressed as

Caboceers. Song: "Every Darkey Is a King." Dialogue follows

in which the box with cat's eye is found . CICERO LIGHTFOOT

is disgusted with Dahomey and announces his return to America. The musical concludes with two rousing numbers: "Emancipation Day," and a triumphant cake-walk -- most popular dance of the era -- a production number that

lasted twenty minutes.)

Cat’s Eye Shells Trans-Atlantic Hoodoo

• RAREBACK It won't do any good for you and I to squabble over what can't be helped. I'm in just as bad a fix as you are, and I believe all our bad luck came through the silver box I got hold of just about three hours before we struck the wharf. • SHYLOCK I don't know nothin' about our bad luck, but I do know all about my bad luck, when the man came on board the boat with that rusty lookin' coat on and wanted to sell that silver box, I was the fust man that reached out my hand to get it, but jist as soon as I seen dat a cat was scratched on the back, I turned round three times, walked backwards four steps, throwed a hand full of salt over my left shoulder, and I give him back that box so quick, if I was superstitious, I'd a swore I seen that cat's whiskers move. [....] • • • RAREBACK Instead of being bad luck, a cat turns out to be the best friend we ever had . After this you ought to hug and kiss every cat you run across. SHYLOCK I've got to admit if it wasn't for that cat's picture, you couldn't tell that box from no other silver box; therefore, I'm bound to respect cats but no fust-class detective ain't goin' round huggin' and kissin' cats, no matter how much he respects them. In America, cat's eye shells are commonly found in African-American mojo bags prepared for protection from evil, for uncrossing, and to break a jinx. This probably derives from their use in European folk-magic and is not the remnant of a central African custom, since the evil eye belief itself -- and thus the use of eye-charms to repel the evil eye- is Middle-Eastern in origin and spread from there to India and to Europe. Cultural appropriation being what it is, however, cat's eye shells are a regular component of voodoo practice and have been for at least a couple of centuries.

The Ham Nation Parodying Emigration, Atavistic Primitivism, “Biblical” Justifications for Slavery, and Early Iterations of Pan-Africanism

CICERO Now dat I've got this gold, I'm goin' to have my pedigree wrote. There's a gentleman down in Cheaterville dat can find the Royal ancestors for anybody dat got fifty dollars to spare for his trouble. In fact, he said there was a time when every darkey was a king. (song) Evah Darkey Is a King Dar's mighty curious circumstance Dat's a botherin' all de nation. All de yankees is dissatisfied Wid a deir untitled station. Dey is huntin' after title Wid a golden net to snare 'em! But dey ain't got all de title For it is a 'culiar ting. When a dahkey stahts to huntin' He is sho' to prove a king. CHORUS Evah darkey is a king! Royalty is jes' de ting. If yo' social life's a bungle, Jes you go back to yo' jungle, And remember dat your daddy was a king. Scriptures say dat Ham was de first black man. Ham's de father of our nation. All de black folks to dis very day B'longs right in de Ham creation. Ham, he was a king in ancient days, An' he reigned in all his glory. So ef we is all de Sons of Ham, Natcherlly dat tells de story. White folks what's got dahkey servants Try an' get dem every thing. You must nevah speak insulting. You may be talking to a king.

Emancipation Day Cakewalks, Continuity, Jubilee, Origins, and American Promises

CHORUS On Emancipation Day, All you white fo'ks clear de way. Brass ban' playin' sev'ral tunes, Darkies eyes look jes' lo'k moons, Marshall of de day a struttin', Lord but he is gay. Coons dress'd up lak masqueraders, Porters arm'd lak rude invaders . When dey hear dem ragtime tunes, White fo'ks try to pass fo' coons on Emancipation Day. Heah um cry, My oh my, When de'cession shows it head. Majors brown Ridin' down on cart hosses deck'd in red. Teeth lak pearls, Greet the girls standin' dere lak dusky storms. Oh! my pet, What a set of owdacious uniforms. Generals stiff as hick'ry sticks In de dress of seventy-six . (Repeat chorus) That's How the Cake Walk's Done Cake-walking craze, it's a fad nowadays With black folks and white folks too, And I really declare it's done ev'rywhere, Though it may be something new to you. 'Twas introduced years ago down in Dixie you know, By Black folks in Tennessee. So just to show you, I'm going to do A cake walk of a high degree. CHORUS Bow to the right, bow to the left, Then you proudly take your place. Be sure to have a smile on your face, Step high with lots of style and grace. With a salty prance do a ragtime dance, Step way back and get your gun. With a bow, look wise, make goo-goo eyes, For that's the way the cake walk's done. My Grandmother told me that she used to be The best cake walker in the state, When she walk'd down the line, lord, chile she did shine. But of course her style is out of date; The Parisians, you know, they all walk just so, They call it ze cake walk dance. But with me you'll agree, That the folks from Paree In this cake walk would have no chance.

Setting and Settling Boston, Gatorville, and Dahomey

(Exterior of LIGHTFOOT home, garden of the summer house. Chorus sings "For Florida.") For Florida our home so bright. Our voices ring with true delight. From verdant vale to arid stand, She is for 'ere a summer land. Her tree, her rocks, her streamlets clear, To all our loyal hearts are dear. So let us sing it loud and long, For Florida, a song, a song. We are the children of the sun. Upon our brows His work is done. Tho' rude and black our faces be, Our hearts are brave, our hands are free. And as we sing, so shall we strive, As long as loyalty's alive. Our hearts, our arms, our souls, hurrah, For Florida! For Florida ! (Enter from the house, CICERO LIGHTFOOT in shirt sleeves and apron, spoon in hand) CICERO Dat song expresses my sentiments to the letter. After all, there ain't no place like Florida. MOSES 'Ceptin' Dahomey, but outside of Dahomey and Boston, I endorse your statements. CICERO I don't know nothin' about no other place 'cept Florida. It might be the worse place in the world, but whether it's worst or best, it's home, and, Mose (cautiously), if Dahomey pulls up shy, I'm comin' back here.

Reluctant Prophets: First Class Jonah Men

My hard luck started when I was born, leas' so the old folks say. Dat same hard luck been my bes' fren' up to dis very day. When I was young my mamma's frens to find a name they tried. They named me after Papa and the same day Papa died. For I'm a Jonah, I'm an unlucky man. My family for many years would look on me and then shed tears, Why am I dis Jonah I sho' can't understand, But I'm a good substantial full-fledged real first-class Jonah man . A fren' of mine gave me a six-month meal ticket one day. He said, "It wont do me no good, I've got to go away." I thanked him as my heart wid joy and gratitude did bound. But when I reach'd the restaurant the place had just burn'd down. For I'm a Jonah, I'm a unlucky man. It sounds just like that old, old tale, But sometimes I feel like a whale. Why am I dis Jonah I sho' can't understand, But I'm a good substantial full-fledged real first-class Jonah man.

Emigration and Colonization

STAMPFIELD You shouldn't let trifles annoy you. I'll dare say you'll find the population of Dahomey quite as much a source of annoyance as the colored population of this country. Your exalted opinion of the ideal life to be found in a barbarous country is beyond my comprehension. MOSES It's all right for you, son, to argue that way, 'cause you 'specs to live and die amongst these white folks here in the United States, but the colonization society that leaves this country for Dahomey takes a different view of the matter. In the first place, we've 'vestigated the country and found out just what's what. STAMPFIELD In other words, the existing conditions. MOSES (doubtfully) Yes. Everything points to success. They tell me that gold and silver in Dahomey is plentiful, as the whiskey is on election day in Bosting [Boston]. The climate's fine -- just the right thing for raisin' chickens and watermelons. It never snows so you don't need no clothes (pauses) sich as the people wear here, and who know but what you can get a few franchises from the king to start street cars, 'lectric lights and saloons to running. STAMPFIELD You've fine, big ideas, but suppose the natives suddenly don't take kindly to the new order of things and refuse to be electric lighted, salooned and otherwise fixed up with blessings of civilization. Suppose they look upon you as intruders and instead of receiving you with open arms (pause) make war on you. MOSES (slowly) If it comes to that, we'll arrange with dem gentlemen like Uncle Sam did with the Indians. STAMPFIELD How is that? MOSES Kick the stuffin' out of dem and put them on a reservation.

Reverse Passage?

HUSTLING CHARLEY Well, there's a society down in Florida that's been pilin' up coin for years. Now that they're flush, they're goin' to go blow. They ain't satisfied to see their noodles ain't swelled on account of their dough, but they figure this country's a dead one. Some bloke tipped off Dahomey as the original Klondike and they're goin' against the brace, hook, line, and sinker. I'm goin' to steer the gang down to Gatorville where the main Gazaboo of the whole push hangs out. Say, fellows, I get two dollars a head from the captain of the dugout that snatches 'em away from this burg, and I've got a contract with a medicine shark, in all cases of sea sickness, we split the purse fifty-fifty. If anybody pegs out on the trip, I've got an undertaker waitin' at the wharf that gives me 35 percent of the net. Am I asleep at the switch, ask me?

On Broadway in Dahomey

RAREBACK (laughing) Stick to me and after we're in Dahomey six months if you like it, I'll buy it for you. I'll tell the King over there that I'm a surveyor, and you're a contractor. If he asks for a recommendation, I'll tell him to go over to New York City and take a look at Broadway -- it's the best job the firm ever did, and if he don't mind, we'll build him a Broadway in the jungle. (song) If we went to Dahomey, suppose the King would say We want a Broadway built for us, we want it right away. We'd git a bunch of natives, say ten thousand or more Wid banyan trees, build a big department store. We'd sell big Georgia possums, some water melons, too To get the coin for other things we'd like to do. If we couldn't have real horse cars, we'd use zebras for awhile On the face of the Broadway clock, use a crocko-dial. CHORUS On Broadway in Dahomey bye and bye We'll build a Bamboo Railway to the sky. You'll see on the sides of the rocks and hills, On Broadway in Dahomey bye and bye. We'd git some large Gorillas and use them for police, then git a Hippopotamus for Justice of the Peace. We'd build a nice roof garden somewhere along the line, Serve Giraffe Highballs and real Cokenut wine. We'd use Montana Diamonds to make Electric light, And then have Wagner sung by parrots ev'ry night. We'd have a savage festival, serve Rhine os-erus stew, Have pork chops and U-need-a Biscuit too.