Old Corn Meal facts for kids
Old Corn Meal, also known as Signor Cormeali, was a well-known African-American street vendor in New Orleans, Louisiana. He became famous in the late 1830s for his lively singing and dancing while selling his goods. He is one of the earliest known African Americans to have a clear impact on the development of American popular music. He also influenced a type of popular entertainment called blackface minstrelsy.
A Street Performer's Life
Old Corn Meal was famous for walking through New Orleans. He would sing and dance while leading his horse and cart. He sold corn meal to people on the streets. His special song, which he wrote himself, was "Fresh Corn Meal." He also performed popular songs from other acts, like "Old Rosin the Beau" and "My Long Tail Blue."
He had a natural deep voice, called a baritone. But he could also easily change his voice to a very high, ringing sound called a falsetto. His amazing performances made him very popular.
From Street to Stage
Because of his popularity, Old Corn Meal was invited to perform at the St. Charles Theatre in 1837. This was a big deal for a street vendor! He performed a solo act there, even bringing his horse and cart onto the stage. He performed at the St. Charles Theatre at least one more time in 1840.
In 1837, his song "Old Corn Meal" was part of a play called Life in New Orleans. Newspapers at the time said he was a very well-known musician. One article called him "the celebrated sable satellite." Another mentioned "the popular song Fresh Corn Meal" that he sang. His stage performance, just like his street act, was a huge success. Another show was planned, but sadly, during that second show, his horse fell on stage and died. In 1840, he also performed at the Camp Street Theater at least twice.
How He Influenced Music
Many white performers who did blackface acts likely learned from Old Corn Meal. Blackface was a type of popular entertainment where performers, often white, would paint their faces to look like Black people. They would then perform songs, dances, and comedy.
One performer influenced by Old Corn Meal was George Nichols, a blackface circus clown. Another was Thomas D. Rice, a very famous blackface performer. Rice's "Corn Meal" skit probably came from seeing Old Corn Meal's act. Rice visited New Orleans in 1835, 1836, and 1838, so he had many chances to see Old Corn Meal perform.
A Popular Figure
Historians believe Old Corn Meal's performance at the St. Charles Theatre was one of the first times an African American performed on a major stage in New Orleans. He was a much-talked-about person. He was often mentioned in articles in the Picayune newspaper during the late 1830s.
When he passed away in 1842, his death was noted in several newspapers. The Bee newspaper wrote about him. They said, "Poor old Corn Meal . . . is gone. never again shall we listen to his double toned voice." They also mentioned his "corn meal melodies," which could be sung in a deep bass voice or a high treble voice. The newspaper called him a "public-spirited character" who was as well-known as a popular politician.
