VAL McGINNIS
MUSIC NOTES
DANCE TUNES
Jaffa's March
Val learnt this tune from the playing of Jaffa Ah Matt, during his time with the Pon Brother's String band in the mid-1930s. He was not sure whether Jaffa composed it himself or where he might have come by it. Val recalled that Jaffa composed several tunes during that period. Gabe Hazelbane of Darwin also remembers Jaffa making up lots of ditties, when they worked on the North Australian Railway together (Hazelbane, 2000, 2001). Jaffa is generally credited with composing the well-known song Old TI, a favourite right across the Top End.Jaffa's March is typical of the �march� tunes played by the string bands for dances such as the quickstep. According to Val, other popular march tunes included Pennsylvania Polka, Under the Double Eagle and Invercargill, which had parts in both G and C. Val recalls the string bands adapting many march tunes from the playing of the old Darwin Brass Band. Val also learnt several �Sousa� marches from old gramophone recordings.
Ali's Quickstep / Going to the Barn Dance Tonight
Another march tune set, again used for quicksteps and barn dances, during the old string band days. Val wasn't sure where he first learnt Ali's Quickstep � named for his grand niece Allyson Mills, who used to call it �Dung-Dung-a-Dung� when she was young. The second tune Going to the Barn Dance Tonight was very old tune, according to Val, who always played these two tunes as a set.Tea Tree Waltz
Val learnt this pretty waltz tune from the playing of Jaffa Ah Matt, during the 1930s. Though its origins are cloudy, Val thought �Jaffa might have had a hand in it�. According to Val, they played �Tea Tree� for waltzes from the early thirties on, in the Thursday Island and Pon Brothers string bands. Tea Tree Waltz has now entered the repertoires of revival string bands all around Australia, thanks to the �folk process� in the years following distribution of composite cassettes of Val's music to family and friends in Darwin and beyond.Polka Mazurka Set
These were the tunes Val and others played for what Darwin's mixed race community referred to as the Polka Mazurka, in the old string band days. Colleague Tony Suttor advises that the dance and tunes should more properly be referred to as a Waltz Mazurka, while others claim they are really a Varsovienna. Whilst I'll let the experts debate the finer points, the important point is that such tunes, along with the Veleta and Shake Hand Dance, represented those important �other� dances, that �belonged� to Darwin's mixed race community, then, and now.Darwin Shake Hand Dance (Filipino Barn Dance)
This simple tune was the vehicle for perhaps the favourite dance of �old� Darwin's mixed-race community, from Police Paddock to Parap Camp days. Most probably introduced to Darwin by early Spanish or Filipino migrants, it is no doubt much simplified from its original European �court� origins, yet its performance retains much of this inherent elegance, even today. Val learnt this tune (first on the button accordion, then the mandolin) very early on in his music career, from local Spanish musicians, probably the Peres family of Darwin (McGinness, 1988).Description of Dance Formations for Darwin Shake Hand Dance (Sue Ross, July 2002)
Longways set for as many as will. Ladies start on the gentlemen's right.- Part A
Face your partner and take right hands. Raise hands as high as possible and then lower them while bowing to your partner. This is a very slow and stately movement. Lady curtseys, man bows with free hand behind his back. Repeat - Part B
Still facing your partner and holding right hands, move towards the top of the set, stepping sideways. Men's footwork is Left side Right together, Left side Right together, Left side Right, Left (fast skip) Right across in front, pause. Women's footwork is the opposite. Repeat moving towards the bottom of the set. Repeat whole movement - Part C
Take your partner in a ballroom hold and polka finishing with the lady on the man's left i.e. the set is 'improper' Repeat dance in reverse. i.e. A - Partners take left hands and bow ; B - Move towards the bottom of the set first; C - Finish with the lady on the man's right.