Now the first known recording of this song, circa 1933, is attributed to an artist by the name of James “Iron Head” Baker. And a researcher who interviewed Iron Head stated that “Black Betty” is rather a whip which prison officials used to punish prisoners. These prisoners, many of whom would have been Black Americans, were indeed forced into slave-like manual labor. Moreover it should be noted that Iron Head was actually such an inmate himself when he recorded “Black Betty”. So whereas Black Betty may have been a popular term for liquor or a gun predating the 20 th century, by the time the 1930s came around, it had acquired a different meaning. A Song sung by African American Slavesīut with that being said “Black Betty”, as in the song Ram Jam is covering, is recognized as an African-American labor chant. In other words, oppressed African-Americans (who were oft employed in physically-taxing, monotonous work) used to sing certain songs, such as “Black Betty”, to add rhythm to the work and thus complete said labors more efficiently. And it was very unlikely that they were singing in reference to a musket, though it is more feasible that they can be celebrating inebriation.
an old-timey gun with black paint. And in that regard, the phrase “bam-ba-lam”, as recited in the lyrics, is said to be intended to imitate the sound of gunfire. Now going back to the British, it is also said that ‘Black Betty’ was a nickname for a certain type of musket, i.e. And accordingly, it seems that “black Betty” was synonymous with a bottle of whiskey in particular dating as far back as 17 th century London. It is also my hope that they come back very soon so I can see them again.For instance, in researching the history of the term, it has been noted that none other than American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin himself used the expression back in 1736, some 250 years before Ram Jam dropped this song. And in that case he was apparently referring to, succinctly put, liquor. It is my hope that, as Caravan Palace continues its US tour, they are greeted with the same ardor their fans in Boston gave them. It enriches the passions of the city, certainly for swing dancers, geeks, and concert goers. WORLD MUSIC/CRASHarts should be commended for continually giving us such exposure to international music. They are pedaling a drug of pure pleasure. The important part is the sound, the fury of their style, the easiness of their substance. They can be a little bit Skrillex and a little bit of Benny Goodman. Caravan Palace is a product of a future where the divisions between genres are all but melted together. The promo piece I wrote for the concert described them as “science fictional.” I stand by this. Its attitude is so happily cool, its retro-futuristic concept so encompassing in vision and attitude. Even the lyrics are often in English or else sample other, blue-sy songs. In my mind, though, Caravan Palace performs with the trappings of some very American, perhaps very African American, pastimes: big band, swing dance, blues, and cello solos. Near the end of the performance, she thanked Boston for its fervor and its enjoyment of French music. She led the audience in a rousing cover of “Black Betty.” She sweats and pushes with the best of them, probably the hardest working singer I’ve seen yet. She swing dances across the stage in multiple, gorgeous costumes. Zoé Colotis doesn’t stop at providing effortless, smooth vocals. The band manufactures their sound with what feels like a very personal, sincere thumbprint. I’ve never been so happy for my feet to hurt as much as they did at the end of the night. On Sunday, May 22 nd, that’s exactly what the attendees of this concert did. That love has an edge of mania, though, a frightening kinetic core. The friend I brought with me reported even security got into the dancing.Ĭaravan Palace has a geekiness to it, an unbridled enthusiasm for its idol Django Reinhardt.
I saw more than a few swing dance veterans test out foot work to the hyper-active “Suzy” or the breezy, robotic vocals of “Star Scat.” Others were there simply for the electronica-esque, deeply satisfying build and drop of each song. Their sound seamlessly blends swing, hip-hop, and dance. It’s not a surprise the band would be a hit with a certain population of Boston. The energy brought the room up to a high that stayed there through the entirety of the show and two encores. ( Boston, MA) Caravan Palace came out strong the other night when it started its engagement at House of Blues with, “Comics.” The song, simultaneously upbeat and chilling, is a rhythmic single off of their latest album.
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