Activism. Empowerment. Self-Love. Culture. LGBT Rights. Social Media. Politics. Right Brain. Strategizing. Left Brain. Third Eye. Take Control of Media Images. Spirituality. Compassion. Being Fierce. Free Yourself From Mental Slavery. Be Your Authentic Self. Evaluate Who Your Allies Are. Hold Yourself Accountable. Life A Full Life. Kick Some Butt When Necessary. Eat Chocolate. Black Women Rise and Take Your Place in This World!
It's Old School Friday time! This week's meme is Songs You Despise But Know the Words To. I had to think about that one for a while. Since the rules are songs must have been released before 1999 that leaves out all of the current music I'd most certainly choose. So I thought of this song because of the obvious street harassment/sexual objectification angles. Before anyone thinks I take this one song very seriously though I don't - necessarily.
Watching video of the Commodores at that time usually made me laugh because they'd be considered so fey in today's hypermasculine/thug culture. Also I look at this song as part of a larger evaluation of the oversexualization that occurs within a segment of the black community where women "let it all hang out" for male approval. Clearly that needs to change if women are going to be empowered. We must be able to relate to men - or have them relate to us - in a manner that benefits us across all strata of society. What may be "acceptable" in some circles would be detrimental in others. Also we all know we may want to be able to be sexy but it needs to be under circumstances and in an environment of our choosing. Ok, that was way more intense than intended but pop culture certainly provides a means of making things more relatable.
No this isn't about the Prez! It's Barry White Week! WooT!!!
Who doesn't love Barry White. His dulcet tones wrapped themselves around some of the most lovely lyrics about LOVE. He even had an orchestra called Love Orchestra. This was a man who left his criminal past behind him, changed his mindset, tapped into his talents and graced us with some of the best songs in popular music.
It's so hard to choose one song of Mr. White that is better than the other.
My First, My Last, My Everything
I always liked this cover of Never Never Gonna Give You Up. Yeah the video was risque.
Okay these memes are definitely food for thought. This week is "Criminal Records"
Boogie Down Productions was the first song that came to mind. I'm surprised as well but I'm going with it.
The latest MTV flap over 19 year old Taylor Swift made me think of another 19 year old's MTV-related outburst (it was her own though) when Fiona Apple won Best New Artist in 1997. I also remember people were up in arms at the overtly sexual implications indicated in this video. It seems tame by comparison to what occurs today (what's encouraged) but I recall that Courtney Love was concerned about protecting Apple from being exploited. Much in the same way others rushed to defend and protect Swift. It speaks volumes about the values people hold and for whom they bestow them on.
Ok it's Friday. I have another post that I will share but it's still baking in the blogging oven and since the day's nearly half gone for my East Coast readers I can't leave ya'll hanging without a fresh cookie. This week's meme is "All About the Benjamins". Now you didn't think I was gonna play a rap music video did you?
I was relieved it wasn't MC Solaar! Apparently this French rap artist OrelSan has been publicly called out by Segolene Royal and other politicians for recording rap music that bashes women. Royal ran for president against Sarkozy and is one of the highest ranking female politicians in France. Some of you may be familiar with the usual excuses made when defending depravity.
Amongst them are:
Claiming it's free speech
That it's a quirky artistic expression
Comparing modern crap to classic works of art/music
That it's a joke, satire, not meant to be taken seriously
OrelSan's new album, Perdu d'Avance, has been removed from public libraries in Paris because of concern over what feminist and women's groups say are his sexist, homophobic and violent lyrics. Ms. Royal and other critics were particularly outraged over a song by the 26-year-old called Sale Pute, roughly translated as "Dirty Bitch", which is about a man who wants to break the bones of his unfaithful girlfriend. - - BBC News
The above-referenced article goes on to detail how certain male politicians want to make excuses for this music artist and how some kids think it's a generational difference - yet they don't want their younger siblings to listen to violent lyrics in music. Hello! It's great to read about someone with clout stepping up to address this before it becomes commonplace.
The only difference with this scenario is the rap artist is white and not specifically targeting black women. I still lay this squarely at the feet of the instigators from this country who started down this path a decade ago. We all know rap/hip-hop originated here in the US and still casts a long shadow. Wouldn't it be something if a powerful female politician like Hillary Clinton or Maxine Waters publicly denounced the depravity? Misogyny knows no color.
Just so that we don't forget where we come from here's my tribute to Ethel Waters. Who? You may ask. Well that's why it's important to do these....
Ethel Waters was first and foremost a survivor. Now this isn't going to be one of those "she was a strong Black woman" meme reinforcements. She did have some serious obstacles to overcome given that her birth was the result of a violation. It just goes to show why the current focus on the health and welfare of Black women and girls in particular is such important work for some of us and needs to be continued. Like many people who have stories to tell she was able to successfully pursue a career in the arts. Given the time she lived (1896-1977) she would've definitely had some I bet!
She was the second African-American woman nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the movie Pinky. She wrote an autobiography of her life. She was part of the Harlem Renaissance. She was the first African-American woman to have her own variety show. Her contemporaries ranged from Bessie Smith to Julie Harris and she influenced some of those we consider greats like Billie Holiday.
Via AfroAm History: Waters' success was related to her style of singing. She could sing like other classic blues singers with plenty of passion and fire, but she had a unique approach. She was not a shouter, but was able to hold the attention of the audience with her low and sweet voice. Because of her varied repertoire, she has also been categorized as a jazz singer. Her rhythm was closer to jazz than blues, and in her later career she sang popular songs with a jazz approach. Waters’ talent extended beyond musical style; she also had the gift of interpretation. As blues women began to fade in popularity, Waters was able use her interpretive ability to take advantage of acting opportunities on stage and screen.
Ethel sings Stormy Weather with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. She was the first to record the song that many connect with Lena Horne. Here's a lovely tribute that I found on Youtube, but after I finish my Final Cut Pro class I'll be be able to do these myself!!
Isn't it nice to know that others who have a certain amount of influence feel the way you do about certain things? If 2009 gets known for one thing (aside from our first year with a Black President and the state of the worldwide economy) then let it be known as the year people decided to be creative! Women in particular need to be in control of our images and even moreso for Black women.
Now I'll just state it for the record in case reading between the lines of previous posts didn't make it clear: I do NOT like the bulk of what passes for Hip-Hop/R&B "music" today. I think a lot of it's derivative, derogatory and assumes its audience is dumb enough to not notice. Actually a lot of popular music today is far too reliant on image and quick camera shots in music videos to sell. Which is why by and large it doesn't. Fans will be loyal and supportive - consumers of trends will not.
The record industry seems more interested in having a succession of cookie cutter interchangeable acts than invest the time and (yes) money into the planning of long-term career artists. Often they don't recognize talent when they see it - or they can't figure out how to package it for mass consumption and wreck what was unique about that artist.
I also look to the shift in priority with the Federal gov't cutting music and arts programs nationwide starting in 1977. I believe that one act has caused irrevocable harm not only to the creative process of the generations that have followed, but the dumbing down of its student body as learning music helps them to learn math. If the US is the destination country of choice for so many it would be despite comprehension of math and science.
So for those who may not be familiar Pharrell is a music producer and here he's discussing the state of the industry. I find him surprisingly optimistic that talent is making a comeback. Yet I still have to look at how so many men dominate the power positions either as executives or producers. Not enough women have moved up the ranks and the consciousness has shifted to one that is lacking respect for artistry. We've seen the shift from robust singers with robust bodies to the anemic vocals of the racially ambiguous cover girl wannabes. We still see gyrating on cue. We see the bar being lowered even further from using a Black woman as the "hook girl" to passing her over completely for a white girl [see Black Eye Peas as an example].
Is it a coincidence that the women who tend to get the deals are the ones with the strategic relationships with the men in "charge". I say strategic in hopes that there wasn't a huge power dynamic at play where the woman got the short end of the stick. I hope that if a woman decides to use her sexuality to advance her career she is doing so willingly and plays to win. Yet look at the money trail and who ultimately comes out on top. So....color me a little skeptical.
Now is the time for a creative restructuring. It was why I wrote the Deploying A Little Negro Spirit series. We have to take responsibility and control of our destiny. We can't relive the past or continue to lean on (ok - completely swipe) the works of previous generations to help fuel our own. We have a cultural touchstone at stake and I haven't seen how the future of music that's been specifically created by African-Americans will continue to have the effect it once had because it is a shell of its former self.
This week's meme is: I'm In the Mood For and I've chosen videos that kinda creep me out. Technically they're not that old but I'm bending the rules. Massive Attack has a knack for pushing the envelope with their creative interpretations which I love! Then I went back to two songs and videos that are older. Leftfield made a video about the discarded landmines being left in countries and threw the message in dance song. Portishead was at their best when they first came out and this technique can be found in commercials every day but it was quite innovative 11 years ago.
What could be more "creepy" than a baby in utero singing? And yes, it's the theme for the American tv show that stars a British actor in vocal drag.
Jolly Saturday to Everyone (these photos are from an Oakland neighborhood that grows scary life-size giant plants):
This is a live post, meaning I haven't pre-written it and scheduled it to appear later. My brain is fried today so I'm just posting photos and various things from the past week or so. (Actually since I started this post a few hours ago and it took a year to download/compress and get Blogger to accept 10 minutes of a sound recording I'm totally awake now). I've been exploring different neighborhoods, being more social and making stealth (concert) recordings. Some of you online friends have been chronicling this lovely journey since I started this blog last July. Others have recently joined the conversations. Thanks to all of you for taking the time out of your busy day to spend a few minutes with me and my thoughts via Blogger and on Twitter. What a wonderful community of kick-butt individuals you are! Maybe some of you observers will feel less like a turtle and come out of your shell? I hope it's been an interesting and thought-provoking mind meld. I hope that I've challenged, motivated and inspired you as I've tried to do for myself. I've loved the feedback I've received and welcome more.
I had a personal goal of a new post every day that I've actually kept since November! Now I want to apply that level of concentration and discipline to other areas of my life. I'm still not ready to cut back my posting schedule but I prefer quality to quantity so this may be changing soon. I'm the "Little Blogger That Could" you know and still have some things to learn. Thank you for taking this journey with me. When I write about inequalities it's so that we recognize how similar we all are in our own way and how we can contribute to replenishing society - or taking from it. I focus on social justice, empowerment, changing our mindsets and being honest because if we don't how will we continue to grow as human beings?
I also enjoy popular culture, music, art, etc. Anything that uplifts our spirits - even some things considered risque. It has become rather obvious how we need to take back control of how images are being disseminated, particularly those of Black women. Clearly being one means I have a vested interested in how we are shown (though that isn't the case with every BW sadly). We laugh, cry, smile, bleed and live just like everyone else but somehow we are being presented as inauthentically as possible. We are NOT the gum on the shoe of the world. Even if you don't personally have anything to do with that, you can certainly help thwart those that are. Of course I also want others to live in peace as well, but we all have our individual paths to take and purposes to fulfill. I believe this is one of mine.
We should also be able to live our lives freely without fear of recrimination. No one should go hungry. Greed must not be allowed to rule the day. Even as we take more responsibility and learn to make better choices we still need each other on some level. Everyone has to pull their own weight, but that doesn't mean it's ok to kick the person on the ladder below you when climbing it. Fairness doesn't always balance out but I don't see why goodness can't prevail when it really counts. As frustrated as I get with things I can't control it's because I'd like to see the bar raised with more opportunities for people. Or at least a minimal skill set that we know how to navigate for us and future generations. We may not all have the same privileges but that should not be a virtual death sentence for a quality life. Accountability goes in many directions.
So with that I bid you a fair day/evening and here's hoping it's a good one.
Amel Larrieux bootleg. I had to cover the lens and just get a sound recording but isn't it great! She even made her voice sound like a horn to accompany the other instrumentalists. I could only get this one still as she exited the stage and she turned so quickly all you can see is her back. Next time! There was a little reverb added to compliment her vocals but not one touch of Auto-tune was required. The other photos are of Ben Harper and a photo of the inside of the Fillmore before show-time. *Just added a little bootleg Ben (see above) and it's jumpy because they were already telling people no cameras the second we walked in - and yet there was a "professional" photog there hogging all the space :-(
So this week's meme is "Outside My Box", but I dabble in all genres of music so this isn't going to work for me. See not all of us limit ourselves. I have my preferences of course but I do try to listen to everything (except degrading songs of course). So now I've got to find some obscure pan pipe music from the Andes or something - nah I won't do that to ya'll. I'll just put up something I think some of you might not listen to or be that familiar with: like the two artists I just saw this week (I still have to download footage by the way). I had a slew of messages on Twitter not on the blog if you want to check my archives for those conversations. Which was also why I wasn't able to schedule my posts for future feed parsing. This is live baby! So consider these selections a precursor to a future concert series of blog posts......
So this was supposed to be the end of my series of cultural abandonment and appropriation but I think it bears continuing even as I expand the way it has been framed thus far.
I've had some very good conversations in real life and online from a variety of people (notably a majority of Black women) who are tired of seeing our sisters being dragged through the mud. We want to hold others accountable for spreading the virus but it starts with us. It begins with looking in the mirror at what we support and why we choose it.
I went to a meet and greet session with music artist Ben Harper yesterday (I'll have photos on my Flickr account shortly). Now quite a few people may not know who he is (or like his style of music) but that's because many of us aren't seeking out music that isn't played on terrestrial radio. Artists that don't fit into the R&B/Hip-Hop radio format of today may be ignored by the average listener. They're missing out on a lot of great music. Or at least missing out on hearing diverse styles.
During our time with him he mentioned how he has never stopped seeking out ways to improve his musicianship (he plays guitar, piano and dabbles with other instruments). He also practices regularly. He talked about his exposure to a variety of genres thanks to his parents and grandparents being open-minded about what they played. He also discussed early hip-hop songs that blew him away. The difference of course is that he actually reads and plays music and isn't dependent on knob-fiddling to produce a sound.
He doesn't need to reach back two decades ago for a great song to sample to center his songs around. Now one could argue that learning to use an MPC is a skill, that mixing is a skill but to what end? Truth be told even the great DJs have seen the emergence of what I call the "CD Players", who don't even bother sequencing a song properly and just hit the start button and cue up songs on a laptop. I've been to many clubs where it's some variation of Top 40 boredom.
Some of these lauded "music" makers have even been exposed as having used preloaded music for their "hits".
We as consumers have gotten so used to listening to watered-down music we wouldn't know quality if it bit us on the...If we demand more from music artists things will change. If we raise the bar for what we deem quality we will see an immediate improvement. The market will have to meet our needs instead of the other way around.
Oh yeah! It's Friday and it's time for a little fun. I want you to break out the iced tea, juice, water or alcoholic beverage of choice and kick back cuz it's the weekend baby!! This week's meme is: THIS IS DEDICATED TO. So I'm thinking: to all the haters because it's just been that sort of week. Cheney is bashing the President. Glen Beck has lost his mind. The American Idol "voting public" doesn't like a man who wears guyliner. The Governor of California doesn't like its residents. Sarah Palin worships the idea of motherhood but really hates women whose choices don't align with her own. Reality TV is rotting meat for the brain. And Mother Nature has left the building. Have I missed anything else?
American Idol is almost over. This is it! I will be so happy once this season is done and the winner declared! I swear if it hadn't been for the flurry of Tweets about Adam this and Adam that I wouldn't have bothered watching. Then I got sucked into the Idol vortex, lol! Just "crown" your newest pawn and be done with it. Unless...Kris pulls out a last minute victory. Whatever, I'm over this (almost). Sorry I'm still rooting for Adam. He has a lot of passion for performing and makes it look so effortless. I really admire that because it is RARE for an unsigned artist to be so self-possessed and confident. I love it!
This is the "official" Idol Single - No Boundaries - not feeling this!
Kris Allen: Is it me or was something just off about this performance?
Had to switch out videos because all of the Adam performances have been pulled. Is that an indication of who has won? Here's his earlier rendition of Mad World.
Though the thought occurred to me that if they MUST package Adam as a banal (straight) rocker they could certainly take a step OUT of the box by doing something similar to the style of the late great Jeff Buckley. Now of course they're two totally different individuals. I don't know if Adam writes or can play an instrument since he hasn't done so this season. Vocally though this could be interesting. Jeff put a lot of passion into his into his music and although he wanted to be thought of as an instrumentalist first, it was his voice that really MOVED me!
The irony of course is that Kris more closely resembles Jeff between the two of them and plays guitar and piano. If he was able to do a bit more with his vocal styling he would've been considered a serious threat all along. Adam has great precision but he isn't soulful by nature whereas Jeff oozed it. Jeff had his theatrical side as well. He was a huge Edith Piaf fan as well as Nina Simone. Either way whomever ends up the victor I'd advise them to study the Buckley "playbook" for cues how to be a multi-faceted performer.
This is the fourth conversation in a series where I discuss race, culture, appropriation and the abdication of African-American touchstones due to devaluation of our unique perspective and shame.
Right now as I write this there's a fight going on between the RIAA, radio broadcasters and the public. Only we don't realize what's at stake and who's fighting for what, but when the dust settles we may be regretting our collective lack of participation. The RIAA is the lobby group for the record labels and distributors. You know, the majority of white men with all the money. They're the ones suing 12 year olds for downloading music files. They also claim to be working in the interests of musicians, but in my opinion the fox doesn't look out for the best interests of the hen house.
The irony is Rep. John Coyners introduced the Performance Rights Act legislation calling for a royalty to be paid to those performing on records. The United States has been woefully behind the times by not paying this fee when every other country in the developed world does so already. There are fees already being paid to songwriters however. So the argument is that Aretha Franklin isn't getting a cut when she sings Respect, because she didn't write the song but Otis Redding does. This doesn't take into account that there are usually contracts involved paying performers a flat fee for their services and other forms of compensation.
So of course Al Sharpton has to weigh in on this and is in opposition. The counterclaim is that these fees will wipe out the few Black broadcasters left as they can't afford to pay an additional airplay fee and that it will hamper the ability of radio to play artists who aren't on major labels. Bye bye local music. This will also be a blow to internet radio and kill any new plans to work around the huge conglomerates that own radio now. If you'll recall when Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 it allowed companies to own multiple media formats in one market. So one company could be guaranteed a majority (and a monopoly). Clear Channel was born...and Fox News. Yeah such fun for us all.
Government agencies have such a long track record of doing the right thing - not! The last time I checked there was an indecency fine imposed by the FCC that nearly wiped out a local station when they were fined for playing Sarah Jones. It's a mess and there's no guarantee that the fees collected will ever actually go to those that performed. Right now artists signed to a typical label are locked into a contract that isn't generated in their favor to begin with. Also being that there are only 4 record labels right now, multinational corporations have an uncanny ability at cooking their books in favor of...themselves surprise surprise. By the way I really liked John Gorman's perspective on this.
So what does this have to do with appreciating Black female artists? Why it's the staying on top of the games being played, knowing who the players are and what their agenda is. The good thing (in theory) is that when these songs are played the performers will get some money. It may be a few dollars here and there but it's something. We know how shady the music business is and how Black people have traditionally been at a disadvantage. So if the playing field is littered with mines we need to know how to sidestep them to get what we want.
Right now I want there to be an appreciation for all Black female artists. I want the return of the female MC to the forefront of the industry. I want female producers and songwriters. I want a woman-centric perspective and one that uplifts. Again we had artists who were doing these things. They may not have been the biggest sellers or being promoted well, but they were in the mix. Now there's absolutely no balance. So this isn't about looking back at the past at what was, it's about looking ahead to the future of what will be. We've got to get back to creating - and use a lot more business savvy now. The great thing is that technology has blown the lid off many of the gatekeepers, obstructionists and selfish few who'd like to keep all the keys for themselves. We have a lot of work to do so let's get busy!
So to refresh our memories this is what's at stake:
1. Only certain types women are being signed to record deals
2. The disappearance of the female MC who isn't male domination oriented
3. The oversexualization of women (Sapphire/Jezebel imagery)
4. The disappearance of the all-Black female group
5. On a personal note I find a lot of artists boring - we need more creativity
Also I thought we should reflect on some of the fierce women we've had like Nina Simone, Eartha Kitt, Gwen Guthrie, Phyllis Hyman, Angela Bofill, Melba Moore, the Pointer Sisters and Stephanie Mills. All of these women were unique and offered something different. We could look in a mirror and see an image that often reflected our own looks or someone we knew. Being polished is one thing but demanding an artist look like a racially ambiguous, size zero, 17 year old is something else entirely.
Again, this comes down to having an appreciation for African-American heritage and our contributions without shame. Also honoring the unique beauty of the entire phenotype spectrum. I admit my mother listened to these artists and I didn't have the appreciation for them that I do NOW. Especially now that a lot of them are gone. Disco music had its hedonistic tendencies but it called for women expressing their needs and expecting them to be met. That was VERY threatening to male pecking order.
If you had to name a superstar Black female recording artist who's come out in the last 5 years who would it be? Rihanna? She's sure looks pretty in front of the camera, is tall and statuesque but she's not a great singer. I will give her props for moving herself out of the predominantly black ghetto of hip-hop and R&B. Her team's decision to promote her as a cross-over artist made her career. That and a haircut. For all of that effort though I still see her having a certain shelf life. I'm not even gonna talk about that ex-boyfriend of hers.
This music was created at a particular time and depended on particular circumstances. Even if these songs were written by men they had empowering messages for women. They discussed an even exchange and to leave if the man wasn't doing his part. What happened to that message?! If the music reflects the culture it stems from then we should be able to see that sharp decline in quality that exists today. We can turn things around if we want to.
I have many examples of a variety of artists in my archives. I'm going to add a few more that aren't posted. Think of it as a nice trip through memory lane:
Looking ahead at a current artist we can support NOW: Choklate who's new album drops today! Go get it.
Well it's almost over and I'm a sucker so I have to do an AI recap. Even if it's for posterity sake and part of my blog archive, lol! Last night was the combo of Judges' Choice/Contestant Choice. I refuse to make a prediction about who'll be sent packing today because Allison getting voted off last week threw me for a loop! Can we get a do-over and have Anoop and Allison back?
I'm still not sure that Adam will win for the reasons I've repeated to the point of ad nauseum. This season of 24 ends next week and I'm 4 episodes behind so trying to keep up with the talent show juggernaut should be easy. If Danny survives he might just win. If Kris advances he might win. So far I believe Will Young is the only openly gay Idol and he's British. Anyway these people are total strangers and I'm emotionally invested which kinda pisses me off in a way. I feel manipulated. Last year the ratings fell. I didn't watch one episode. This season they're up. I rest my case.
I like Adam, but didn't really love this arrangement. I had to listen to it twice. I figured out it was too short and if he'd sang another verse and chorus it would not have sounded so abrupt. I still want him to win.
I thought this was a good performance as well. But he does look like he could be hired as an actor on One Tree Hill.
I yawned a bit through this so I guess that says it all. That doesn't mean he won't win though.
I'm referring to this current season....but perhaps the entire series as well. It's been 8 years and these manufactured pop stars are just getting tired. Besides I already think my favorite, Adam Lambert is not going to win. Not unless he tones down the "theatrical" which is code word for what? Oh there are so many things wrong with it. If as a performer you can't be your authentic self (musically, image-wise) then what are you? A manufactured pop star. Just pluck one off the assembly line and insert coin. Wind them up and let them go...until next year that is.
On the other hand our human interest in seeing the underdog win drives some of the enthusiasm for these genres. Talent contests will never go out of style. We see a little bit of ourselves in these contestants. So the Evangelicals have been voting for Gokey and Allen. Perhaps they'll cancel each other out. Allison Iraheta was voted off last week and I wanted her to get to the Final Two. Oh well, she'll be told to lose 20 lbs and dye her hair blond or ELSE. Just Watch. Any originality she had will be sucked out of her and she'll do interviews where she talks about losing her "baby fat" and will be sporting a push-up bra and high heels in no time. Forget her spunkiness and talent.
What's different this season from others is the front-runner is so off the beaten path for people that tend to enter these types of competitions. Lambert's been around and eligible to enter the contest its entire existence. I believe there's an underlying story as to why he hadn't done so until now. Since it's down to the wire we'll see how he strategizes to stay in the competition. For this is serious and it requires the skills of seasoned chess player. How palatable does Lambert want to be and how big of an audience does he want? Is he willing to shrink himself and round out the edginess for a wide appeal?
Why can't the majority of people accept him as an artist without taking offense to his lack of portraying an intentional hyper-masculine role? I think it's time to address our expectations of gender roles and why.
Update: Now Idol goes into the final week. Kris Allen & Adam Lambert are the finalists. We'll see if America votes safe or edgy.
