AfroRythmRevolution

African American music and a slice of information about its origins.

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On this day in music history: November 20, 1955 - R&B legend Bo Diddley makes his one and only appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Sullivan requests that Diddley perform the song “Sixteen Tons’, he defies the host by performing his current hit "Bo Diddley” on the live telecast. This angers Sullivan, and Diddley is banned from ever appearing on the show again. Though the major national television exposure introduces him to wider audience beyond his loyal R&B fan base. Though he never appears on the show again, Bo Diddley’s signature syncopated rhythm becomes one of the most influential in the history of rock & roll, inspiring countless songs from Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and The Strangeloves’ “I Want Candy” to Bruce Springsteen’s “She’s The One” and George Michael’s “Faith”.

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Etta James - I’d Rather Go Blind

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If you’re one of the few music loving people in the universe who still haven’t checked out Donald Glover’s new song as Childish Gambino, prepare to have your face melted. Me And Your Mama is the first taste of Childish Gambino’s forthcoming third album, “Awaken, My Love!”, and if the song is any indication of it, this LP is going to be mind blowing. Donald pushes the boundaries of spacey funkadelia on his new single, putting his creative genius on full display. “Awaken, My Love!” is due to arrive on December 2nd. Pre-order, here.

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On this day in music history: November 3, 1984 - “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 3 weeks, also peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 on November 24, 1984. Written by Prince, it is the third solo chart topper and biggest hit for the legendary R&B vocalist. Originally recorded by Prince in 1979, it is the first single from Khan’s fifth album. Producer Arif Mardin uses musicians such as Reggie Griffin (bass) David Frank of The System (keyboards and guitar), Stevie Wonder (harmonica), and Grandmaster Melle Mel (rap) on the track. The stuttering intro heard on the front of the record was initially a mistake, when the producer is “flying in” Melle Mel’s sampled vocals on to the beginning of the multi-track master tape. When he accidentally hits repeat on the digital sampler, the songs trademark “Chaka–Chaka–Chaka–Chaka Khan. Chaka Khan. Chaka Khan” comes out of the studio monitors. Mardin likes it so much, that he’ll leave it as it is. Khan initially is not fond of the rap on the intro, being embarrassed by hearing her own name repeated throughout. Mardin reassures her that it is a key element of the song (telling Chaka, “don’t worry my dear, it will be a hit.”), and it remains on the finished track. Prince himself was supposed to play on the record but scheduling conflicts prevent him from participating in the sessions. At the time of its release, the song is one of the most expensive singles ever recorded, due to the complexity of the production, and time spent in the studio working on the basic track. The Hip Hop flavored music video featuring dancers Adolfo “Shabba-Doo” Quinones and Michael “Boogaloo Shrimp” Chambers (“Breakin’) also play an important role in the records’ huge success. Chaka Khan’s version of "I Feel For You” wins two Grammy Awards including Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, and Best R&B Song in 1985. “I Feel For You” is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

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Melba Moore ‎/ A Portrait Of Melba

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On this day in music history: November 4, 1984 - Prince & The Revolution kick off the “Purple Rain Tour” at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI, playing the first of seven sold out nights at the venue. Supported on the tour by opening acts Sheila E. and Apollonia 6, the tour is a massive success and plays thirty three cities, performing a total of eighty seven shows to a combined audience of over 1.7 million people. Though the set list for the show remains largely consistent throughout the tour, Prince also debuts new songs during the shows such as “Raspberry Beret” and “America” (from the forthcoming “Around The World In A Day”), and “4 The Tears In Your Eyes” (released on the “We Are The World” benefit album in April 1985). The March 30, 1985 show at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY is videotaped and released on home video as “Prince & The Revolution Live!” (nominated for a Grammy for Best Longform Video) later in the year. The tour concludes on April 7, 1985 at the Orange Bowl (redubbed “The Purple Bowl” for that night’s performance) in Miami, FL.

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Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, LA Forum 1973

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On this day in music history: November 20, 1971 - “Theme From Shaft” by Isaac Hayes hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks, also peaking at #2 on the R&B singles chart on the same date. Written and produced by Isaac Hayes, it is the biggest hit for the Covington, TN born singer, songwriter and producer. Composed for the Gordon Parks directed film starring Richard Roundtree in the title role, the track features musical backing by The Movement, which feature Bar-Kays members James Alexander (bass) and Michael Toles (guitar), and female background vocalists Telma Hopkins, Pat Lewis, Rose Williams. The main rhythmic pulse of the song is held down by drummer Willie “Too Big” Hall and guitarist Charles “Skip” Pitts. The single and its accompanying soundtrack are huge critical and commercial successes, paving the way for the “blaxploitation” film phenomenon of the 70’s. “Theme From Shaft” wins Hayes two Grammy Awards, and becomes the first African American composer in history to win the Academy Award for “Best Original Song” in 1972. Held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA on April 10, 1972, one of the highlights 44th Annual Academy Awards ceremony is Isaac Hayes’ performance of the song on the live telecast. Wheeled out on stage behind the piano, the singer is an immediately striking presence, draped in thick gold chains, wearing dark shades and a vest made of gold chainmail. The performance becomes iconic, and lauded as one of the most memorable in Oscar history. When he graciously accepts his award, Hayes dedicates it  his grandmother, the woman who raised him after the death of his mother and his father abandoned the family while he was still a child.

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Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro 630 H. Street N.W. Washington, DC

The Gallery Place Chinatown Metro is a popular place to encounter street musicians of all sorts on any given day. Located in the hustle and bustle of stores, restaurants and the Verizon Center, this metro is the prime audience for street musicians.  A popular saxophonist and a drummer that uses old buckets as instruments can be found here often.  You’ll also find Brass Connection perform here.

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Muddy Waters - I can’t Be Satisfied

Blues is a genre that originated from African Americans in the Deep South in the early 19th century. This music is derived from African musical traditions, African American work songs and European-American folk music. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. Blues is also characterized by its lyrics, bass lines, and instrumentation.

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James Brown - Make It Funky

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid- to late 1960s when African American musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of soul music, jazz, and rhythm and blues (R&B). Like much African-inspired music, funk typically consists of a complex groove with rhythm instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ, and drums playing interlocking rhythms.

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“La pas Ma la”

Ragtime is a musical genre that enjoyed its peak popularity between 1895 and 1918. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated, or "ragged", rhythm. The genre has its origins in African-American communities like St. Louis years before being published as popular sheet music for piano. Ernest Hogan (1865–1909) was a pioneer of ragtime music and was the first to compose ragtime into sheet music. The composition was called "LA Pas Ma LA" and it was released in 1895. Ragtime fell out of favor as jazz claimed the public's imagination after 1917, but there have been numerous revivals since the music has been re-discovered.

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Cab Calloway - Swing

Swing is a form of American music that dominated in the 1930s and 1940s. Swing uses a strong rhythm section of double bass and drums as the anchor for a lead section of brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones, woodwinds including saxophone and clarinets, and sometimes stringed instruments such as violin and guitar, medium to fast tempos, and a "lilting" swing time rhythm. The name swing came from the 'swing feel' where the emphasis is on the off–beat or weaker pulse in the music. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement. Notable musicians of the swing era include Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Woody Herman, and Artie Shaw.