Georgia Sea Island Singer Mable Hillery
The Georgia Sea Islands may not be known for too many things, but music is certainly one of them. An area of relative isolation, it's a region steeped in the cultural history of the Gullah - descendants of African slaves with a unique language, history and musical tradition all their own. And it's music from the Sea Islands that's of particular interest to scholars, partly because it provides an authentic representation of slavery-era songs of the lowland and coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.
Perhaps the most well known singer from the Sea Islands was Bessie Jones, who along with Mabel Hillary and others in the 1960s, travelled the U.S. performing songs and other elements of the Gullah culture. This recording is unique because it captures a stirring solo performance by Hillary.
Listen to the entire interview and performance below. Audio courtesy of the Dave Sear Folk Music Collection.
