Gourd Dances outside of Gourd Dance Territory

[Kiwehnzii]

[QUOTE=WhoMe]
In Kiowa country, when a song is sung that belongs to someone or a family, it may cause family members to have to have an impromptu giveaway.

QUOTE]


Can I buy one from you? I'll give you half a million points. And I'll giveaway another half a mil.

Aye Jus kidding.

[LSS]

Expectations that to be a southern singer you have to sing Gourd Dance?

Granted, just about all southern plains tribes now gourd dance, but keep in mind this wasn't always true...heck, it probably wasn't even true just 50 years ago.

There are formal War Dance songs and intertribal pow wow songs, and I would think that your expectations would be based on your knowledge of those songs as opposed to gourd dance songs...am I wrong?

I'm a northern guy looking in at this so maybe I am totally wrong and maybe southern singers today are expected to know gourd songs? Is this true?

No, expectations from siners I travel with from time to time. And I'm not talking about my own group of guys; I bounce around a lot with different singers for the experience. This is where I learn the "southern way".

[CHEROSAGE]

Gentlemen, I may recommend that you go to a Kiowa singer and get permission to sing certain songs. I believe that some songs that were made for an individual or even a family have been placed on the drum to be enjoyed by many. Not all songs are for the public. Get some songs that are for the general public and learn them very, very well. Many a dancers such as myself are not singers BUT most can tell you if you sang it correctly. (Kiowas I mean). I don't place myself in this catagory since I speak no Kiowa. I'm sure some Kiowa singers do go East to sing as I was told of some Kiowas singing in the East. Joe Cozad told me one time when he went to Florida, I think. That was a long time ago. When I was at Ft. Sill OK I was injured for a while and was not able to dance. I was allowed to sit in and sing(try to sing). I never lead a song but I helped join in. Many of these song I new well enough to second.

[KSComanche]

In Kiowa country, when a song is sung that belongs to someone or a family, it may cause family members to have to have an impromptu giveaway.

This often happens when someone who is not Kiowa sits in with Kiowa gourd dance singers.

BEEN THER DONE THAT!!!! and its a real pain too when your not ready to do a give-away and everyone in the family is digging through their pockets and bags........waht a mess.......

I personaly can only think of about a dozen or so songs that havent been put on the drum, and most of those belong to societys, but it is still best manners to get permission to sing a family or individuals song, especially if they are present.( refering to songs that have been put on the drum, songs that are still private should NEVER be sung without the appropriate permission)
I am not a singer, but know enough of the older singers and have sat in on enough practises that I beleive I am correct on this.