Overlooking the everburning Everglades.
That's right, the NS has a theme song. Doesn't every tribe?
Ours was the choice of NS founder Busimanolotome Osceola, aka Busi, my father-in-law. If you read my books you know no one second guessed "dad" so there never was any debate about its appropriateness-- if you read my books, you'll also know the NS never had a problem appropriating anything from the Outside if it made our lives living on the run in the swamp easier. Aside from its opening drum number, a Hollywood cliche since the first "soundies," there isn't anything "Native" about it. Composed by some Brits around 1960, Busi claims it was the first 45 rock record he ever owned. I think one of the things he liked about the song was an early music video of The Shadows playing the instrumental. According to Wikipedia, they were influential in creating the concept of a rock band, ie, 4 musicians (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums) to deliver the goods. They also helped create the "look" of rock and roll, especially the bass player who, wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, is seen sticking his smoking cigarette between the strings of his guitar so he can play and proceeds as if disconnected from the whole boring event. The imagery reminds me of an old George Romero zombie flick what with the lighting, its odd angles, and the black and white film.
Anyway it had a lasting impression on the Chief of the New Seminole, making him a rock n roll aficionado who made its music an integral part of the NS. Aside from my swamp wedding to Nokosee where Busi kidnapped a legendary rock band along Alligator Alley to perform at the reception, our "theme song" was played by our black bugler BoomBox from a boombox as we trekked through the swamp in what seemed like a neverending attempt to elude Uncle Sam's Army Rangers.
Looking back, that music probably got us through it all because I can remember sloshing through the knee-high water snapping my fingers more than once-- and leading with my very pregnant 18-year-old belly and hips with Fosse-style jazz steps. (Yes, it helped to be a tad nuts and disconnected-- like the bass player up above-- to be a NS card-carrying-member.)
Well, at least up to the Battle of Rendezvous Point deep in the Everglades where, for the most part, the NS were decimated and scattered to the four winds.
Ours was the choice of NS founder Busimanolotome Osceola, aka Busi, my father-in-law. If you read my books you know no one second guessed "dad" so there never was any debate about its appropriateness-- if you read my books, you'll also know the NS never had a problem appropriating anything from the Outside if it made our lives living on the run in the swamp easier. Aside from its opening drum number, a Hollywood cliche since the first "soundies," there isn't anything "Native" about it. Composed by some Brits around 1960, Busi claims it was the first 45 rock record he ever owned. I think one of the things he liked about the song was an early music video of The Shadows playing the instrumental. According to Wikipedia, they were influential in creating the concept of a rock band, ie, 4 musicians (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums) to deliver the goods. They also helped create the "look" of rock and roll, especially the bass player who, wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, is seen sticking his smoking cigarette between the strings of his guitar so he can play and proceeds as if disconnected from the whole boring event. The imagery reminds me of an old George Romero zombie flick what with the lighting, its odd angles, and the black and white film.
Anyway it had a lasting impression on the Chief of the New Seminole, making him a rock n roll aficionado who made its music an integral part of the NS. Aside from my swamp wedding to Nokosee where Busi kidnapped a legendary rock band along Alligator Alley to perform at the reception, our "theme song" was played by our black bugler BoomBox from a boombox as we trekked through the swamp in what seemed like a neverending attempt to elude Uncle Sam's Army Rangers.
Looking back, that music probably got us through it all because I can remember sloshing through the knee-high water snapping my fingers more than once-- and leading with my very pregnant 18-year-old belly and hips with Fosse-style jazz steps. (Yes, it helped to be a tad nuts and disconnected-- like the bass player up above-- to be a NS card-carrying-member.)
Well, at least up to the Battle of Rendezvous Point deep in the Everglades where, for the most part, the NS were decimated and scattered to the four winds.
RSS Feed