Which spiritual/s resonated with you? What did you know about spirituals coming in? Who did you listen to singing/performing? What about their performance stuck out to you? To answer this question, relate your comment to some of the “Africanisms” or themes discussed in Dr. Pyle’s lecture.
Steal away (Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole from Emeless) and The Old Ship Of Zion (Romance Watson Live) resonated with me because of how much soul the singers put into the song. I knew these spirituals from listening to old folk singers and from movies and TV, often in a context that feels appropriated from African American culture. In the version of the Old Ship Of Zion I watched I really enjoyed the call and response between the singers and the audience, especially when the audience found certain moments of the performance really good and they called out to show approval.
It later became more apparent how crucial these songs are to African American culture. They functioned as cultural independence and a form of identity preservation down through generations of oppression. After spending time recording Ship of Zion for my something new non textual, it struck me how varied the ages of the people in the choir were. I became more aware of how spirituals like Ship of Zion are opportunities for different generations to come together in a shared bonding experience to celebrate their past.
