Music
Mahalia Bearing Witness
Though Mahalia Jackson's record companies crossed Jackson over as a beacon of “Black Respectability,” in opposition to the decidedly secular, sexual and profane sounds and images of New Orleans, she still bore witness to her hometown's spirit.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Nov 21, 2011,
13:56
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Music
A Whole Lot To Love
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| Heavy D--We wish you a peaceful journey... |
The "overweight lover MC" Heavy D, whose real name was Dwight Errington Myers, joined the ancestors on Tuesday, Nov. 8 after he collapsed at his home in California. He was 44 years old. Here is an interview with him from 1997. By Esther Iverem
Nov 9, 2011,
13:52
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Music
A Soundtrack of Life
What’s your soundtrack of life in 2011? A handful of Black journalists revealed soundtracks playing in their heads for the past 50 years ending in one or six. Their choices included The Marvelettes “Mr. Postman” from 1961; Johnnie Taylor’s “Disco Lady” from 1976; or the Destiny’s Child anthem “Independent Women” from 2001. Read, listen [to audio links] and enjoy.
Aug 29, 2011,
12:49
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Music
The Devil and Gil Scott-Heron
Perhaps we’ll never fully know if the drug-addiction and other dependencies that so often derailed Scott-Heron’s vision was part of some COINTELPRO inspired conspiracy to deny our most gifted and passionate, access to the thing that matters the most—their right minds. By Mark Anthony Neal
Aug 1, 2011,
12:42
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Music
A Marriage in Music
20 Years in 27 Days:
Day #1: Stevie Wonder “That Girl”
From Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium 1, Volume 1
(Listen here)
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jul 28, 2011,
08:32
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Music
Chasing Aretha-- The Columbia Years
Take a Look: Aretha Franklin Complete On Columbia features enough of the Aretha Franklin that we have all come to (think we) know, that it demands a revaluation of Franklin's career, one that inevitably only enhances her reputation as that of the greatest vocalist of the 20th Century.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Apr 8, 2011,
10:44
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Music
Afraid of the Dark
The Forgotten Legacy of Nat King Cole. When Cole died 46 years ago, Ebony Magazine described Cole as “the most celebrated Negro to die in world history.”
By Mark Anthony Neal
Mar 10, 2011,
16:39
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Music
A Prayer For Aretha
ARETHA AT HER PEAK—Firmly established as the “Queen of Soul” and still more than a decade away from the caricature that she has become, Aretha Franklin was at the peak of her artistic powers when she recorded Amazing Grace. More than 35 years after its release, the album stands as the best testament of Franklin’s singular genius.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Dec 15, 2010,
14:41
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Music
Bringing Out The Joy
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, the band featured in the 2006 documentary of the same name, is spreading their joyous rhythms on a new U.S. tour. (Video included).
By Eve M. Ferguson
Sep 28, 2010,
12:50
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Music
Abbey Lincoln's Legacy
Mumia Abu-Jamal pays tribute to Abbey Lincoln's roots in the art of Black consciousness.
Aug 27, 2010,
12:45
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Music
Grooves of Consciousness?
The myths of political music--from the recent debate between critic Mychal Smith and rapper Talib Kweli to the political and profane career of Marvin Gaye.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Aug 4, 2010,
14:15
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Music
Journey: The Sound of Black
Singer Al Jarreau and the George Duke Trio are touring the country and taking listeners on a excursion to a small piece of the history of Black music.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jun 24, 2010,
13:17
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Music
God Parent of Hip-Hop?
BLACK MUSIC MONTH 2010: When Nikki Giovanni went into the studio 40 years ago to record Truth is On Its Way, she was blatantly trying to bring the profane in conversation with the sacred, two decades before Kirk Franklin and later Kanye West would bring ghetto theodicy to the top of the pop charts.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jun 10, 2010,
13:38
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Music
Mary J Blige-American Voice
Mary J. Blige’s recent willingness to tackle Led Zepplin's “Stairway to Heaven" bolsters a long articulated claim that she—and by extension Black women vocalists—be read as a quintessential American Voice.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Apr 26, 2010,
17:16
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Music
A Song Worth Singing
Teddy Pendergrass's popularity as a emerging solo artist was rooted in his performance of a Black masculinity that was virile and potent and tailor-made for a cultural discourse that had moved beyond the struggles for Civil Rights and fixated on establishing acceptable images of Black masculinity within an integrated society.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jan 21, 2010,
15:01
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Music
Pendergrass Dead at 59
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| Teddy Pendergrass |
Iconic soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, paralyzed in a crash 28 years ago, has joined the ancestors. He was 59 years old. Click on this link to listen to his music.
Jan 15, 2010,
15:23
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Music
The Best of 2009 Playlist
PPP, Melanie Fiona, Foreign Exchange and Maxwell top a list of 13 notable performances from 2009. Version 3.0
By Mark Anthony Neal
Dec 30, 2009,
12:25
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Music
DeVaughn’s 'Bulletproof'
Raheem DeVaughn’s performance of the Black Power era throwback “Bulletproof” begs the question; What is happening exactly in Black culture and politics that necessitates this regeneration? What is going on that has forced DeVaughn to put “sexy” back in the closest in exchange for Black radical chic?
By Mark Anthony Neal
Dec 10, 2009,
11:37
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Music
Black America’s Band
In a world where many Whites are still coming to terms with the insular realities of Black life and culture, Frankie Beverly and Maze may be one of the biggest secrets of all. Several contemporary r&b and gospel stars, including Mary J. Blige, Joe and J. Moss, have come together to pay tribute to Black America’s favorite band.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Nov 17, 2009,
11:23
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Music
Meshell's Devil's Halo
With her new recording, Devil’s Halo, Meshell Ndegeocello's faith in her ears, and our ability to 'hear' her, are renewed.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Oct 20, 2009,
13:11
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Music
Jay-Z on His iPod
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| Image from hiptics.com |
Barack Obama is a hip-hop generation pop icon and a cultural code switcher--one who can use language, mannerism and symbols to communicate with various audiences, including a hip-hop audience.
By Halifu Osumare
Aug 3, 2009,
11:29
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Music
Conjuring Michael
(The “uncut-before-u-git-the-academic-ish” mix). I will shed a tear sometime soon, not for the man who breathed his last breath today, but for that young boy that helped to define the me that I be. That young boy was special and it’s that young boy that I choose to remember today.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jun 30, 2009,
12:26
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Music
Never Can Say Goodbye
Michael Jackson and his brothers were the most visible promise of our post-Civil Rights generation. Yet, in the ensuing decades, Michael became a Rorschach test for American society, as well as a symbol for the self-inflicted crucifixion of the Black body.
By Esther Iverem
Jun 30, 2009,
12:18
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Music
They Wrote The Songs...
BLACK MUSIC MONTH 2009--Chicago Soul Connection:
The rich legacy of Jerry Butler’s Songwriters Workshop
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jun 17, 2009,
12:41
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