Category Archives: Gullah/Geechee Music
Jayn we fa Shout at de Brick Baptist Church!
Brick Baptist Church and the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition invite you to join us for a community sing and film screening on Wednesday, August 16 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Brick Baptist Church Annex on St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation. We will share a series of short films about the tradition of lining hymns and their importance today.
Gearing Up fa de #GullahGeechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival 2017
“Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival™” Founders, Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and Kwame Sha of All Mobile Productions™ (AMP™) returned to the airwaves of “Gullah/Geechee Riddim Radio” to discuss the highlights of the coming festival and this year’s “Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week.”
Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week to be Celebrated Throughout the Coast
“Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week” began in 2012 in the City of Charleston, SC. Since then, the celebration has grown to encompass the counties and townships of the Gullah/Geechee Nation in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. This year, the theme of the celebration is “Fa We Ancestas.” The Gullah/Geechee Nation is proud that this week is part of the global activities for the “United Nations International Decade of People of African Descent.”
Celebrate the Gullah/Geechee Living Legacy on Historic St. Helena Island, SC at the Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival
“Fa We Ancestas” is the theme of the 2017 “Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival™.” This festival began on historic St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation in 2005 and has since traveled to numerous cities of the Gullah/Geechee Nation as well as to the Bahamas. This year’s return to St. Helena Island will be a celebration of the rich living culture of the island and Beaufort County.
The three day celebration August 4-6, 2017 will educate the supporters through a series of cultural heritage activities.
Jayn de Gullah/Geechee Famlee at Historic Skeeta Beach!
Many that made their way to James Island or Folly Beach did not and do not realize that there was a major gathering location adjacent to Sol Legare Island. They tend to breeze right by on their way out to the Atlantic Ocean. In an effort to insure that the world is well aware of the historic area that they are passing by, in 2015 the Mosquito Beach Business Association joined forces with the “Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition” (www.GullahGeechee.net) to host an annual “Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at Mosquito Beach” in order to bring awareness to the local and global community about the existence and history of “Mosquito Beach.” Many enjoyed the inaugural event and vowed to support the continued restoration and preservation efforts of this Gullah/Geechee historic beach.
On Saturday, July 29, 2017 beginning at Noon, the third annual “Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day at Mosquito Beach” will be held at Island Breeze 2225 Mosquito Beach Road Charleston, SC.
Queen Quet & De Gullah/Geechee Nation Standing Strong fa We Ancestas
Queen Quet has been the elected head-of-state and Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) for 17 years as of July 2, 2017. She has been standing up for the rights of Gullah/Geechee people for over three decades. Whenever asked about this, she will let you know that she stands due to her faith and the strength of her ancestors. Thus, she has effectively led a number of endeavors that have led to global recognition of Gullah/Geechee cultural heritage. The annual event that she co-founded to celebrate this rich heritage while also supporting the businesses and institutions of the Gullah/Geechee Nation is the “Gullah/Geechee Nation International Music & Movement Festival™” which will be held on her home island-historic St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation August 4-6, 2017.
Jasper County Proclaims Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation!
Jasper County Council in South Carolina presented Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) with a proclamation in honor of “Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week 2017.”
Juneteenth Freedom Celebrations in the Gullah/Geechee Nation
Juneteenth is the oldest commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Join the Gullah/Geechee in this celebration via these FREE family activities!
Gullah/Geechee Nation’s Black Music Month on Historic St. Helena Island Launches with the Sea Island Sounds Celebration
June is “Black Music Month.” This annual celebration in the Gullah/Geechee Nation will begin at the St. Helena Island Community Market with the “Sea Island Sounds Celebration” on Saturday, June 3, 2017 featuring songstresses, Mahoganee and GwenYvette. Both of these dynamic singers will be releasing new songs and the audience at the celebration will be the first to hear them at the Dr. Martin Luther King Park on historic St. Helena Island on that day. The event begins at 10 am and ends at 3 pm.
Beyond Tourism Week in the Gullah/Geechee Nation
The U.S. travel and tourism industry generates approximately $2.1 trillion per year. So, it is no surprise that there is actually a “Tourism Week” celebrated. In South Carolina, Gullah/Geechee culture is often highlighted at the I-95 North Visitors Center in Hardeeville, SC. However, in most cases, Gullah/Geechee culture is not highlighted, it is hijacked!
The massive amount of tourists that come to the Gullah/Geechee Nation annually believe that by driving through and taking photos and then staying in a hotel or camp ground over night, they have supported the Gullah/Geechee people. They even end up often duped into spending funds at “historic sites” and plantations that have Gullah/Geechee listed on their websites and shots of sweetgrass baskets on their brochures to only find out that there are no Gullah/Geechee people that own that site. There may be one Gullah/Geechee person or a few that work there, but beyond their salaries, there is no economic support going to the citizens of the Gullah/Geechee Nation.
