A Look: Gospel by the Decades
This week we are diving into the topic of Gospel. I personally was in the church on and off growing up, but I never really resonated with it. It always felt like I was forced to go to something I was not interested in. Therefore I have a little knowledge regarding Gospel music, but I […]
Queen of Soul: The almighty Aretha Franklin
Background Aretha Franklin was named the “Queen of Soul” in 1967 by Chicago Dj Pervis Spann. I took on the task of writing this article surrounding Aretha Franklin because she is my cousin. I also live in Chicago and that is the location where she was crowned the “Queen of Soul”. I never got the […]
Smino: The Rising Voice of Rap
Introduction Smino, a.k.a. Christopher Smith Jr., was born in St. Louis, Missouri on Oct. 2, 1991. Though he was born in St. Louis, Smino rose to stardom in Chicago, Illinois, where he would go on to release his first two EP’s titled, S!Ck S!Ck S!Ck and Blkjuptr. Smino is unapologetically his own artist. While combining […]
EDM: Different Types of Techno Music
Introduction Techno music, which originated in Detroit, Michigan during the mid 1980s, is best described as, a form of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) that incorporates the use of synthesizers, samplers, keyboards, sequencers, and drum machines in one instance. It is instrumental music, there are no lyrics, just a repetitive beat in 4/4 time. Since then, […]
Love Supreme: The physical intertwine of Jazz and Spirituality
Love Supreme, a piece recorded by John Coltrane, was released in the late months of 1964. It is a Jazz Album that intertwines and highlights spirituality and displays the presence of both within Coltrane’s life. Coltrane was known to be battling his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He went on a spiritual quest to help […]
The Blues: The Tale of a Black Woman’s Woes
Since it’s origins, Blues has been a language of the slaves, housing the purpose of expressing feelings of pain and grief. It began as a non- verbal language, integrating various instruments (both orthodox and unorthodox). As Blues music rose to the top, becoming a much more popular genre, so did the era of Black women […]
Fisk Jubilee Singers: Pioneers of Negro Spirituals
The Fisk Jubilee singers have been recognized as being one of the most significant contributors to the history of Negro Spirituals. The group introduced the world to these “slave songs” in 1871. Being the first of many to depart from the genre of “black minstrel”, where white musicians would perform these songs in blackface, this […]
Negro Spirituals: The Humble Beginnings of African American Music
Negro spirituals are derived […]
Passing the Torch: Black Women Activism through artistic outlets
In Chapter 5 of The Songs of Black (Women) Folk: Music, Politics, and Everyday Living, Rasheedah Quiett Jenkins is determined to highlight the connections between several black female artists that have been enlisted in carrying on the tradition of Black women activism. These women all stem from whom Jenkins deems as one of the first to do […]
