The Pines Should Do This All the Time...

It felt good. About this time last year we had tickets and plans for three big live music events. All were canceled due to Covid-19 precautions. Last night we finally got to see a live music show. The group Ranky Tanky, who had this date cancelled several times over pandemic concerns the past year played an outdoor socially distanced show on a downtown Lufkin Street on a stage set up between the old Lufkin National Bank Building and the older Angelina Hotel.  

The show was scheduled to be in the old The Pines Theater. The theater was built in 1925 and has been refurbished and is owned by the city as a concert venue. Events are scheduled under the leadership of the Angelina Arts Alliance. Even though the historical atmosphere inside is a great setting for a show I think moving the show outdoors on a pleasant evening was a great idea.  

Ranky Tanky is a Charleston, South Carolina band creating music that reflects the Gullah culture of the South Sea Islands that run along the south eastern coast of the United States. Ranky Tanky, the name of the band is also a children's game played by the people of this area whose roots spring from the slaves imported to this area from West Africa. Gullah culture is a creole culture that preserves many elements of African life, language and customs. The people were brought in as rice farmers. I would imagine visiting South Carolina in 1708 you would have thought you were in a African country. The Gullah people were the majority. This and the geographic isolation of the islands is the reason why the culture has not been lost to other influences.       

Ranky Tanky won the 2020 Grammy Award for best roots music album. 

Great singers with superior instrumental skills played many solos to show off their virtuosity on their instruments. 

This was even a little dancing. 

Check out Ranky Tanky. I bought a CD. Cathy got a great, soft material t shirt like she likes. We all got exposed to some culture that makes this old melting pot of the USA great. It's stood the test of time and looks stronger than ever.