James "Jamesie" Brewster, born in 1929 in the US Virgin Islands is one of the most recognized names associated with quelbe music, also known as scratch music or quadrille. The music is an "indigenous, grass-roots form of folk music which originated in the US Virgin Islands", says documentary filmmaker, Andrea Leland. "It's a form of oral history, its lyrics are used to immortalize significant historical events, spread 'rude' gossip about one's neighbors, and relay the day to day trials and tribulations on a small island."
Instruments used to play the music are those that one can "scratch up" and historically, instruments were homemade or created through found objects. In addition to performing, Jamesie creates handmade instruments - several videos here capture his process.
Jamesie and the All-Stars performed not only in the US Virgin Islands, but also in the United States and Denmark. Playing along with Jamesie on many of the videos are Camille "King Derby" Macedon on banjo, who is also Jamesie's first cousin; Lawrence "Trashy" Mason on squash; Dimitri "Pikey" Copermann on saxaphone; Paul Hosford on bass; Wilfred E. Allick, Jr. ;Junie Bomba on congas; and "Hoofa" Richards on triangle. Many of the performance videos contain several shot from different cameras, the raw footage for use in the documentary Jamesie: King of Scratch, produced by Andrea Leland and Kathleen McManus, and released in 2006. Some of the videos have accompanying interview transcriptions or song transcriptions as well.
The following is an excerpt from the Director’s Statement:While the US Virgin Islands are an extremely popular tourist destination, few tourists know of the rich cultural traditions of the people native to the islands. With virtually no representation in the popular media, the deep roots and cultural traditions of the Virgin Islands are either unknown or are considered only as a form of light entertainment. Instead, most tourists hear nicely packaged and easily digestible sounds while dining beachside at their comfortable resorts.
The rich musical style of Quelbe is a testimony to the oral tradition of the Caribbean people. The music and lyrics have long served to reinforce a sense of community, identity, and history. Using song as a way to tell their stories, the Virgin Islanders passed on the stories of important events in their lives. The music provides an excellent example of the complex textural mixture of African, European, and Amerindian cultures, all of which have left their mark on these Caribbean islands.
North American culture is quickly taking over the islands, leaving folk traditions such as Quelbe marginalized. As younger generations of Virgin Islanders lose interest in their native culture and Quelbe musicians get older, it is urgent that the historically significant form of Quelbe music be documented. While several Quelbe CDs have been recorded, knowledge of the Virgin Island's folkloric musical traditions is not widely known among the American public. The literature on this music is scarce; most of the recorded oral histories (collected in the 1970's) are housed solely in a library on St. Thomas. There is no comprehensive video documentation of Quelbe and its major figures. The Virgin Islander's rich cultural heritage is crucial to the understanding of the settling of the Americas and deserves the attention this documentary provides.
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Demonstration | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie Woodworking - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie woodworking outside his home. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Demonstration | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie Woodworking - Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie woodworking outside his home. Camera: Andrea Leland
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Interview | Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Wayne James and Jamesie - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Wayne James and Jamesie talking about Quelbe, or scratch band music. Part 1. Camera: Erik Miles
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Interview | Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Wayne James and Jamesie - Part 2 and Setup for Mt. Bijou Performance
Andrea Leland
Wayne James and Jamesie talking about Quelbe, or scratch band music. Part 2. Camera: Erik Miles
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Blinky and Jamesie - Part 1
Andrea Leland
An interview between Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh and James "Jamesie" Brewster, Part 1. Camera: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Informal Talk with Jamesie About His Music - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie at Cottages by the Sea on St. Croix talking with Tom Benedict about how he creates music. Camera: Matt Benedict
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Informal Talk with Jamesie About His Music - Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie at Cottages by the Sea on St. Croix continuing his discussion with Tom Benedict about how he creates music. Camera: Matt Benedict
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Informal Talk with Jamesie, Blinky, and Derby
Andrea Leland
Jamesie at Cottages by the Sea on St. Croix with house owner Tom Benedict, joined by Blinky and Derby, discussing Jamesie's music - see Performance | Saint Croix | Jamesie, Blinky, and Derby Perform on the Beach to hear their music. Camera: Matt Benedict
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 1, Part 1
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 1: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 1, Part 2
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 1: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 1, Part 2 (Cont.)
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 1: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 1, Part 3
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 1: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 2, Part 1
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 2: Henrik Lockhart
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 2, Part 2
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 2: Henrik Lockhart
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 2, Part 3
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 2: Henrik Lockhart
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Interview with Jamesie and Blinky - Camera 2, Part 4
Andrea Leland
An interview with James "Jamesie" Brewster and Sylvester "Blinky" McIntosh on St. Croix. Camera 2: Henrik Lockhart
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Isle 95 Radio - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Isle 95 WJKC radio interview of Jamesie by Kathleen McManus, Part 1. Camera: Erik Miles
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Isle 95 Radio - Part 2
Andrea Leland
Isle 95 WJKC radio interview of Jamesie by Kathleen McManus, Part 2. Camera: Erki Miles
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie, Derby, and Trashy
Andrea Leland
An interview between James "Jamesie" Brewster, Camille "King Derby" Macedon, and Lawrence "Trashy" Mason about music. Camera: Matt Benedict
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie, Derby, and Trashy - Part 1
Andrea Leland
An interview between James "Jamesie" Brewster, Camille "King Derby" Macedon, and Lawrence "Trashy" Mason about music, Part 1. Camera: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie, Derby, and Trashy - Part 2
Andrea Leland
An interview between James "Jamesie" Brewster, Camille "King Derby" Macedon, and Lawrence "Trashy" Mason about music, Part 2. Camera: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie, Derby, and Trashy - Part 3
Andrea Leland
An interview between James "Jamesie" Brewster, Camille "King Derby" Macedon, and Lawrence "Trashy" Mason about music, Part 3. Camera: Matt Benedict
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Interview | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Restaurant Owner Interview
Andrea Leland
A female restaurant owner talks about Jamesie's songs, which ones she enjoys most, and Quelbe music. Camera: Andrea Leland
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Interview | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie Explains Songs Featured in the Documentary - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie at his home talking with Andrea Leland about the songs on the "Jamesie: King of Scratch" documentary; Jamesie explains the songs. Part 1. Camera: Andrea Leland
