This photo was taken in the early 2000s by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Tyler Hicks. He was working for the New York Times then and had a crew come down, build a fire and the group shouted around the fire.

This photo was taken in 2011 by Troup Nightengale, Southeastern Photography.

This photo was taken backstage at the Savannah Music Festival with our friend, Mavis Staples.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C.

The photos in this submission should be credited to “Sapelo” an international award-winning documentary by Nick Brandestini.

The building they are in is called “The Hall” a family building that was made by Joseph Palmer. The group sang ring shouts in this building for the documentary.

Sheehy recorded the second album, “Spirituals and Shout Songs.”

Here is a Behind the Scenes documentary discussing the ring shout:

The Hall was built by Joseph Palmer.

These photos were taken on opening weekend of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The group was performing on the Main Stage called the “Freedom Stage.”

Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher

When the McIntosh County Shouters went to Colorado for a special program, they were asked to appear for a performance on the nationally syndicated ETown radio show which has over a million subscribers. The audience was thrilled to be able to hear them in person. This particular part of the program was the encore, where the different groups performed different renditions of “The Last Time” (or “This May be the Last Time” as the McIntosh County Shouters call it). The Rolling Stones are known for being inspired by roots music. This song has been in the family for generations.

Article about the McIntosh County Shouters and the ring shout with Art Rosenbaum. Click Here

Photos from Library of Congress program.

Photo by Dan Sheehy, Curator and Director Emeritus, Smithsonian Folkways Recording.

This photo was taken outside the Hall built by Joseph Palmer. It was used for the cover of the McIntosh County Shouters’ second album, “Spirituals and Shout Songs”, 2016.

Filming for Freedom’s Path was done in 2019, but due to the pandemic, it wasn’t released until 2022. The two young actors in this film definitely are going places.

The McIntosh County Shouters provided the soundtrack for this film. There are also a few scenes with them in them.

Director Brett Smith searched for a couple of years for a group that could resonate with the era of the Civil War. He was thrilled to find the McIntosh County Shouters and even more excited once he was able to record exactly the feel and texture he wanted.

When Freddie sang a funeral song, the whole cast and crew were in tears. They were so moved by his singing.

Here’s a throwback video…enjoy. Adam in the Garden.

One of the Georgia Low Country’s most authentically down-home musical acts bowled ‘em over in Boulder earlier this summer, and a taste of that performance is set to broadcast from Colorado to a national radio audience later this month.

 

After the McIntosh County Shouters’ delivered their unique Gullah Geechee sound to a packed house at the Macky Auditorium Concert Hall in Boulder Colo., on June 23, the local radio station eTown implored the group to take the stage again that night and join its weekly musical show. The Shouters’ lively and inspired mix of distinctly African American rhythm, percussion, and song brought the house down again for eTown’s studio audience.

That performance will be broadcast via eTown radio the week of Aug. 21-27 to some 300 stations across the country, including WRUU 107.5 FM in Savannah and WUGA 97.9 FM in Athens, said Caroline Johnson, eTown’s Director of Marketing and Communications.

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It is with great pride and joy that we announce that our very own Stickman, Brenton Jordan, has been awarded the prestigious honor of being a 2023 USA Artist Fellow. Thank you to the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts for generously supporting Brenton and his love of the ring shout.

Originally from the Briar Patch community of Eulonia, Georgia, Brenton Jordan grew up in a close Gullah Geechee community. There, Jordan would learn — along with relatives and members of the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church — about the traditional ring shout. As a child, he learned the specific nuances of the authentic ring shout. As he grew older, he started performing with the McIntosh County Shouters as a baser/clapper — providing percussion and helping to maintain the rhythm.

Today, he is the Stickman for the group, still providing percussion by beating a large wooden stick against a wooden board as well as leading some songs. He also is a storyteller, teaching people about his heritage. He has traveled around the United States, sharing this Gullah Geechee culture with audiences young and old. He has performed in venues as large as the National Museum of African American History and Culture to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and venues as intimate as nursing homes and schools. Some of his favorite audiences are school children; as it is in performing for these children, he is able to reach out to the younger generations, thereby keeping the ring shout tradition alive. He is a descendant of London, and Amy Jenkins, two former Georgia slaves, and the Gullah Geechee culture is something very near to his heart. Being able to share this distinctive culture with the world is one of Jordan’s most important objectives, as today’s world sees the culture disappearing due to the gentrification of the East Coast.

The World Music Institute is hosting a webinar featuring Brenton Jordan and Joseph Opala on Monday, February 13, 2023. You are welcome to view the webinar for free.

Click on this link: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35721/production/1150874. Instructions for joining are on the page.

Tickets are free.