1. THE POPULARITY OF BLACK GODFATHER 2. THE CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF BLACK MOVIE SOUNDTRACK AT THE BOWL 3. SAFETY 4. THE 50TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS 5. I DIRECTED A COUPLE OF HOURS OF TV AS WELL 6. THE SUCCESSFUL TEST SCREENING OF EMPEROR 7. TAKING CARE OF FAMILY…
+ Read MoreThe concept of Afro Futurism is imagining a future through a black cultural lens. Like a lot of science fiction, it often ends up a metaphor for life today. Here’s a list of highlights of musical afro futurists. Sun Ra – Space Is The Place Sun Ra took big band…
+ Read MoreARETHA FRANKLIN What is soul? Aretha Franklin, that’s what it is. GLADYS KNIGHT The underrated. Her voice is as powerful, as sincere, as moving as it ever was. CHAKA KHAN Chaka live blows me away every time. WHITNEY HOUSTON The singer’s singer. NANCY WILSON Her voice is a beautiful as…
+ Read MoreThese artists wrote great songs for themselves and others, and sang the heck out of them. These are artists who deserve your complete attention. Listen deeply to their entire catalogue of music. 1. Stevie Wonder With a body of work that covers two generations, Stevie is the artists’ artist. 2….
+ Read MoreAll month I’m going to assemble a list of great black artists and songs. I’ll start with great black soundtracks, since I won’t be able to do the Black Movie Soundtrack show at the Hollywood Bowl this summer. BLACK ORPHEUS Not only one of the greatest soundtracks, but arguably the…
+ Read MoreCraig Robinson, left, Judith Hill and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds perform Wednesday at the Hollywood Bowl. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) As movies go, “Shaft” and “Waiting to Exhale” are about as different as can be. In the former, Richard Roundtree plays a private detective battling enemies on the…
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