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Abstract: "Kumbaya" evolved from the African American spiritual, "Come by Here." A transcription by John Blocher, Jr., published in 1955, became the standard version. However, it was widely believed to have been brought from Africa by a missionary. This article traces the origins of the most common origin legends, then looks at those that influenced behavior. It concludes with comments on the persisting belief in an African genesis.
Kumbaya" was first published in Dela-jLVware, Ohio, in 1955 by Cooperative Recreation Service (CRS), a company formed by recreation leaders, Lynn Rohrbough and his wife, Katherine Ferris Rohrbough (CRS 1955; Amy 1957). It spread through CRS songbooks produced for youth groups and summer camps, like the YWCA and American Camping Association (CRS 1957b; 1960). Pete Seeger began performing it in 1957 (Seeger 1958,2013). Joan Baez released aversion in 1962 (Baez 1962). As a consequence of The Seekers' 1964 recording of "Kumbaya," it remains popular in parts of Europe, where community singing traditions persist (Seekers 1963, 1964). In the United States, the song survives in schools and churches.
CRS identified it as "African (Angola)." The owner changed the headnote to "spiritual" in 1958; Lynn Rohrbough's attribution was not widely accepted until Wikipedia publicized research by Chee Hoo Lum, director of UNESCO-National Institute of Education Centre for Arts Research in Education, and Stephen Winick of the American FoMfe Center (Lum 2010; Winick 2010; Wikipedia 2020). They each established the parent, "Come by Here," originated among African Americans in coastal South Carolina and Georgia.
Headnotes convey information. They do not reflect what is comprehended. In 1976, 212 individuals, of the 253 in summer camps who answered a survey, knew "Kumbaya." Twenty-three people believed it was from Africa, while three considered it to be Caribbean. Three thought it was Native American, one that it was Brazilian, and one that it was Korean.
The propagation of the African credit may be attributed to Seeger. In October 1957, he told members of the University of Chicago's Folklore Society:
There was a missionary who came back from East Africa, Angola. And taught this song to us, and a lot of people started singing it around the country. Introducing it as an African spiritual. Lo and behold, someone was singing it down in North Carolina,...