Tag: History
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Imagining New York City with Rakim & James Brown
When I first started this blog, I did for the pure joy of sharing my passion for music, culture, and history. In the past year, I’ve felt joy leave and posting has become more burdensome as I’ve felt pressure to commercialize it in some way. As the blog steamed along, I got more and more…
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Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” reinterpreted
With all the insane anti-immigrant sentiment going on around the country and most notoriously in Arizona, it got me thinking of Woody Guthrie’s timeless folk song, “This Land Is Your Land.” Over the years, so many diverse musicians have done their own take. I’ve always loved Mexican-American singer Lila Downs’ version, speaking for the voiceless…
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I Live for the Funk: James Brown, The Meters, & Curtis Mayfield
James Brown, born in 1933 in South Carolina, came from an extremely difficult and tragic childhood. From those circumstances, with his gift of music, starting out as part of a gospel group, he rose to become one of the most influential musicians in the world. With his band the JBs, some of the most highly…
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To Haiti With Love: Racine, Kompa, Twoubadou, & Jazz
My heart, like yours, broke seeing the tragic images and trying to comprehend the magnitude of the loss and suffering of the Haitian Earthquake of 2010 (see links below for how to help). Aside from the troubled history that keeps being repeated in the media, there is a richness and strength of culture and spirit…
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Can’t get enough of Texas…part 2 (blues)
I’m back to finish my love letter to Texas by recognizing the Lone Star State’s contribution to the blues. I love the blues and you know that if you read my post on slide guitar. Some of the blues legends to emerge from deep in the heart of Texas: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson,…
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Bakersfield & Bhangra
Bakersfield…. I spent some quality time with some of my family in Bakersfield this past weekend. Because my cousin Roman has always been an encyclopedia of hip hop, I always associated his town with thumping bass. But that was only half the picture; I really didn’t know how deep the country roots ran in the…
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