Music

OP-ED: Gladys Knight Has the Right to Be Wrong

WASHINGTON INFORMER — Gladys Knight is poised to board that “Midnight Train to Georgia,” returning to her hometown of Atlanta.

Published

6 years ago

February 2, 2019

Oakland Post

By D. Kevin McNeir

Gladys Knight is poised to board that “Midnight Train to Georgia,” returning to her hometown of Atlanta where she’ll perform the national anthem prior to Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3.

And despite the many Grammy and Soul Train Music Awards, the #1 or Top Ten hits, or decades of success first with the Pips and then as a solo artist that go back to the 1960s, many of her fans have expressed disappointment and anger because of the decision made by the “Empress of Soul” to participate at the event.

The NFL, more correctly its all-white “team” of owners, in response to the controversy over “kneeling players,” as represented by the since unemployed poster boy quarterback Colin Kaepernick, recently adopted a new policy, with the boisterous support of Donald Trump no less, which fines players who do not stand during America’s so-called song of freedom. Sure, players can remain in the locker room but kneeling silently on the sidelines, even if, as Kaepernick and others believed, it’s done as a means of expressing their right as American citizens to protest racial discrimination and police brutality, has no place in the multi-billion-dollar industry of professional football.

Maybe Colin should have cracked open his history books, looking back at 1968, when, just months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., two African-American U.S. Olympic runners, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, raised their fists in a Black power salute during their medal ceremony – before being ostracized and repeatedly attacked with racist slurs upon their return home. [Incidentally, there was no such backlash during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin when white athletes gave the Nazi salute].

Forget the racist lyrics in the third verse of Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” which children never learn in elementary school, which performers never sing and which some interpreters of these lyrics contend that Key was taking pleasure in the deaths of freed black slaves who had fought with the British against the U.S. [Yes, Key owned slaves, was an anti-abolitionist and even referred to Blacks as “a distinct and inferior race of people.”]

Forget the complicated relationship Black athletes have expressed with the anthem and the flag for which the song is played, including baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson who said in his 1972 autobiography “I Never Had it Made:” “I cannot stand and sing the anthem, I cannot salute the flag, I know that I am a black man in a white world.’

Forget the potential upheaval that Black athletes could cause if every Black player (70.3 percent) in the NFL and every NCAA Division 1 Black college football player (46.9 percent) stood in solidarity with Kaepernick, along with hundreds of thousands of other Americans, Black and white, and boycotted the NFL, refusing to put on their uniforms and take to the field.

What if the millions of fans, just in the U.S. turned off their TVs on Sundays, withdrew their memberships from fantasy football betting pools, put their favorite team jerseys and caps in mothballs and cancelled plans to purchase season tickets?

There have been some unforgettable renderings of the national anthem during previous Super Bowls, from Whitney Houston, Neil Diamond, and Billy Joel, to Aretha Franklin, Jose Feliciano and Marvin Gaye – even Ray Charles whose recording of “America the Beautiful” has yet to be equaled by any singer of any race.

So why can’t Gladys get paid like everyone else?

How do folks feel justified in blasting her for performing at the Super Bowl while making side bets in the office, the barbershop or in Vegas hoping to choose correctly as to which team will win or lose in their efforts to secure a big pay day of their own?

Gladys Knight has said she’s been fighting for civil rights for the majority of her life. I have no doubt that she’s done her share for the cause. But that hasn’t stopped the Twitter feed from exploding with all kinds of accusations and criticism. Ah, the beauty of free speech!

Still, if you really don’t like Gladys singing this Sunday, then don’t watch the game. Don’t read the scores in the paper the next day. Don’t bother checking the highlights or conversations on social media. Just read a good book.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

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Andre Thierry Explores Zydeco Music at Marin City Library

Grammy-nominated Andre Thierry leads the musical program with an interactive, engaging experience that combines traditional and newly composed music.

Published

4 months ago

January 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Andre Thierry’s music program for kids. Courtesy photo.

By Godfrey Lee

The “Are You Ready to Learn” music program allows children, families, and adults, to explore the rich Kreole culture and Zydeco music of southwestern Louisiana.

Grammy-nominated Andre Thierry leads the musical program with an interactive, engaging experience that combines traditional and newly composed music.

The program, created by Thierry, showcases a mix of African and Native American Blues and French Kreole dance melodies with elements of Afro-Caribbean music.

Children and families sing and dance while learning about popular Zydeco instruments like vest rub boards, drums, and accordion.

For information on the program, go to https://www.andrethierry.com

The free program will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 1 p.m., at the Marin City Library, 164 Donahue St., in Marin City. For more information, call 415-332-6158.

Thierry will be performing again the Fairfax Library, 2097 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax, on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. For more information, call 415-453-8092.

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Activism

Opinion: When Hip-Hop Sold Its Soul for a Stack

The hypocrisy is staggering. Black hip-hop artists celebrating the election of Donald Trump is baffling. In Trump’s very first hours in office, he signed executive orders that directly harmed Black and Brown communities, including his pardoning of leaders from extremist groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers — organizations tied to White supremacist ideologies and violent white-power movements.

Published

5 months ago

January 2, 2025

Oakland Post

The hypocrisy is staggering. These Black hip-hop artists celebrating the election of Donald Trump is baffling. In Trump’s very first hours in office, he signed executive orders that directly harmed Black and Brown communities, including his pardoning of leaders from extremist groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers -- organizations tied to White supremacist ideologies and violent white-power movements.

Jasmyne Cannick. File photo.

By Jasmyne Cannick

Once upon a time, hip-hop was the voice of the streets. It was a movement, a message, and a megaphone for Black empowerment and communal struggle. Born from block parties and sound systems in the Bronx, N.Y., it was raw, unfiltered, and unapologetically Black. It was a blueprint for survival. But somewhere along the way, the cipher got hijacked by the almighty dollar, and now we’re left wondering: when did hip-hop trade its soul for a stack?

They Caught the Vapors

Soulja Boy, Rick Ross, Nelly, and the Doggfather himself, Snoop. These are the same artists who once rode waves of Black creativity, who stood on the shoulders of a community that built them up, only to later moonwalk into Donald Trump’s inaugural events like it was a VIP lounge. And yes, Black people have every right to critique that.

The hypocrisy is staggering. These Black hip-hop artists celebrating the election of Donald Trump is baffling. In Trump’s very first hours in office, he signed executive orders that directly harmed Black and Brown communities, including his pardoning of leaders from extremist groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers — organizations tied to white supremacist ideologies and violent white-power movements.

Snoop Dogg’s decision to perform at a Trump-related event directly contradicts his outspoken criticism of Trump in 2017. Back then, he was vocal about rejecting Trump and everything he stood for, positioning himself as someone who wouldn’t sell out for any price. Fast forward to now, and his involvement in a Trump celebration feels like a complete 180, leaving fans questioning his authenticity and commitment to principles he once preached.

That’s why we’re upset.

The Crossover

We’ve seen this coming for a while now. The slow but steady shift of hip-hop from a movement to a money-making machine has been happening for decades. It was only a matter of time before we hit this embarrassing moment.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Trump’s inauguration wasn’t some neutral gig. It was built on policies and rhetoric that harm Black and Brown communities. To stand on it as a Black artist, pocket the money, and then retreat to your mansion feels like the ultimate betrayal.

Rappers used to talk about surviving the struggle–now it’s all about thriving in excess. If it’s not sex or drugs, every other line brags about a Birkin bag, a private jet, or a stack of cash that’s apparently so heavy it’s a workout just to hold it.

The Message

Hip-hop is supposed to be bigger than flexing on the gram. It’s supposed to be about truth, resilience, and resistance. Those of us old enough to remember the history and evolution of hip-hop know this better than anyone. We remember when it was a lifeline, a mirror for the struggle, and a call to action, not just a showcase of wealth. But for younger generations, some of whom have only known hip-hop that is obsessed with money and status, it’s a different story.

So, yes, folks have every right to question when the moves don’t align with the culture. If we don’t hold hip hop accountable, who will?

About the Author

Jasmyne Cannick is based in Los Angeles and is an award-winning journalist and political commentator who writes to challenge, critique, and hold the culture accountable.

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Arts and Culture

Promise Marks Performs Songs of Etta James in One-Woman Show, “A Sunday Kind of Love” at the Black Repertory Theater in Berkeley

“The (show) is a fictional story about a character named Etta, aka Lady Peaches,” said Marks. “She falls in love with Johnny Rhythm, leader of the Rhythm Players Band and headliners of Madam G’s Glitta Lounge.” Marks channeled the essence of Etta James, singing favorites such as “Sugar on the Floor” and “At Last.”

Published

6 months ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy Of Promise Marks.

Special to the Post

It was “A Sunday Kind of Love” at the Black Repertory Group Theater in Berkeley on Saturday night, Dec. 7. The one-woman musical based on the music of Etta James featured the multi-talented singer Promise Marks

Marks, who wrote and directed the musical, also owns PM Productions.

Marks channeled the essence of Etta James, singing favorites such as “Sugar on the Floor” and “At Last.”

In between her soulful songs, Marks narrated impactful moments of the love story and journey of blues and forgiveness.

Marks sultry voice carried the audience back to an era that echoed with the power of Black music and a time of great change.

Marks said James shared love for the Black community by singing at gatherings during the Civil Rights Movement uplifting the people.

“She spoke to the movement, spoke to the people, and let her music speak for itself,” Marks said.

Backing the musical’s monologues, images and videos of Etta James are projected for the audience to view. While the production is fictional, Marks infused script with the unfairness and heartbreak James experienced while performing.

Marks performed gospel artist Donnie McClurkin’s “We Fall Down” as she narrated acts of reconciliation and forgiveness among the characters at Johnny Rhythm’s deathbed.

Marks, who regularly sings for the Miss America Pageant, was asked to perform as Etta James last year. “(At the event) a lady yelled out to me: ‘You’re Etta James!’ And then the audience went crazy. I said to myself, ‘I may have something here,’” she said.

Within 12 months, Marks created the musical production, which featured a dozen songs honoring “the great legacy of Etta James,” she said.

Marks says she was saddened to see how Etta James was often judged by the struggles in her life and wanted to offer attendees a more layered view.

“Etta’s life was so big. I want people to know that she was more than her drug addiction,” said Marks. “We can’t make that her legacy. Her catalog is too amazing. You can’t just be that and have the catalog that she (created). I don’t want the addiction to be the focus: I want her music, her element, her sassiness, and what she brought to be the focus – her woman-ness, that she was strong, and I wanted to honor that.”

Set Designer Nora Burnette says she created the set segments to mirror James’ life story. A set designer for BRG since 2016, she explained that her process of researching the scenario and the character serve as her inspiration for her design.

“I try to design a set as close to real life as possible so that the actress can deliver the performance sincerely,” said Burnette. “By creating the right setting, it helps the actors release the true essence of a character.”

The set brought the story to life and absolutely floored Marks. “Once Promise (Marks) saw the actual set, she understood my vision: ‘Wow, you get me. You get it,'” Marks told the designer.

Born Jamesetta Hawkins, Etta James, began her career in 1954 and gained fame with hits such “At Last” and “I’d Rather Go Blind.” She faced a number of personal problems, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album “Seven Year Itch.”

Co-producer and BRG Development Director, Sean Vaughn Scott, works with Overseer Production. According to producer Pamela Spikes, “Marks talent truly does Etta’s life story justice.”

Pam Jacobs of Hercules, a friend of Marks’ mom, Jackie Smith, said, Marks “was fabulous and sang all of those songs flawlessly.”

“I’m so proud of my daughter,” said Smith.

Marks, who has served as an instructor for BRG, will return on Feb. 21- 23 for an encore run of the musical.

“It’s an honor to be a part of the BRG (Black Repertory Group) family and continue our executive director Dr. Mona Vaughn Scott’s vision for the Black Repertory Group theater,” said Marks.

The Black Repertory Group Theatre is located at 3201 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703. For information, visit: BlackRepertoryGroup.com