Beaufort ~ Down by the Riverside with Ron Daise

November 4:
“Down by the Riverside” Spirituals Performance by Ron Daise at historic Grace Chapel AME Church, Beaufort, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Sing along with Ron Daise and learn Gullah songs that shaped the culture. From sorrow songs to baptism, code message, children’s, work, and funeral songs, participants will gain an understanding and an appreciation for Gullah Geechee heritage. Information from groundbreaking books about Gullah culture, Charles Joyner’s “Down by the Riverside: A South Carolina Slave Community” (1984), and Daise’s books, “Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage” (1986) and “Gullah Branches,” “West African Roots” (2005), as well as personal insights will be featured. Come ready to sing, clap, stomp, enjoy! About Ron Daise: Performing artist and writer Ron Daise is the recipient of the 1996 South Carolina Order of the Palmetto, the 1997 State of South Carolina Folk Heritage Award, a 1998 Daytime Emmy Award nomination, the 2007 South Carolina African American Heritage Commission’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction in 2013 into the Penn Center 1862 Circle. Costar and cultural consultant for “Gullah Gullah Island, Nick Jr.” TV’s award-winning show of the 1990s, he is vice president for Creative Education at Brookgreen Gardens and a former chairman of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. Daise is also the author of “Gullah Branches, West African Roots,” and other books. $10. Registration: tinyurl.com/conroyfest18tix This session is also included in the festival’s weekend pass: tinyurl.com/conroyfest18weekendpass (Includes free and ticketed events Thursday-Sunday excluding workshops, cooking demonstrations, and tours.)