The Cowborettes Majorettes and Drummers march in the Southern Heritage Classic Parade in Orange Mound, Memphis TN, 9/8/12
Drums
Bellevue Middle School Majorettes and Drummers in the Southern Heritage Classic Parade 2012
The Bellevue Middle School Majorettes and Drummers march down Park Avenue in the Southern Heritage Classic Parade in Orange Mound, Memphis TN, 9/8/12
Jackson State Sonic Boom of the South, Southern Heritage Classic Parade 2012, Memphis
The Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South marches down Park Avenue in Orange Mound during the Southern Heritage Classic Parade, Memphis TN, 9/8/12
Percussion Perfection at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival 2012
Drumlines have traditionally played a big role in the African-American community of Memphis. Not only were such groups part of junior high and high school band programs, but they were also sponsored by community centers, drill teams and majorette organizations. Similar African-American drumlines can be found in other cities around the country, suggesting that the popularity of percussion bands in Black communities is not unique to Memphis. At least one theory about this activity is that the use of western drums and the association of them with patriotic or military functions or school and community functions allowed African-Americans in the South to continue African cultural practices that would have otherwise been suppressed. The drumline known as Percussion Perfection is a group of young men from various Memphis neighborhoods, but, unlike most drumlines, they are not sponsored by any school, church or community center. They appear unexpectedly in public spaces and events in Memphis, playing for tips from their listeners. Their unexpected appearance at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival was especially appropriate, as their drum cadences and intricate dance moves are a fundamental part of the Memphis heritage.Â
Star Steppers and Drummers at a Majorette Jamboree, 2012
The Star Steppers and drummers perform at a majorette jamboree in South Memphis at New Life M.B. Church, February 11, 2012
United Christian Percussionists, Grambling Homecoming 2011
#084 United Christian Percussionists Drumline.MOV (by jdoggtn7)
The United Christian Percussionists from Shreveport, LA march in the Grambling Homecoming Parade, October 22, 2011
Tallulah Madison High School’s Soul Rockers of the Mid-South at Grambling Homecoming 2012
#083 Madison High School (Tallulah) Band.MOV (by jdoggtn7)
The Madison High School Band from Tallulah, LA marches in the Grambling Homecoming Parade, October 22, 2011
Shreveport’s Beat The Streets Drumline at the Grambling Homecoming Parade 2012
#082 Beat the Streets Drumline.MOV (by jdoggtn7)
The Beat The Streets Drumline from Shreveport marches in the Grambling Homecoming Parade, October 22, 2011
Tulsa Douglass High School Band at the Grambling Homecoming Parade 2012
#076 Tulsa Douglass High School Band.MOV (by jdoggtn7)
The Douglass High School band from Tulsa, OK marches in the Grambling Homecoming Parade, October 22, 2011