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January 02, 2008
Charleston: the city, the dance, the accent.
The city? Since 1670, it's been one of the most original and interesting places in the world. It's even in the U.S., a nation for all its talent known more for conformity, sameness and mass schmaltz than cultural authenticity. The dance? It was popularized by song and its accompanying dance, "The Charleston," by James P. Johnson in the Broadway musical "Runnin' Wild" in 1923. Just like the unique Charleston dialect that linguists love and you still hear in the streets--
especially in the more affluent residents "South of Broad"--the dance has been traced back to descendants of slaves who lived on islands off the coast of Charleston and in the city itself. The Charleston had been performed in their communities since 1903. That gorgeous, royal-sounding accent? Most likely, it's a blend: of Gullah spoken by African Americans, and of English spoken by Europeans.
Posted by JD Hull at January 2, 2008 02:09 PM