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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Interview | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie Explains Songs Featured in the Documentary - Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie at home talking with Andrea Leland about the songs on the "Jamesie: King of Scratch" documentary; Jamesie explains the songs. Part 2. Camera: Andrea Leland
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie in Street Parade - Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival join a street parade with audience members at the conclusion of their performance. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Arrival
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All-Stars arrive in Chicago, Illinois to travel to the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival in Bloomington, Indiana. The band members talk and meet the Bloomington organizers. Camera: Ines Sommer
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars at Motel and Rehearsal at the African American Cultural Center
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars rehearse in the motel room, then perform at the African American Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Drive from Chicago to Bloomington
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All-Stars travel from Chicago, Illinois to Bloomington, Indiana to perform at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. Camera: Ines Sommer
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars, Outdoor Stage Performance
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars perform in an outdoor tent at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - African American Cultural Center
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All-Stars practice in a hotel room and teach Junie about the banjo. The band performs at the African American Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana before their Lotus World Music and Arts Festival appearance. Camera: Ines Sommer
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance at the African American Cultural Center - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All-Stars perform at Lotus World Music and Arts Festival under the tent at night. Camera: Ines Sommer
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance at the African American Cultural Center - Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All-Stars perform at Lotus World Music and Arts Festival on an outdoor stage. Camera: Ines Sommer
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Perform in Indoor Tent Performance - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars perform an evening concert at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Perform in Indoor Tent Performance - Part 2 | Street Parade - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars continue their performance an evening concert at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival and at its end, there is a street parade. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars, Second Stage Performance
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars perform on a second stage at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Lotus World Music and Arts Festival | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars, Second Stage Performance
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars perform on Second Stage at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 1, Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 1: Matt Benedict
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 1, Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 1: Matt Benedict
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 1, Part 3
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 1: Matt Benedict
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 2, Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 2 : Andrea Leland
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 2, Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 2 : Andrea Leland
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 2, Part 3
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 3: Henrik Lockhart
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 2, Part 4
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 3: Henrik Lockhart
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 3, Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 3: Henrik Lockhart
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Mount Victory | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Jamesie & the All-Stars Performance - Camera 3, Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars performance at Mount Victory on St. Croix. Camera 3: Henrik Lockhart
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Old Town School of Folk Music | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Concert - Part 1
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars perform at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Old Town School of Folk Music | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Concert - Part 2
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars perform at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois. Camera: Henrik Lockhart
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Old Town School of Folk Music | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Jamesie & the All-Stars Concert - Part 3
Andrea Leland
Jamesie & the All Stars perform at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois. Camera: Henrik Lockhart