Mingo Jackson was born into slavery around 1860 near Dalington, SC. A hunting and fishing guide, his stories and tall tales were legendary in my family. When I built my recording studio in the early 1980's, I named it after "Uncle Mingo" and have used his name in my business, art and activism ever since.
A most excellent funkadelic band from Charleston, SC came to record in the late 80's, liked Mingo's vibe too and named the band after him. Several of their songs will appear on this channel.
Mingo had one story I especially liked. He fell out of a fishing boat and , not being able to swim, promptly sank to the bottom. He told of calmly walking on the bottom, observing the fish, snapping turtles and other creatures of the mysterious black waters of low country rivers.
This account reminds me of Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" character Ishmael, who fell off his ship in the middle of the ocean, sank to the bottom and also saw hidden life in his death and resurrection experience.
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