| POIGNANT, RELEVANT AND DOWNRIGHT BRILLIANT - A MESSAGE IN MUSIC FOR US ALL!
In these troubled times of wars, terrorism and George Bush, there isn’t too much music around that takes a stand and offers hope and integrity. There was plenty in the ‘60s, less in the ‘70s, and practically nothing now. Why is that? Here are two offerings from a bygone age when music meant something other than a reason to get off your face at the weekend.
A personal favourite of BBC Radio One tastemaker DJ Gilles Peterson, ‘Black Land of the Nile’ is a beautiful yet obscure recording – we just had to reissue it for the world to appreciate. The song is part of the children’s musical ‘Black Fairy’, written to educate and promote black awareness among young Americans. This version was recorded in 1976 for an LP released by the Better Boys Foundation of Chicago, and because the album was only sold at performances of the musical, it has always remained a secret from the record-buying public.
A beautiful song played in ¾ time, the golden voice of the wonderfully-named MaseQua Myers and the saxophone of Chico Freeman capture the spirit of the beauty of Egypt. The song tells of the splendors of Egypt and suggests to the listener that its heritage is more a part of Africa than the middle east as it is generally thought today.
Apart from singers, how many female jazz musicians have you heard of? Less than a handful I bet. Pianist, composer, arranger and author Mary Lou Williams dedicated her life to jazz and gospel music and the message it can convey.
A strong woman with courage and determination, she stood out in the male dominated music industry by creating her own record label and publishing companies in order to get her music distributed and heard.
‘The World’ is the third part of a trilogy of jazzy vocals under the banner ‘Communion Songs’ and despite being less than 1 ½ minutes long, it has an impact that resonates long after. The message is as relevant and poignant today as when it was recorded over 30 years ago:
Black man,
White man,
Red man and yellow,
Yes the world will be as one.
Listen to Black Land of the Nile: 
Listen to Communion: |
