minstrel:
(plural: ‘minstrels‘; for the right pronunciation of this word, please click here)
a medieval minstrel
(in the Middle Ages) a singer/musician who travelled about the country singing songs and poems;
(old usage) a poet, singer or musician;
a singer of folk songs; a folk singer;
an actor or performer in a minstrel show,
modern day minstrels
Besides entertaining, a minstrel in the past had a strong message or a moral in his down to earth songs.
I don’t know about the minstrel shows in the USA but in some parts of Asia it is not uncommon to see minstrels and minstrel communities making a living by entertaining the people in towns and cities with their songs, dances and funny acts.
Many minstrels and minstrel shows were thought to have instigated riots in some sensitive regions of the USA.
