“You hear the tempo being set without a drum, the humming, the belting of song, the call and response. That is what we call soul stirring,” B.J. said. “No instruments. Just voices and people using their hands and feet. Really, really good culture, and I’m rooted in it, so I take it wherever I go.” Gullah Geechee musical traditions have influenced major American cultural touchstones: gospel music, with its strong call-and-response elements, the syncopated rhythms of jazz, and some people say the campfire classic, “Kumbaya,” means “come by here” in Gullah language. Watch Virginia Folklife Program content on VPM History YouTube channel. #myvpm #yourvirginia #folklife #virginiafolklife #gullahgeechee