McIntosh County Shouters
Master Artists of the Authentic Ring Shout
| ABOUT THE GROUP |
"Shout Because You're Free" is a book that was written about the McIntosh County Shouters by renowned folklorist Art Rosenbaum, University of Georgia.. This book gives a great overview about the history of the ring shout as well as the McIntosh County Shouters, a group that is related by blood or by marriage and descends from former slaves London and Amy Jenkins. Mr. Rosenbaum spent 16 years researching this group and also produced a CD entitled "McIntosh County Shouters: Slave Shout Songs from the coast of Georgia." Both items are on sale from this website. Email info@mcintoshcountyshouters.com for more information.
"The McIntosh County Shouters is a national treasure that has preserved one of the oldest forms of African American cultural and religious expression with a direct link to African roots. I had the pleasure of recommending the group for a National Heritage Fellowship, America’s highest honor for the traditional arts, which they received in 1993. Their performances in New York City over the past twenty-one years have held audiences spellbound and contributed to a greater understanding of early African American culture." ~ Robert H. Browning, Executive & Artistic Director--World Music Institute In May 2010, the McIntosh County Shouters will become one of the recipients of the Georgia Governor's Awards in the Humanities in Atlanta. Please join us for this special event. Go to www.georgiahumanities.org for more information. The McIntosh County Shouters were featured on Art Rosenbaum's 2009 Grammy award winning "Best Historical Album". Rosenbaum also wrote a book in 1998 entitled "Shout Because You're Free" which was largely based on this group. They were awarded Master Artist status in New York City in 2008 by the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition, they were recently named Founding Members/Producers of Distinction for the Georgia Made Georgia Grown program.
The McIntosh County Shouters were formed as a professional performing group in 1980. This does not mean, however, that 1980 is when they began “shouting”. After their ancestors had finished a long day's hard work in the plantations, they would come home and praise the fact that they had survived yet another day. Women would move in a counterclockwise direction while the men would act as clappers and bassers. This call-and-response form of communication was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was used in the plantations as a means of communication while working in the rice fields during the days of slavery. Often Biblical in nature, the songs and vignettes they shouted out could range from spirituals to talking about a child's illness or even death of a loved one.
This tradition was literally handed down from generation to generation. The elders would teach the younger generations how to perform the authentic ring shout. Much attention is paid to the detail of performing these ring shouts as this group firmly believes in retaining the integrity of the authentic ring shout. So, one day in 1980 an outsider made the discovery that this tradition was still being practiced amongst the community and taught to children. At the time, the McIntosh County Shouters were the last practitioners of this art form. Once this discovery was made known, people began requesting the McIntosh County Shouters to explain and demonstrate this traditional song and dance art form. Since then, they have been featured in many documentaries and received many awards.
www.McIntoshCountyShouters.com For more information: 912-399-2466 Copyright 2010 McIntosh County Shouters
McIntosh Shouters  Authentic Ring Shout
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Founding Members/Producers of Distinction