BIBA Vlog 1: COOS is growing!

Happy April everyone!

The BIBA Blog is changing! From time to time, these entries will be Vlogs! Today's post is the FIRST BIBA Vlog, and we're looking forward to presenting many more in the future! Please feel free to respond to our questions for you in the comments here, in comments on YouTube, on our Facebook page, as Tweets, through e-mail, or however you feel the most comfortable! As COOS grows, we need all the help that we can get, and we're willing to entertain suggestions and any other form of help and support from everyone! Thanks so much, and hope you enjoy!

(We'd Like To Hear From YOU!)

What does Black History mean to you?

It is now February, a time when churches, schools, libraries, boys and girls clubs, community centers, YMCAs, theaters, and other groups and organizations across the United States and Canada take advantage of a nationally recognized observance of Black/African-American history. In the United States, this observance started in 1976, almost a decade AFTER the civil rights movement ended. Canada followed suit in 1995, and an observation of Black History began at the urging of a Ghanaian in the UK in 1987. February is close to Martin Luther King Jr. Day (observed on the third Monday of January, which is usually close to his birthday - January 15th), but February is quite far from the official observance of African-American Music Appreciation Month (originally titled Black Music Month by President Ford), which is in June (which includes Juneteenth celebrations).

While Black History Month has caused strong criticism, many benefits have been birthed from its creation, including the obvious increase in awareness of important Black figures. And while Martin Luther King Jr. may get more accolades than his friend Bayard Rustin (who arguably is just as important or more important to Black History), such phenomena occurs throughout history (see Arnold Schoenberg getting credited for a serial system over Josef Mattias Hauer, or Antonio Meucci inventing the telephone, NOT Bell). Personally, when February comes, I do not immediately associate it with Black History Month until I start seeing announcements about celebrations. Perhaps because Black History for me is who I am, what I live, what I'm creating every day. However, February is a time when I contemplate what this tragic and beautiful history means to me.

In a recent conversation, someone questioned me as to why knowing the country of origin of my African ancestors is important to me. The question, admittedly, gave me pause. I responded in this vain: it is most likely impossible for me to find out this information. Instead, I can read and study and research the stories of slavery and how it manifested itself in the United States. Slave masters took Africans from their country, forced them to ride a slave ship in some of the most inhumane conditions that history has known. The survivors were treated like animals; beautified for the purpose of making a high profit, then taken to an alien domicile where they were forced to work for no pay, little food, no care, no mercy. They were stripped of their original names, not given any last names, stripped of their education, stripped of their original language, stripped of their dignity. Is there another people who has had this happen to them, where - through it all - they came out with education, family, religion, new culture, a mastery of language, an incredible arts tradition, wealth, property, fame, and now the highest political office in the USA?

Black History, to me, means encouragement. It is an empowerment. It reminds me that SUCCESS is where I come from, despite how Blacks may be portrayed or stereotyped or ridiculed or profiled. Happy Black History Month!

(We'd Like to Hear from YOU!)

Heri za Kwanzaa!!

The past couple years have been both brutal and enlightening regarding the race situation in the United States (and ultimately the world). Outside of the discussions of police brutality, Rachel Dolezal, Ta-Nehisi Coates’s theses statements, hidden racism against President Obama, and more, there have also been poignant discussions about Zwarte Piet in the Netherlands, France’s identity reversal problems in North Africa, even Lupita Nyong’o’s Mexican-Kenyan identity. One of the first BIBA Blog Posts looked at Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s African-Jewish heritage through her father’s lineage! This reminds me of the quote that my friend and colleague Ashe Gordon references often: "with 40 million African-Americans in this country, there are 40 million ways of being Black." (Henry Louis Gates Jr.). Now re-envision that number to apply to all Black people in the world.

Growing up Black in the USA, I did not celebrate Kwanzaa. A woman at my church held a Kwanzaa celebration, but not every year. It petered out after a while, and I never questioned why because I never cared for Kwanzaa. Children in my schools would talk about Kwanzaa. “It’s ridiculous!” “It’s hilarious!” “It’s a made-up holiday.” (As if other holidays weren’t also made-up!) And in talking about Kwanzaa, there was also a tinge of talking about Africa and Africans. I witnessed a classmate with a very African name and two African parents also talk about Kwanzaa in this way, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I participated in the mocking of Kwanzaa just to fit in. How tragic a commentary that a holiday created to help Black people in the United States be a tighter community and remember their African heritage has become the subject of such ridicule, especially amongst Black people!

But this status of Kwanzaa is a result of systemic racism – a type of racism that is not overtly nefarious, but contributes to maintaining the “inferior” status of anything that is not “typical American”. A good example of a comment that embodies this systemic racism is “I want my country back”, which is usually uttered by an older Republican woman who wants to return to a time when gay people, immigrants, and Black people didn’t have that much of a voice or a presence in the American political fabric, and you could knock on your neighbor’s door to borrow sugar. It wasn’t until Castle of our Skins started that I began to intimate the true spirit of being Black, and the diverse ways to celebrate and own this identity. With that in mind, I am proud to include Kwanzaa in this celebration. I do not have a kinara (the candle holder). I do not know Kwanzaa songs. I have not memorized all of the Swahili terms. However, the 7 principals that come from African harvest traditions are available for me to reflect upon in the context of reflecting upon my Black identity. Setting aside the end of the year to do this every year is symbolic for me; a way for me to look back upon my identity that particular year, and to remind me to always celebrate my identity in the coming year.

Habari gani? Umoja – Unity!

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MassQ revelations

Many cultures and traditions practice some ritual of transformation, ranging from traditional "talks" to elaborate ceremonies into adulthood. For the multimedia and design artist Daniel Callahan, transformation occurs through his practice of MassQing, which draws elements from various African rituals and ceremonies. In Daniel's words, MassQing is a ritual application of paint to the face in order to reveal one's inner state of being. The alternative spelling of MassQ is to differentiate it from the concept of a mask. A mask is an object used to disguise, distort, protect, and/or conceal one's true identity. The purpose of a MassQ, however, is to reveal something about ourselves."

I recently had the honor of engaging in this process. To reveal my inner state of being, Daniel asked me a series of questions about my life, my art, my processes, my family, my relationships, my approaches to certain issues, and more. What is unique about Daniel's process, though, is that this does not in any way feel like an interview, but rather a talk with a close friend, partner, mentor, or family member. As we discussed various aspects of life, he sketched my face and plans for my MassQ. I only quickly glanced at his sketches, but what I saw showed a level of technical mastery that rivals the great artists of our time.

During the actual MassQing, the discussion continued. While I couldn't physically see my face being altered under Daniel's capable talents, I did notice myself thinking more about the topics we discussed, especially about political issues and the love I have for my complex and supportive family. Daniel made impromptu alterations to his design during the process, and paid meticulous attention to detail. His announcement of completion wasn't grandiose. Rather, it felt like an organic, subtle ending - a culmination of various factors simultaneously competing against each other and working with each other.

The time came to look at my transformed, MassQed face in the mirror. My immediate reaction was a sense of wonder at the talent of the artist. Then it occurred to me that the person in the mirror was me!

A sudden sense of pride came over me, as well as a unique type of strength that I knew existed, but perhaps never knew how to reveal. The MassQ that Daniel created has elements of multidirectionality     juxtaposed with a focal point, a multicolored palette that is focused and strategic, a design of lines and curves that bring out certain features of my face while creating an element of dance for the eyes, and a sense of partitioning that extends physical as well as personal/emotional features. Only a persona that is truly invested in his/her artistic practice can achieve such a combination of intuitive creation and flawless execution. 

After the MassQing session, Daniel explained to me that the removal of the MassQ is also a part of the ritual. I spent the rest of my day with the MassQ, which included interactions with workers, a commute, walking and driving by hoards of teenagers in line for a concert, and doing karaoke. People were not shy to either ask me about the MassQ or give massive compliments. It did give me a sense of power and confidence, but a different type of a confidence. It is the type of confidence that comes from not being afraid to be who you are, in spite of how the world may look at you. While certain groups of people may experience being "viewed differently" for various reasons on a day-to-day basis, the MassQ forces the bearer to come to terms with this differentiation-through-transformation, and encourages to keep this feeling after the ritual has ended. 

In March 2017, Castle of our Skins is planning on collaborating with Daniel Callahan on various events related to celebrating Black visual artists. Be on the lookout!!

(We'd Like to Hear from YOU!) 

A Community Choir's Work

The value of community ensembles is often overlooked. If you are reading this now, think of a community vocal group or music group or annual event that gave you some joy in your life. Now take that feeling in - the feeling of people coming together, sharing something in common, appreciating life and warmth and brotherhood. Additionally, if you are reading this and you belonged to a community group (or still do), congratulate yourself for the work that you do. This work is often not acknowledged or appreciated!

On the 15th of November, the HildaMan Chorale will be celebrating its 35th Anniversary - 35 years of providing music and culture and strength to the Wilmington, Deleware community. The event will include choral works as well as presentations of dance and instrumental works. The guest conductors include the influential conductor and music educator C. Lawler Rogers, music educator and church leader Shirley Brockenborough, and the prestigious conductor and composer-arranger Roland M. Carver. The dance presentation will be given by Melody Dale, member of D'elegance, the dance team of the Deleware State University Band.

Another guest artist will be Castle of our Skins's very own Director of Outreach and Community Engagement, Adrienne Baker. Originally from Wilmington, DE, Ms. Baker has studied music at Ithaca College and the Longy School of Music in Boston, MA. Now residing in the Boston Area, Ms. Baker's passion about accessibility in music has lead her to teach musicians of all levels, create and conduct workshops linking music with storytelling, and study music entrepreneurship with one of today's leading ensembles, the Imani Winds. For the program, Ms. Baker will be playing "Flute Set" by Adolphus Hailstork, and her own arrangement of the Gospel standard "Total Praise" (Richard Smallwood). You can hear some of Ms. Baker's recordings on her SoundCloud page.

According to one of their members, "the HildaMan Chorale is a talented volunteer vocal ensemble group founded by Leander Morris and Allen E. Clark in 1980, at the urging of Bebe Ross Coker. Ms. Coker felt the need for a community-based ensemble whose primary objective would be singing and preserving the spiritual. As a secondary objective, Morris and Clark selected performing music by local composers. The members of the chorale share a love of music and the joy of performing to the delight of the audience. Their repertoire ranges from spirituals, standard oratorio and classical literature, madrigals, jazz, and show tunes."

Brava to Adrienne Baker, and congratulations on 35 years of service, HildaMan Chorale! Here is to 35 more!

(We'd Like to Hear from YOU!)

CBMR Part Three: An Inspiring Charge

As the week of research drew to a close, books piling, lists growing, inspiration expanding and filling our souls, we were introduced to yet another section of the archive that filled us with joy. The archives have a large filing cabinet where, alphabetically, people and organizations and ensembles and other events/items related to Black music research have folders that contain writings, press clippings, official documents, and other related material. Seeing this large cabinet full of documents of events we wanted to attend, people we want to know, music we want to hear - it was extremely moving for many different reasons.

Firstly, I have often times - as a "classical musician" with brown skin - felt as though people like me are few and far between. I can never shake the feeling, even today - even after immersing myself and surrounding myself with other musicians, composers, and enthusiasts with brown skin - that I don't belong and that no one is paying attention. Now, whenever this feeling comes upon me, I can think of my time at CBMR. I can think of the hundreds of names I came across, knowing that this quantity of names does not represent everyone who has been involved in this work, and definitely does not represent those to come! I can think of the many events I read about in this file cabinet, spanning the gamut of renaissance and baroque music to contemporary and avant-garde expression. There are people documenting this community and its work, and those documenting it don't just exist at CBMR! It may be a simple feeling, but it is also an important feeling, and this message is one that Castle of our Skins wishes to extend to any other brown skinned "classical musician" who may also feel alone.

Secondly, while this cabinet was large and packed, I could not shake the feeling that this cabinet of events cannot represent even a 16th of the total events out there related to Black Music Research, with a focus on "classical music". What a thought! What have we missed? What other collections out there can help fill in our gaps? How can we extend the awareness of these collections to a broader public? I'm sure that this blog helps, social media helps, but can conservatory curriculum change to reflect a more complete picture of this world? I do remember discussing the lack of representation of composers like me within conservatory curricula with a former private composition teacher. This particular teacher was admittedly a bit naive, but well-meaning. The teacher told me simply "if the worth of the music is strong, its impact will be made." Perhaps he is right. This approach is similar to the quote about the arc of the moral universe bending towards justice. However, there must be actors working to bend this arc, and the week spent at CBMR made me feel like one.

Lastly, Castle of our Skins has the goal of serving as a type of model for others interested in starting an organization similar to ours, whether it focus on celebrating Black artistry through music or celebrating the artistry of another culture through painting. Our mission, while focused, is inclusive. It is more of a critique rather than a filter. Today, despite the overwhelming number of orchestral works by composers such as Gary Nash, Kevin Scott, Jeffrey Mumford, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Ed Bland, Margaret Bonds, Evan Williams, George Walker, Olly Wilson, Florence Price, Renee Baker, Tania León, Mary Watkins, and others, it's typical today to go to an orchestral concert for an entire season and not see one work programmed by a composer with brown skin. And while chamber music concerts provide a bit more of a complete cultural picture with regards to "classical music", there are numerous ensembles that are proud of the "diversity" in their program, and this only extends to women and composers from less-represented European nations. The concept of diversity in "classical music" today does not usually include composers with brown skin. In my professeional travels, I try to make it a point to ask my colleagues their general knowledge of Black composers outside of me. The answers are rather dismal. Some might say, "this is okay because composers should be associated more with nationality rather than race/skin color." I would be okay with this, but the problem then lies with the fact that Black Americans are generally not included in the fabric of "classical music". In discussions of American Composers (which usually focus on composers from the United States rather than all of the Americas), how often do you come across Julius Eastman or Blind Tom? While they are definitely American composers, the label is usually Black composer. Perhaps collections of Black music further exacerbate this separation. But then I ask myself, would this documentation exist within the fabric of "American Music" if it weren't separated? The state of Blacks in "classical music" is definitely a complicated catch-22, in which the general system of "classical music" includes unspoken expectations that conceal segregation. Castle of our Skins attempts to change the system. Hopefully a box for us will be created in some Black Music collection in the future.

Thanks, CBMR!

(This is the last part of the BIBA Blog's CBMR series! We'd Like to Hear From YOU!)

CBMR Part Two: Perfect Guidance

During our research week, Ashe and I (along with the other grant recipient Kirk Smith) received guidance from the amazingly well-informed staff. Particularly helpful to us were Melanie Zeck and Janet Harper. Both of them were always available to give us information, whether it was a name of a performer or composer that we should look into, books and scholars to explore as another avenue of inspiration, or cultural events throughout the great city of Chicago. One of these events was an exhibit of the paintings of Archibald Motley.

Just like President Barack Obama, Archibald J. Motley Jr. (1891 - 1981), was of a mixed racial makeup that included direct African and European backgrounds. He grew up with his family in a  quiet middle class neighborhood in Chicago that did not emphasize racial disparities. Consequently, throughout his life he never identified as with any racial label, but used his art to delve deeper into racial stereotypes and the politics of skin tone. Of these works, the portraits of mixed race women were of a particular focus for him.

During his time, labels such as "octoroon" or "quadroon" or "mulatto" were used in abundance, even though it was difficult to exactly determine these qualities simply by looking at skin. Motley's portraits embodied this message, along with other piercing critics regarding race in the United States of America. Ashe and I were so moved by this exhibition that we decided to base Castle of our Skins's next Call for Proposals on works of visual art by Black artists.

Other suggestions (just to mention a few out of many, including the Helen Walker-Hill books mentioned in the previous post) were the music of Akin Euba and Fred Onovwerosuoke. Both still living, these composers represent their native African countries very well in their clever, moving music. The suggestion of these composers has lead me to look into the music of other African composers, like Fela Sowande and Samuel Ekpe Akpabot and Halim El-Dabh. So much good music to discover!

On a final note, doing this research has uncovered to me how much improper documentation exists for Black composers. I often came across contradictory birth dates, contradictory or missing death dates, contradictory titles and instrumentations, and many pieces that have been lost. One such death date gave Ashe and me a bit of a pause. We came across some pieces by Dr. Lettie Beckon Alston that are perfect for the COOS Collective - the flexible ensemble that is a part of our organization. In our search for her contact information, we came across the news that she had passed away, yet online source after online source did not mention this (and they still do not). She passed away in 2014. Luckily for us and the world, she left behind some wonderful music.

(Stay tuned for part 3!, and We'd like to hear from YOU!)

CBMR Part One: Beautiful Black Women

Castle ofour Skins was honored to receive a Travel-to-the-Collections grant from the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) in Chicago. As a result, co-artistic directors Ashleigh Gordon and I (Anthony Green) spent a week immersing ourselves in the massive collection of scores, audio, magazines, books, newspaper clippings, primary and secondary sources, and other material related to composers, performers, musicologists, and other music lovers who identify as Black or work with artists who identify as Black. Over the course of the week, Ashe and I had an initial objective to collect repertoire to add to a database of possible chamber works that can be programmed during the upcoming COOS seasons. After day one, however, we knew that other objectives would be inevitably added to our research, and this week was simply not long enough to 100% achieve any of them. But we would give it the old college try!

While Ashe was busy looking up repertoire (and coming across some hits and misses), I organically gravitated towards focusing on Black female composers. This inclination was mainly because of books by Helen Walker-Hill, books of which I was not aware until this research period. This line of focus lead me to discover two things: 1) Helen Walker-Hill was affiliated with a school that I attended, and 2) that same school in its past had a celebration of Black (mostly classical) music in its history, but it does not anymore. This celebration happened in February, however, the institute referred to February as Black Awareness Month. One such celebration included a performance by the legendary Kathleen Battle. I was 11 years too late to witness this.

This line of research also lead me quickly to believe that I was grossly unware of about 90% of the Black women composers about whom I read. Consequently, I constructed a list of names in a word document, along with (very light) notes and birth/death dates. This list includes over 200 names. My favorite part of this list is that some of the names I added to it were names I came across before Ms. Walker-Hill had her chance. Ms. Walker-Hill left this earth suddenly on August 8, 2013. At this time, however, there was not any update to any of her books or research to include composers like Renee’ Baker, SerenaCreary, Pamela Z, and Nailah Nombeko, to name a few. It is good to know that her line of work will continue to have a need, and her legacy will continue as this scholarship develops.

(Stay tuned for part 2!, and We'd like to hear from YOU!)

#COOSgives

Castle of our Skins, the new Boston-based concert and education series organization dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music, has recently launched an IndieGoGo Campaign to ask YOU - our beloved fans and supporters - to help us out not only monetarily, but through word of mouth and positive energy. Some have asked why #COOSgives? Glad you asked!

COOS (Castle of our Skins) is not just a group of musicians playing pieces from the repertoire or commissioning new music from composers around the world. We do that, but we do that with a goal in mind: to correct the grave problem of artists (composers, performers, spoken word artists, narrators, storytellers, etc ...) with Brown skin being underrepresented in public forums. We focus on music for the concert and chamber halls - strictly notated music for acoustic instruments and voices. Composers of this music - such as Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Renee Baker, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Dorothy Rudd Moore, Fela Sowande, Margaret Bonds, Ed Bland, etc ... - have been pioneers, mentors, and big influences on composers and musicians of various backgrounds. Yet the music of these composers is basically ignored, and their influence is rarely taught in post-secondary institutions.

Similarly, the Black story in America is not given justice in history classes for elementary through high school students. February rolls around, and a couple of wonderful Black leaders are mentioned. However, this is not the complete picture, and this aspect of the American story is pushed so far into the background that it almost disappears. How does this ignorance manifest itself? This ignorance, combined with misrepresentations of Black people in the media, in twisted statistics, social media, and other forums of image, sound, and video - all of this creates children who lack the complete picture of their history, and lack a pride in who they are and from where they came. Furthermore, in their lack of a complete picture, they are bombarded by negativity, thus incubating the idea that this is who they are. Obviously this is not the story for everyone. We all have different journeys. Hopefully, these journeys will all lead to pride, awareness, and knowledge.

This is where COOS steps in. The above problem is too great to be solved quickly or by us alone! However, what we do: we give. We plant seeds through our educational series, directed by Seychelle Dunn. We present ourselves and the stories of great Black artists in the community, through house concerts, senior home recitals, presentations in schools, and more. We perform the music that has been ignored, and put it into greater contexts with spoken word. And this work will evolve into something more if we are supported! Therefore, when YOU give to COOS, you allow COOS to give.

Thank you for your donations, your word-of-mouth support, your suggestions, your kindness, your love, and your positive energy. We need all of it to continue giving.

#COOSgives

Reflections on Black History Month

Last month was February - national Black History Month in the United States. It is a time where I always think about how there are two sides to every coin; in a previous post, I stated that having a "Black History Month" can imply that Black history is not important in any other month of the year, however, the awareness that Black History Month has brought to America is priceless. I wouldn't want to take that back for anything in the world, but it would be nice to have the lessons of Black History Month spill out more into daily life.

Usually not wont to take advantage of this shortest month of the year, this year I decided to go against this resolve. Inspired by a friend who posted Black History tidbits as Facebook statuses last year, I decided to post a tidbit about a Black composer every day during Black History Month. The results were mixed, as is the idea of Black History Month itself. Did my posts get more people regularly listening to the music of Black composers? No. Did it raise consciousness? Perhaps. Despite my unease, the overall result was positive. I received comments of gratitude from friends, and some from strangers. Some of the posts were shared. Some started conversation. Another blogger mentioned my project in one of his posts. There you go.

I wanted to comment on one observation (for the sake of writing a 75-page thesis). For the post about Scott Joplin, two of my friends posted that they didn't know he was Black. I thought to myself: wow, that's odd. As a child, I remember seeing a picture of Scott Joplin, and not caring much about his skin color, but knowing somewhere in the back of my mind and the depth of my heart that for some reason his skin color was important. Of course I just assumed that everyone has seen a picture of Scott Joplin, and - even if they hadn't - that the rhythmic qualities of that music were so Black that that composer himself must be! This, however, is not the case in the slightest. My immediate conclusions are mixed: it is really great to know that today's world may be one where the skin color of composers does not matter so much. At the same time, racism still exists in a big way, especially in the USA. If certain people grow up thinking that Scott Joplin is not Black, then they've missed an opportunity to learn about the achievements of someone whose music they might like ... or even love. Yet, a typical racist - upon learning that Scott Joplin is Black - would probably just stop listening, and start preaching how that music is no good, despite previous feelings of admiration.

It is a tough pill to swallow, this question: should the skin color and background of a composer matter? On a purely musical quality level, perhaps not. If one enjoys listening to the music, then listen, and not let anything else get in the way. It is very difficult to admit that. On the contrary, why are Black composers slighted so often, and - when recognized - placed in a box? Is it impossible to simultaneously recognize a Black composer and not place him/her in a box? What about female composers? Native-American composers?

I have concluded personally that the background of a composer - his/her struggles, successes, failures, biography, traveled lands, spoken languages, parents' history, political leanings, social awareness, etc ... - is important. While it is impossible to inhabit the lives of all of our favorite composers, there are tidbits that can break into the backgrounds of our beloved composers. Skin color can be one of them.

To see the Facebook posts, please click here!

FIRE!!

Happy New Year! It's winter, and cold for many in the northern parts of the world. Wouldn't you like to relax by the fire, perhaps reading the first and only issue of the magazine devoted to younger Negro artists, FIRE!!?

In November 1926, during the highpoint of the Harlem Renaissance, three talented artists decided to light a fire in the world of magazine publication. These three - Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Wallace Thurman - have come to be considered some of the finest writers of history. For the creation of Fire!!, Langston Hughes said that its mission was "to burn up a lot of the old, dead conventional Negro-white ideas of the past ... into a realization of the existence of the younger Negro writers and artists, and provide us with an outlet for publication not available in the limited pages of the small Negro magazines then existing."

At that time, there was contention caused between the cult of young, unconventional Negro artists and a Black leadership class referred to as The Talented Tenth, whose most prominent figure was Dr. W. E. B. DuBois. This contention manifested itself mostly socially - the Talented Tenth were more concerned with portraying intelligence, reserve, and a conservative comportment, perhaps most likely in an attempt to break away from the white stereotypes of Blacks that were developed during the times of slavery. Wallace Thurman, Richard Bruce Nugent, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and many other Harlem Renaissance artists disagreed, and opted to display a more diverse, real, raw image of Black culture, in an attempt to perhaps romanticize the diversity of that culture, as well as highlight how such diversity can yield honest, passionate art. Aaron Douglas stated: 

"... Our problem is to conceive, develop, establish an art era. Not white art painting Black ... Let's bare our arms and plunge them deep through laughter, through pain, through sorrow, through hope, through disappointment, into the very depths of the souls of our people and drag forth material crude, rough, neglected. Then let's sing it, dance it, write it, paint it."

After a mixed reaction of the first issue of Fire!! (mostly by Black intellectuals), its publishing quarters burnt down, destroying many of the original first prints. What were the origins of this ironic yet real-life fire?

Ujamaa - Kwanzaa's financial support day

Habari gani? UJAMAA!!

In 1966, when Dr. Maulana Karenga and his "The Organization US" set out to create a purely Black tradition, it is no wonder they turned to the successes of East Africa as a foundation. For example, in Kenya, successful Harambee thought lead to that country adopting this word as its motto. In Tanzania, President Julius Nyerere employed Ujamaa principles from the 1960s, and published these principles officially in 1967. The results of Ujamaa in Tanzania included an increase of literacy, enrollment in schools, declines in infant deaths, and more. It is important to note also that in East Africa Swahili is widely used, and Swahili has become one of the most spoken languages in the continent.

In an effort to create a more universal ethos to this Black/Pan-African holiday, Dr. Karenga used terms in Swahili for creating Kwanzaa, which comes from the Swahili matunda ya kwanza or "first fruits of the harvest". As written on the official Kwanzaa website, maintained by "The Organization US":

"First, Kwanzaa was created to reaffirm and restore our rootedness in African culture. It is, therefore, an expression of recovery and reconstruction of African culture. Secondly, Kwanzaa was created to serve as a regular communal celebration to reaffirm and reinforce the bonds between us as a people. Thirdly, Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles): Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). Kwanzaa was conceived as a fundamental and important way to introduce and reinforce these values and cultivate appreciation for them." 

On this fourth day of Kwanzaa - one of the "struggle" days**, we must intimate how our efforts in cooperative economics shall bring to life our purpose (Nia) as a community.  Do you celebrate Kwanzaa? If so, what did you do today for Ujamaa? Today, I donated to Castle of our Skins, an organization dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music.

Heri za Kwanzaa!!

** Celebrating Kwanzaa involves lighting candles of various colors that sit on a kinara or candle holder. Since Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration, there are seven candles that are to be lit each day of the week. The first candle is black. It is in the center, and represents the (Black) people. It is lit to symbolize unity (Umoja). Then a series of red and green candles are lit in an alternating pattern. The red candles symbolize "struggle", while the green candles symbolize "the future and hope that comes from the struggle". Lighting a red candle and then a green candle symbolizes that through struggle comes positivity. In this way, Kujichagulia (self-determination) begets Ujima (collective work and responsibility); Ujamaa (cooperative economics) begets Nia (purpose); and Kuumba (creativity) begets Imani (faith). 

Claude McKay, Olly Wilson, and the recent murders

The incredible Festus Claudius "Claude" McKay (1889 - 1948) was a Jamaican-American writer and poet. He was active during the Harlem Renaissance, writing books and poetry, non-fiction and fiction. He was also a communist sympathizer, who later retracted his support, despite a favorable months-long stay in the communist Soviet Union. One of his favorite genres to employ was the Sonnet, and arguably his most famous Sonnet is the magnificent "If We Must Die":

If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.

If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!

O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?

Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! 

This poem was published during the "Red Summer" of 1919, a time of intense, racially-motivated violence, mostly against Black Americans.

Fast-forward to 1991: the equally breath-taking, jaw-dropping Olly Wilson composes a large-scale work for choir, vocal soloists, and orchestra called "Of Visions and Truth". The last movement of this work incorporates the McKay Sonnet exquisitely. Olly Wilson himself was born in 1937, and has lived through the intense racial struggle of the 60s, and is now currently witnessing the delicate and explosive situation that is occurring at this very moment in the United States. You can listen to his powerful work here:

23 years later, and the situation is bubbling again. Sentiments held by those who are racist towards Black Americans that should have been corrected before the turn of the 1900s are arising yet again, just as powerful and just as nonsensical as ever. The innocent victims - Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, John Crawford III, Darrien Hunt, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and others - have been used to be "killed like hogs". Yet, those who know and have intimated the struggle also know that these beautiful, innocent Black Americans are human, and their deaths are NOT in vain.

Once again, McKay - in 1919 - ended his Sonnet with this powerful couplet:

Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! 

There are different ways to fight. McKay fought with his pen. Olly Wilson fights with his compositions. Castle of our Skins is also fighting, by celebrating Black artistry through music. Our voice, our work to celebrate the voice of beautiful Black artists, our concerts, our education work, our attempt to plant the seeds of social change and cultural curiosity and awareness - this is our fight.

Thank you.

Abolotion Tidbits

The fame of the eloquent, extremely intelligent, popular (and justly so) abolitionist Frederick Douglass usually eclipses the success of his contemporary William Wells Brown. In 1853, he published a fictional novel in London called Clotel, which is considered the first novel published by an African American.

Brown himself was a slave who escaped to the north when he was 20 (in 1834). After working with some abolitionists in America, he traveled to England with his daughters in 1849 to lecture against slavery. The following year, the United States passed the Fugitive Slave Act, and - for fear of his and his family's safety - Wells stayed in England, only to leave in 1854 when his freedom was purchased. During his time in England, his daughters gained the education he never had, and Brown became a prolific writer in many genres (including plays and travel writing). He also documented the text of many songs sung at Anti-Slavery meetings in a compilation called The Anti-Slavery Harp; A Collection of Songs for Anti-Slavery Meetings. (It is also worth while mentioning that his personal slave narrative, published two years after Douglass's, was also a US bestseller, second to that of Frederick Douglass's.)

Along the lines of important success being eclipsed by popular (and equally important) success, the work of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society and other anti-slavery societies around this juncture in time is worth more attention.

During its seven year history - from 1833 to 1840, it managed to hold 3 national women's conventions, develop a large petition campaign, brought litigation upon southerners who brought slaves to Boston, and raise money through successful, elaborate fundraisers. Their preamble was the following:

"Believing slavery to be a direct violation of the laws of God, and productive of a vast amount of misery and crime; and convinced that its abolition can only be affected by an acknowledgement of the justice and necessity of immediate emancipation, - we hereby agree to form ourselves into a Society TO AID AND ASSIST IN THIS RIGHTEOUS CAUSE AS FAR AS LIES WITHIN OUR POWER".

This particular group was interracial, and provided further momentum for other anti-slavery societies at the time, including the Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society (which was begun by a group of Black women, and expanded to become interracial after 2 years).

The “Black” problem – a reflection on recent articles discussing Blacks in Classical music

Hello everyone! Anthony Green here, and I wanted to share with you a reflection.

Last month, The New York Times published a short article – “Great Divide in the Concert Hall: Black Composers Discuss the Role of Race”, by William Robin (8 August 2014) – in which Black composers of “Classical music” discuss what it means to be a Black composer today. This article comes in the line of some notable articles discussing various aspects of this subject, including the Guardian article “Class, Race, and Classical Music” by Candace Allen (4 April 2014), and “How African Americans Changed Classical Music” by Leonard Slatkin (22 February 2014). Each article contains one or more theses about this issue, yet one singular article or a collection of articles with a specific (short) length cannot fully address this problem. My immediate emotional response to these articles was mixed. As a Black composer, I am happy that such popular media sources are bringing light to this topic. Similarly, I am disgusted that such articles about “the problems of Blacks in Classical music” are necessary to make changes, rather than these media sources simply publishing more articles about the notable Black artists they have highlighted, but I digress. 

Foremost, there is a problem of expectation. This particular issue was discussed in every article that I mentioned, and – to me – is the biggest issue concerning the presence, active and passive participation, and the promotion of Blacks in Classical music.

Point one: Black artists are not expected to be involved in Classical music. Not only does a majority of the Black community consider Classical music to be “elitist” or plain and simply “bad”, but the institution of Classical music is known to be predominantly non-Black. Therefore, the expectation from non-Blacks to see Blacks involved in this tradition is rather low, despite the long history of Blacks involved in this tradition. Perhaps this last point is more associated with a sort-of non-deliberate institutional racism that looms over the Classical music industry; if this industry is mostly associated with non-Blacks, then it just means we are not wanted. Somehow, certain analogous sports industries have overcome this scorn, golf and tennis in particular. But I still wonder if stars like Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters would have such fame if they weren’t Black. Their skin color is a part of their story. By the way, who are the other Black golfers playing today other than Mr. Woods? Does it even matter that they are Black?

Point two: when a Black artist is involved in music in some way, it is expected for this artist to be involved in Jazz or another more popular style of music, and if involved in Classical music, to be a vocalist. While I was studying at New England Conservatory, it was more likely for someone – Black or non-Black – to ask me “are you a vocalist?” rather than “what are you studying?” Even worse, I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard someone say to me “Don’t forget your roots.” I would get such a comment usually from a Black person after telling him or her that I am a Classical composer. I desperately wanted to retort, “Yes, I know much about Chevalier de Saint Georges and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and I love more recent composers like Ed Bland and Pamela Z and Olly Wilson. I count these wonderful composers as part of my ‘cultural-musical’ roots. Have you heard of any of these people?”

Point three: Black composers should compose music that reflects a typical, popular, predominantly Black experience. The worst aspect of the expectation problem comes even further when examining the type of music that a Black composer must compose to be taken seriously. It is expected, even today, that a Black Classical composer should compose Classical music that has some element of Jazz or Rock or R&B or Blues or Gospel or Funk or Spirituals. Sometimes it is even better if the title of the piece reflect this, for example “Afro-American Symphony” or “Five Movements in Color.” I think when people encounter the score and audio to my piece 3 Groups, it causes a bit of confusion. Not only is the title rather vague, but not something generic like Sonata No. 8 or Piece for Chamber Ensemble, but the music is a meditative, unstable, non-4/4 type of experimental music, with a score that looks mostly blank, and has notes without stems. Coincidentally, this piece won a competition where the scores where judged blindly. Since then – since my face and website with my headshots are now associated with this work and can be easily googled, it has not been performed.

It is apparent that I can discuss the issue of expectation alone in a document of about 100 pages, and probably still not exhaust the issue, while still not discussing other issues such as the nature of enjoying Classical music (which is, for the most part, less stereotypically immediate than more popular music), how the changing face of Classical music can never be separated from its silently racist, predominantly non-Black past, and how sub-culture does NOT have a problem with Blacks involved in Classical music, but is rarely taken seriously by the mega-institutions responsible for creating the face of Classical music as it is today. And even then, I would be far away from discussing the non-race-related issues of the Classical music industry (including big prizes given to questionably-deserving artists, indirectly ruining the personal worth of such prizes, and inevitably destroying their status as a symbol of achievement). Such non-race-related issues, in my opinion, get in the way of the race-issue being taken seriously, and also discourage any aspiring Classical artist – Black or non-Black – from entering this highly political world that doesn’t seem political to those who are not involved. But I would like to end my reflection with this question posed by Leonard Slatkin:

“Is going to hear music written by an African-American meaningful – not just to the regular attendees, but is it meaningful within the African-American community? Does it inspire others to want to follow that? I wish I could answer that question. I don’t know.”

Honestly, I don’t know either. But I do know this: hearing music written by Black composers inspired me, and I wouldn’t be attempting to inspire Black and non-Black communities within and outside the context of Castle of our Skins if I had never done so. 

Black Patti - Sissieretta Jones

Walking around my hometown of Providence, RI, I stumbled upon the sign below, erected by the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society.

It reads:
"Sissieretta Jones 'The Greatest Singer of Her Race', 1868 - 1933.

Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones, the Internationally celebrated soprano known as 'Black Patti', lived near this site at 7 Wheaton Street until her passing on June 24, 1933.

With 17 medals and a diamond tiara bestowed upon her, she was the highest paid performer of her race and the first African American woman to appear at Carnegie Hall. For 28 years she toured the world, singing for 75,000 at Madison Square Garden, four U. S. presidents, the German Kaiser, and the British Royalty.

She is buried at Grace Church Cemetery, Providence."

This sign is posted near where she lived, which was then called Wheaton Street. Today, this sign is on Pratt Street on the East Side of Providence, appropriately rather close to "The Music Mansion", on the corner of Meeting Street and Congdon Street.

Upon further research, I discovered that as a child, she attended one RI's historic Black churches, Pond Street Baptist Church, where her father - Jeremiah Malachi Joyner - used to preach. She was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, but her family moved to Providence, Rhode Island at a young age. She would eventually get accepted to Boston's New England Conservatory, where she performed at Boston's Music Hall to critical acclaim for an audience of 5,000 in 1887.

The next year, Ms. Jones made her New York City debut at Steinway Hall, but it was not until another NYC performance where she caught the attention of the manager of another famous singer at the time, the Italian diva Adelina Patti. With this manager, "Black Patti" toured the west Indies with the Fisk Jubilee Singers, sang for President Benjamin Harrison (and eventually for Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt), and performed at the Grand Negro Jubilee at Madison Square Garden for 75,000 people. These and other successes lead to her recital at Music Hall in New York, which was later renamed Carnegie Hall. The review from this concert sealed her notoriety.

Her career would end up including collaborations with the Czech composer Antonin Dvořák (teacher of H. T. Burleigh), tours across the world (including places in South America, southern Africa, Europe, and Australia), and the formation of a vaudeville troupe called The Black Patti Troubadours. Looking back on such a review from modern eyes may cause a bit of discomfort. However, the sad reality was that, despite Ms. Jones's obvious talent, the color of her skin prevented her from performing at many opera houses at the time. Despite her performance at a racially segregated (at the time) venue in Louisville, Kentucky, where Black Patti's performance was the first time a "colored performer received a bouquet" at that theater, Ms. Jones knew that she had to form this troupe to continue singing opera in the United States. The Black Patti Troubadours put on a show of incomparable grandeur, including 40 jugglers, comedians, dancers, and a chorus of 40 singers. The show would include Ms. Jones singing opera, to great acclaim.

Ms. Jones was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

Writer Wednesday

Today's post will feature the first of many writers to be highlighted here on BIBA - Countee Cullen (pronounced Count-tay).

Mr. Cullen was involved in quite a number of activities throughout his life, mostly related to literature. There is not much concrete knowledge of his early childhood; details of his birthplace, date, and early caregivers are uncertified speculation at best. However, it is known that he attended DeWitt Clinton High School (The Bronx, New York City), and - while there - became editor of the weekly newspaper, was inducted into the honor society, served as vice president of his graduating class, and graduated with honors in Latin, Greek, French, and Math in 1922. His post-secondary education includes a Bachelors at New York University (where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa), and a Masters degree at Harvard University. At this juncture in time, he reached his greatest height of fame with his poetry collections Color (1925), Copper Sun (1927), and The Ballad of the Brown Girl (1927). His talent, education, and popularity all culminated in him receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship to study in France. However, upon returning in 1930, his works received less and less acclaim, and his renown was replaced by other literary giants, including Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. He turned down professorship offers to become a substitute teacher in the New York City public school system, and later a French and English teacher at Frederick Douglass Junior High School, where he remained until his death in 1946. During this time, he published more poetry, a novel, the first major translation of a Classical piece of literature by a Black writer, children's books, and works for theater, including a musical adaptation of a work by Arna Bontemps. He also was a teacher to James Baldwin.

Countee Cullen immediately succeeded Phillis Wheatley and Paul Laurence Dunbar as a "serious" and successfully published Black poet, despite the publication of Claude McKay's collection Harlem Shadows in 1922. Interestingly enough, all three of these poets mastered traditional forms, and contributed to them by including their unique cultural perspective and voice. Mr. Cullen, however, strongly considered himself to be a poet first, and not a "Negro poet." He explains:

"If I am going to be a poet at all, I am going to be POET and not NEGRO POET. This is what has hindered the development of artists among us. Their one note has been the concern with their race. That is all very well, none of us can get away from it. I cannot at times. You will see it in my verse. The consciousness of this is too poignant at times. I cannot escape it. But what I mean is this: I shall not write of Negro subjects for the purpose of propaganda. That is not what a poet is concerned with. Of course, when the emotion rising out of the fact that I am a Negro is strong, I express it. But that is another matter.

Many composers set his works to music; among them are Charles Marsh, Virgil Thomson, William Schuman, William Lawrence, Margaret Bonds, Clarence Cameron White, Emerson Whithorne, Noel DaCosta, and William Grant Still. Click HERE to listen to Still's setting of If You Should Go in his poignant song cycle Songs of Separation. 

Tuesday Tidbits

Today's post will give you a very small glimpse into three Black artists of a visual nature: James Montford (multi-media), Bill T. Jones (dance), and Zanele Muholi (photography).

Multi-media artist James Montford has had a successful national career, being rather firmly situated in the Boston/Providence area of New England. His work includes such media as photography, collage, and performance art. His bold works are intrepid in their focus, and speak to a multi-dimensional stereotype narrative that intertwines the White, Native American, and Black experience. In his words, "We're defined by who we are and where we come from. It's hard to break out of a class structure, and we don't talk about class structure in this country, but there is a class structure." While he does not have a formal website, you can read more about his work and philosophy here, and you can see his work at Yellow Peril Gallery in Providence, RI till July 13th.

Bill T. Jones's work has been hailed across the world. His work as a dancer and choreographer lead to him co-founding the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance company, with his late partner Arnie Zane. Furthermore, his talent has yielded collaborations with such artists as composer Michael Tippett, writer Toni Morrison, and soprano Jessye Norman. His work with visual artist Keith Haring is also widely known and lauded. While it is difficult to explain his talent with words, THIS VIDEO FRAGMENT from his performance entitled "Breathing Show" captures a small amount of his creative and analytical genius. Enjoy!

Known more as a "visual activist", photographer Zanele Muholi is an inspiration, a creative giant, and a path-paver. Born in South Africa, she studied photography in Johannesburg before receiving an MFA in Toronto, Canada. "Her masters thesis mapped the visual history of Black lesbian identity and politics in post-Apartheid South Africa." (Wikipedia) Since then, she has fought for equal treatment of the Black LGBT community in South Africa through visual art (photography) and documentary. Her exhibitions and her encouragement of others in this community to pick up a camera has helped to reshape concepts of beauty and normalcy in an otherwise harsh environment, and her humanitarian approach is captured poignantly and vividly in a documentary she co-directed entitled "Difficult Love." You can read more about her here.

Beauty in Black Artistry (BIBA) Blog

Welcome to the first post of the BIBA Blog! If you've gotten here through Facebook or Twitter, please tell your friends to like and follow us! If you got here through our website, a link from another website, or word-of-mouth, thank you for checking this out, and tell others! The goal of this Blog is to highlight and/or promote Black artistry in a succinct, respectful, and educational manner. Furthermore, it is to examine unique facets of the Black experience and the Black story around the world. With this in mind, if you're interested in making a suggestion, WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Our first post is about the renown violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama.

As a violist, Ms. Ngwenyama has achieved many respected awards, and has performed across the United States and around the world. She has studied at top institutions, including the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris. She also is a fine administrator, directing the Primrose Viola Competition, and serving as President of the American Viola Society.

Culturally, Ms.Ngwenyama is Japanese (mother) and Zimbabwean (father). However, if this mixture is not already unique enough, she recently discovered that her background includes a unique Jewish lineage from her father's background.

"What's interesting about my father's background is that he came from a group of Ndebele, but also Lemba, who are the Jews of southern Africa. I didn't know much about this growing up because my father was extremely secular," explains Ms. Ngwenyama. Because Judaism in the Lemba tribe is indeed patrilinial, she did not need to convert to Judaism when she married her husband, who is a Ukrainian-Lithuanian Jew.

Her story continues in this article, HERE!

Watch her perform the (in)famous fourth movement from Hindemith's solo viola sonata Op. 25 No. 1: