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The Hallelujah Singers (The Kennedy Center)

The Hallelujah Singers

A vocal group from Beaufort, founded 10 years ago by Marlena Smalls, the Hallelujah Singers seek to preserve through music the Gullah heritage, rooted in West African traditions and language, and brought by the slaves to the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. The Gullah language is Creole blend of West African and European dialects, developed in the isolated plantations of the coastal South. Most of the Gullah vocabulary is of English origin, but grammar and pronunciation come from a number of West African languages, such as Ewe, Madinka, Igbo, Twi and Yoruba. The slaves' knowledge of rice cultivation, a crop that had been grown in the West African region since 1500, made them desirable to the plantation owners of the South Carolina Low Country where rice had become a staple crop. The plantation owners, seeking the comforts of their city homes, often left the day-to-day operation of the plantations to the overseer or foreman, causing these isolated plantations to be much less influenced by Euro-American culture and allowing them to retain their "African-ness.

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Watch Past Performances

Marlena Smalls and The Hallelujah Singers 8/27/11: Marlena Smalls and The Hallelujah Singers

Founded by Smalls to preserve the unique melodies and storytelling of South Carolina’s Gullah culture, The Hallelujah Singers perform an evening of music and narration in celebration of the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial.

Marlena Smalls and The Hallelujah Singers

Founded by Smalls to preserve the unique melodies and storytelling of South Carolina’s Gullah culture, The Hallelujah Singers perform an evening of music and narration in celebration of the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial.
Marlena Smalls / The Hallelujah Singers 9/21/08: Marlena Smalls / The Hallelujah Singers

South Carolina’s NEA Heritage Award winner and acclaimed performer Marlena Smalls formed this group to share and promote the Gullah culture of the Sea Islands.

Marlena Smalls / The Hallelujah Singers

South Carolina’s NEA Heritage Award winner and acclaimed performer Marlena Smalls formed this group to share and promote the Gullah culture of the Sea Islands.
The Hallelujah Singers 9/12/99: The Hallelujah Singers

The Hallelujah Singers perform spirituals and songs of praise.

The Hallelujah Singers

The Hallelujah Singers perform spirituals and songs of praise.

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