Author Topic: Black musicians not in "Black music." (Read 452 times)

Lion · « **on:** February 01, 2012, 03:41:36 PM »

I decided to do this on my Facebook artist page and decided it couldn't hurt to do it here as well.

For Black History Month, I'm drawing attention to musicians on paths not typically associated with "Black music." I'm not taking away from musicians in R&B, Jazz, Gospel, etc., but I'm just looking at drawing attention to musicians working predominantly in other areas. There's a good chance that a few might not be popular, legendary, or dead, either.

For February 1, I started with country musician Charley Pride.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Pride

Here are some videos that some of my people posted up on my page.

Crystal Chandeliers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shmyrS9RgEM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Roll On Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10pZlRTRrg8

Kiss an Angel Good Morning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vatS2znsKjg

KIP LEWIS · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2012, 03:45:32 PM »

Charley Pride, one of my favorite childhood music stars.

Reginald Hudlin · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2012, 05:16:14 PM »

I just took my daughter to a Kathleen Battle concert two weekends ago. She's one of the best opera singers in the world.

Lion · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2012, 06:45:20 PM »

JEALOUS!!!!

Yes... Kathleen is absolutely one of the best singers in the world. I've heard her opera work, but this is what cemented my love for her.

Curtis will love this...

Al Jarreau and Kathleen Battle singing "My Favorite Things."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWMT-fpDQm0

James72 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2012, 06:50:45 PM »

Cool thread idea!

Reginald Hudlin · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2012, 07:31:05 PM »

Quote from: Lion on February 01, 2012, 06:45:20 PM

JEALOUS!!!!

Yes... Kathleen is absolutely one of the best singers in the world. I've heard her opera work, but this is what cemented my love for her.

Curtis will love this...

Al Jarreau and Kathleen Battle singing "My Favorite Things."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWMT-fpDQm0

Oh we know all about that jam.

What tripped me out about my daughter being at the show (besides Kathleen giving her the best hug afterwards) was thinking "how many 7 year old worldwide know who Kathleen Battle is?".

Gooch · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2012, 07:40:55 AM »

Death they was a protopunk band from the 70's
http://substix.blogspot.com/2010/01/death-for-whole-world-to-see-1975.html

BAD Brains

Living Colour

Kele

Fishbone

Lion · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2012, 01:53:45 PM »

Kathleen Battle and Living Colour are both on my list!

Today, I went with Darius Rucker. Rock grew out of Rock and Roll which grew out of Rhythm and Blues and Country... but the form it has today isn't usually associated with "Black music." Of course, he started with Hootie and the Blowfish, went R&B for a second, and is now country. As I said up on my page, I think he just likes to do everything... which is something I can definitely identify with!

Here is his wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_Rucker

And this is my favorite Hootie and the Blowfish song. Let Her Cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aVHLL5egRY&ob=av2e

Lion · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2012, 11:01:46 AM »

Here is a couple more YouTube links posted in response to my thread about Darious Rucker on Facebook.

All Right

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etr7UtnUflM&ob=av2e

Come Back Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap7HzFlOXq4&feature=related

I Got Nothing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmEQGdst9X8

Lion · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2012, 11:08:59 AM »

Already on my list - but certainly inspired by a plug from the boss - is American Soprano Kathleen Battle! TREMENDOUS talent already, but I was pleasantly surprised to read that she was originally from Portsmouth, Ohio. (Portsmouth may as well officially be BFE.) She went to Cincinnati Conservatory of Music earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education and then spent time as a Cincinnati Public School teacher before breaking into the big time.

Here's her official website.

http://www.kathleenbattle.com/

And her wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Battle

And a link to her performing "O Mio Babbino Caro" with the Chinese National Symphony Orchestra.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qGMa9bxRZU

Of course, in an earlier post, I have a link to her performing with Al Jarreau! If anyone posts any further links in the FB thread, I'll post them over here.

If you want to see what the threads have looked like so far on FB, you can check it out on my artist page. www.facebook.com/tkareempowell.

Wise Son · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2012, 01:05:08 PM »

Kinda 90s but


Skunk Ananse

.

Lion · « **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2012, 10:10:41 AM »

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I'll definitely be checking them out. Sorry... I'm a little behind. I posted the entries on my artist page and forgot to link the others or post it here.

Sunday's musician was pianist composer Margaret Bonds. She's most known for her choral works, but she also wrote for piano. In fact, my father's favorite piano piece - period - is "Troubled Water", an arrangement of the spiritual Wade in the Water.

Here's her bio at Afrocentric Voices:

http://www.afrovoices.com/bonds.html

It's not super detailed, but it does give a slight hint to the racial inequality she faced as a student at Northwestern University.

And wikipedia - which doesn't do her justice at all:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Bonds

I was actually surprised to find so few of her pieces on YouTube. Trust me, if you find "Troubled Water" or the choral version of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", listen to them both! Also recommend "Hold On."

Here's Minstrel Man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihvMlWjkziE

And You Can Tell the World:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eXk135VRyY

Lion · « **Reply #12 on:** February 07, 2012, 10:13:54 AM »

Here's another pianist-composer (living, to boot) H. Leslie Adams!

His etudes are GORGEOUS. Of course, I don't have them, either. I was actually surprised that they weren't on YouTube, either.

Check out his bio:

http://hleslieadams.com/biography.html

Here's his wiki: (Useless!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Adams_(composer)

Here is "Prayer", performed countertenor Darryl Taylor and pianist Maria Thompson Corley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwhCUEaJKXY

Lion · « **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2012, 10:18:24 AM »

I still have issues with the name (racial slur), but the music is good. Came across them just today, actually. The Carolina Chocolate Drops is a bluegrass band out of North Carolina. (Bluegrass, of course, started in the Black community and prominently involved the banjo which IS an African instrument... but you wouldn't know that if you look at who plays Bluegrass today!)

Here is the website bio:

http://www.carolinachocolatedrops.com/about

Their Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/CarolinaChocolateDrops

Old Corn Liquor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXmfrZkRRco&feature=related

Genuine Negro Jig:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNaK_nBp2Yc&feature=related

Curtis Metcalf · « **Reply #14 on:** February 07, 2012, 12:13:18 PM »

We've heard of them.

Hudlin Entertainment Forum

News:

Author Topic: Black musicians not in "Black music." (Read 452 times)

Lion

Black musicians not in "Black music."

KIP LEWIS

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Reginald Hudlin

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Lion

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

James72

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Reginald Hudlin

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Gooch

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Lion

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Lion

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Lion

Kathleen Battle

Wise Son

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."

Lion

Margaret Bonds

Lion

H. Leslie Adams

Lion

The Carolina Chocolate Drops

Curtis Metcalf

Re: Black musicians not in "Black music."