General sponsor
The Human Hambone
USA
2005, 49', color, video
Directed by:
Mark Morgan
Producers:
Cameron Burr, Ed Bedrosian
Produced by:
Open Road Movies
Festivals & Awards:
This musical documentary investigates and celebrates the history and development of human body used as a musical instrument. We started the trip in the Africa of the days of slavery; then we crossed to America, where these same slaves showed others how to use the natural rhythm of our bodies and our heartbeats for making of music. It did not go easy all the time: in 1739, slaves were banned from using drums in South Carolina. As a result from that repression, they improved the use of human body for creating sounds known as ‘hambone’. Many styles developed with time, from step and beatboxing to truly remarkable techniques presented to you by artists Sam McGrier, Guy Davis, David Holt, Jimmy Slyde, Radioactive….
