Located in the small community of Boldon/Briar Patch, Georgia, the McIntosh County Shouters have been credited with preserving the ring shout in North America. The group continues to educate audiences around the world about this age-old tradition.
By the beginning of the 20th century, it was widely believed that the ring shout had ceased to be practiced in African American communities throughout the south. It wasn’t until 1980 that folklorists discovered the ring shout was still alive and practiced in Boldon/Briar Patch.
Once these folklorists alerted the music world that this specific community had continued teaching children about the ring shout while neighboring churches had stopped doing so, people from around the world began to come to this area. This unbroken chain of teaching the ring shout for over 300 years was celebrated by historians, professors, folklorists, humanities professionals, ethnomusicologists, and musicians worldwide. It was just as much of a revelation to the McIntosh County Shouters to learn that the ring shout had died outside of their Boldon/Briar Patch community as it was for the rest of the world to learn they still practiced it and taught it faithfully. As the only authentic practitioners of the historic ring shout, they were invited to perform at festivals around the country.
A few years later, the McIntosh County Shouters recorded the 1984 album “Slave Shout Songs from the Coast of Georgia” with Moses Asche. (now known as Smithsonian Folkways Recordings). Since then, a litany of honors have been bestowed upon the McIntosh County Shouters since then. A sample of their honors and noted performances is listed in the Awards/Honors page.
The McIntosh County Shouters have never been known by any other name.
The McIntosh County Shouters are available for performances at festivals, special events, colleges, and schools. For information about booking the McIntosh County Shouters, email info at mcintoshcountyshouters dot com or call (912) 399-2466.
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