Lena Horne was born in 1917. She was a singer & an actor. She was known & loved not only for her musical and dramatic talents but also for her continual interest in & support of many causes. She started in show business with the chorus line at the Cotton Club in 1933. From there she toured with Noble Sissle's orchestra, & she later joined Charlie Barrett's Band, with which she made her first records.
In the early 1940's, Horne went to Hollywood, where she became the first black woman to sign a a term contract in film. Her films include Panama Hattie(1942), Cabin in the Sky(1943), & Stormy Weather(1943). Her most popular recordings include, "Stormy Weather", "The Lady is a Tramp", & "Mad About the Boy". In 1981, Horne opened a one-woman show on Broadway called Lena Horne: The Lady & Her Music, for which she received a Tony Award.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Black History in Music: Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson was a Gospel singer who was born in 1911 & died in 1972. She was labeled, The "Queen of Gospel Music". She left a legacy of gospel recordings & performances that remain unmatched to this day. She grew up in New Orleans, & although she was familiar with records of Bessie Smith & other blues singers, her father, who was a preacher, allowed only religious music to be played at home. Jackson made her first record in 1934, & eleven years later, she achieved national fame with "Move On Up A Little Higher", which sold a million copies. In 1950, she made her first appearance at Carnegie Hall.
Jackson has been credited with popularizing the gospel sound with her unforgettable recordings, Precious Lord, Bless This Household, & Let the Church Role On. She won Grammy Awards for her albums Great Songs of Love, Faith, & Make a Joyful Noise.
Jackson has been credited with popularizing the gospel sound with her unforgettable recordings, Precious Lord, Bless This Household, & Let the Church Role On. She won Grammy Awards for her albums Great Songs of Love, Faith, & Make a Joyful Noise.
Black History in Literature & Music: Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen was born in 1903 & died in 1946. He was a writer & a poet & was one of the strongest voices associated with the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of black art & literature in New York City in the 1920's. Not much is known about his early childhood except that he was born Countee Porter & adopted by Rev. & Mrs. Frederick Cullen, who provided him with a fine education. He excelled in his studies, receiving honors in Latin, mathematics, English, history, & French. In 1925, he graduated phi beta kappa from New York University & published his first book of poems, Color.
After receiving his Master's degree from Harvard University, Cullen became an editor & critic & later wrote plays & novels, but it was his poetry that singled him out as a voice to be listened to. Though he wrote on universal themes such as love, religion, & death, Cullen believed in the richness & importance of his African-American heritage & deftly applied traditional forms of verse, using melodic meter & rhyme to African-American themes.
Countee Cullen created "rap" music through his poems by inserting rhythm & music. Because Opera & Jazz singing reigned more during that time, "rap"(rhyming with poetry) was not easily carried into the 30's & 40's. It didn't pick up until the late 70's & on into the 80's & beyond, paving the way for artists like, Run DMC, The Fat Boys, NWA, Queen Latifah, & MC Lyte, to name a few. In ancient Africa, talking in rhyme & adding the drum beat while rocking back & forth was called Rhetoric.
After receiving his Master's degree from Harvard University, Cullen became an editor & critic & later wrote plays & novels, but it was his poetry that singled him out as a voice to be listened to. Though he wrote on universal themes such as love, religion, & death, Cullen believed in the richness & importance of his African-American heritage & deftly applied traditional forms of verse, using melodic meter & rhyme to African-American themes.
Countee Cullen created "rap" music through his poems by inserting rhythm & music. Because Opera & Jazz singing reigned more during that time, "rap"(rhyming with poetry) was not easily carried into the 30's & 40's. It didn't pick up until the late 70's & on into the 80's & beyond, paving the way for artists like, Run DMC, The Fat Boys, NWA, Queen Latifah, & MC Lyte, to name a few. In ancient Africa, talking in rhyme & adding the drum beat while rocking back & forth was called Rhetoric.
Black History in Film: Noble Johnson
Noble Johnson was an actor who was born in 1881 & died in 1957. He was one of the first black actors to attain the status of "star". In 1914, he landed his first movie role in the successful Universal Pictures film, The Eagle's Nest. He then signed a contract with Universal & became a celebrity to many African-Americans. In 1915, Johnson & Clarence Brooks launched the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, which produced several successful films in which Johnson played the leading role. His brother George, was publicity manager. Because Johnson's participation in the film company conflicted with his contract with Universal Pictures, he eventually resigned as president.
Johnson often appeared in non-black roles, portraying in various films playing a Mexican, Chinese, Spanish, Cuban, Tibetan, & Eskimo characters. He played the role of a Tarter in Hounds of Zaroff & the role of Friday in Robinson Crusoe.
Johnson often appeared in non-black roles, portraying in various films playing a Mexican, Chinese, Spanish, Cuban, Tibetan, & Eskimo characters. He played the role of a Tarter in Hounds of Zaroff & the role of Friday in Robinson Crusoe.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Black History Notes 2019
It's been a long while since I posted anything for Black History Month but, here are some more info for you all to enjoy reading:
1. All Africans & African-American people have a biblical history written in the Bible.
2. Before Christopher Columbus sailed to North America, Africans, Phoenicians, & Native Americans were here first. California was discovered with African & Native Americans already living here with the descendants of the Phoenicians & people from Asia(around 900 B.C.).
3. During slavery, the Cherokee Tribe was the largest tribe to take in runaway slaves. They intermarried & had children over the course of 400 yrs., which is why African-Americans now have Cherokee blood running through their veins(a whole lot!). Do blood test through Ancestry.com. We also fought in wars against the U.S. Army together. Reason for the split? The U.S. government saw that they were losing the wars against the Native Americans & decided to come up with a plan to split the African-Americans & the Native Americans by coming into the camps by pretending to be peacemakers & lie on the Blacks about what was happening in the camps when they were at war. The Native Americans bought the stories & it created a war within the camp. The U.S. Army's plan worked & the relationship between Blacks & Native Americans was over, only to put the Native Americans on Reservations. Other Native American tribes also took in African-American slaves, too, only to have the same thing happen to them.
4. Mozart & Beethoven were African-American men who moved from America to Europe to pursue their music career in composing music. They were rejected here in America during the Roaring 20's(Harlem Rebirth) because of being Black & none of their albums were not selling on the market in the White community. They weren't the only ones. A lot of Blacks moved to Europe to pursue their careers in fashion, photography, performing arts, & many other talents.
5. Chocolate & coffee were actually cultivated & traded in Africa. The Queen of Sheba(Makida), had just traded imports & exported spices, sugar, coffee, & chocolate to the people of India & Asia Minor when she met Solomon on a journey to Ethiopia.
6. R&B(Rhythm & Blues), Rap, Hip-Hop, Soul, Blues, Gospel, Jazz, & music to put you in the mood for love all came from Africa. Solomon had over 900 wives & 700 concubines! How did he do it?...By singing to them!! Read the whole book of Song of Solomon in the Bible.
7. King Rhamses also had about that many wives & children! I guess he learned from Solomon!!
8. In Kemet(now Egypt) Black women were prized for being very curvy. The more bigger they were, the more they were worshiped & made queens. So ladies, embrace your curves. Being thin is a European thing!!
9. The Greek Zodiac is actually African. Egyptian women were the ones that taught astronomy as well as math, science, & philosophy. They taught the Greeks this, too.
10. Greek Mythology is also African. All the stories about Zeus & Triton were African characters with their names changed to Greek to fit the Greek culture.
This is some of the Black History notes that I have to share with you. As you can see, our history did not start in America. We had kings & queens that ruled kingdoms & had universities, libraries, & stadiums for sports & games. Black women had their children & raised them with knowledge of their history & people. Schooled them in arts & crafts, taught them how to be future kings & queens, taught their sons how to be husbands to their wives & vise versa, & taught them how to raise their children, their future generation.
1. All Africans & African-American people have a biblical history written in the Bible.
2. Before Christopher Columbus sailed to North America, Africans, Phoenicians, & Native Americans were here first. California was discovered with African & Native Americans already living here with the descendants of the Phoenicians & people from Asia(around 900 B.C.).
3. During slavery, the Cherokee Tribe was the largest tribe to take in runaway slaves. They intermarried & had children over the course of 400 yrs., which is why African-Americans now have Cherokee blood running through their veins(a whole lot!). Do blood test through Ancestry.com. We also fought in wars against the U.S. Army together. Reason for the split? The U.S. government saw that they were losing the wars against the Native Americans & decided to come up with a plan to split the African-Americans & the Native Americans by coming into the camps by pretending to be peacemakers & lie on the Blacks about what was happening in the camps when they were at war. The Native Americans bought the stories & it created a war within the camp. The U.S. Army's plan worked & the relationship between Blacks & Native Americans was over, only to put the Native Americans on Reservations. Other Native American tribes also took in African-American slaves, too, only to have the same thing happen to them.
4. Mozart & Beethoven were African-American men who moved from America to Europe to pursue their music career in composing music. They were rejected here in America during the Roaring 20's(Harlem Rebirth) because of being Black & none of their albums were not selling on the market in the White community. They weren't the only ones. A lot of Blacks moved to Europe to pursue their careers in fashion, photography, performing arts, & many other talents.
5. Chocolate & coffee were actually cultivated & traded in Africa. The Queen of Sheba(Makida), had just traded imports & exported spices, sugar, coffee, & chocolate to the people of India & Asia Minor when she met Solomon on a journey to Ethiopia.
6. R&B(Rhythm & Blues), Rap, Hip-Hop, Soul, Blues, Gospel, Jazz, & music to put you in the mood for love all came from Africa. Solomon had over 900 wives & 700 concubines! How did he do it?...By singing to them!! Read the whole book of Song of Solomon in the Bible.
7. King Rhamses also had about that many wives & children! I guess he learned from Solomon!!
8. In Kemet(now Egypt) Black women were prized for being very curvy. The more bigger they were, the more they were worshiped & made queens. So ladies, embrace your curves. Being thin is a European thing!!
9. The Greek Zodiac is actually African. Egyptian women were the ones that taught astronomy as well as math, science, & philosophy. They taught the Greeks this, too.
10. Greek Mythology is also African. All the stories about Zeus & Triton were African characters with their names changed to Greek to fit the Greek culture.
This is some of the Black History notes that I have to share with you. As you can see, our history did not start in America. We had kings & queens that ruled kingdoms & had universities, libraries, & stadiums for sports & games. Black women had their children & raised them with knowledge of their history & people. Schooled them in arts & crafts, taught them how to be future kings & queens, taught their sons how to be husbands to their wives & vise versa, & taught them how to raise their children, their future generation.
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