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Posts published in “Reggae/World”

MUSIC MONDAY: “Calypso” – a Collection in Celebration of Artist and Activist Harry Belafonte’s 95th Birthday (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Calypso” – a Collection in Celebration of Artist and Activist Harry Belafonte’s 95th Birthday (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 7, 2022

words by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson); art and music by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

This week’s Music Monday share is in tribute to the one and only Harry Belafonte, who turned 95 on March 1st. We celebrate the renowned singer, actor and activist by sharing refreshed and updated list of Calypso music, a genre that Belafonte popularized worldwide with his recordings (his Calypso album from 1956 became the first by a solo performer to sell a million copies) and contributions to the style.

Not only is the refreshed playlist the creation of GBN contributor Marlon West (his original post on calypso can be read here), but he also created the artwork that honors Belafonte as the superhero and champion for civil rights and human rights that he has been for decades (which includes marching on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., funding the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, fighting against apartheid, organizing USA for Africa for famine relief and acting as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador) and still is.

Luminaries such as Spike Lee, Alicia Keys, Laurence Fishburne, Whoopi Goldberg and Cornel West turned out to celebrate Belafonte’s milestone last week at The Town Hall Theater in Manhattan for the first Harry Belafonte Social Justice Awards given by Sankofa.org, a social justice organization founded 10 years ago by Belafonte, his daughter Gina Belafonte and the music executive Raoul Roach.

You can celebrate Belafonte by listening to his own words about his life and activism by checking out the unabridged audiobook of his autobiography, My Song: A Memoir:

Also included in today’s post is a conversation with Belafonte from 2012 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. 

Sankofa.org is a social justice organization founded by Harry Belafonte that enlists the support of today’s most celebrated artists and influential individuals in collaboration with grassroots partners to elevate the voices of the disenfranchised and promote justice, peace, and equality.

MUSIC MONDAY: Tribute Playlist to Reggae Legend Bob Marley and What GBN Will Do about Spotify (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: Tribute Playlist to Reggae Legend Bob Marley and What GBN Will Do about Spotify (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 7, 2022

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Hey, it’s Lori, GBN’s Editor-in-Chief, stepping in with this week’s Music Monday share. As yesterday was what would have been Bob Marley’s 77th birthday, and since Marlon West crafted such a lovely tribute playlist to the reggae legend in his honor last year, I thought it fitting to share it once again in case anyone missed it:

What I’d like to add this time around —  you can read Marlon’s words about Bob Marley and his indelible contributions to the genre of Reggae and music worldwide here — is some thoughts about the recent controversy around Spotify, Joe Rogan, india.arie and if GBN will continue to utilize the platform for our playlists.

In case anyone doesn’t know what I’m referring to, a handful of high-profile musicians including india.arie have requested their music be removed from Spotify while the streaming service continues to host Joe Rogan’s podcast.

Some musicians are upset about the COVID-19 disinformation he’s propagated on his show; india.arie said her choice stems from his racist comments and content:

India.arie’s protest has certainly hit home. GBN unequivocally does not support what Joe Rogan has said, and fully understands why artists and platform users alike may want to #DeleteSpotify.

So, the question remains: Will GBN, an outlet dedicated to promoting positivity about Black people, Black culture and Black history, continue to utilize a platform that is still supporting a high-profile voice that has spoken words and spouted ideas antithetical to our mission, even if they have removed the offending episodes?

The simple answer is yes. And here is the main reason why.

When we started offering music lists regularly in 2020, we chose Spotify because of the biggest platforms out there – Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal – Spotify is the only one that offers a free tier that makes its platform accessible to all without the need of a paid subscription.

That felt (and still feels) like a democratic offering that made it the best choice for GBN. And because this free access eliminates an economic barrier to what we feel is a form of education as much as it is entertainment, we will continue to post our playlists through Spotify for as long as the music we highlight and seek to honor remains available there.

At the same time, we respect and support anyone who no longer wants to be on that platform. So going forward, we also are looking into offering our playlists on Apple Music and Tidal as well and providing those links in our Music Monday or other Music posts.

Whatever your take on the situation, we appreciate your convictions as well as your support.  And as always, we hope you enjoy the music.

MUSIC MONDAY: An Afroclectic Christmas Playlist for 2021 (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: An Afroclectic Christmas Playlist for 2021 (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on December 20, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Holiday Season, you all! I am thrilled to offer this “afroclectic” of music to round out 2021’s Christmastime. With more that a little help from my friends I’ve assembled another freewheeling collection.

There are tracks from fellow contributor, Jeff Meier’s ULTIMATE SOUL OF THE SEASON SOUNDTRACK, and our fearless leader, Lori Lakin Hutcherson’s A MERRY MOTOWN playlist, plus dozens of favorites and recent discoveries of my own.

Of course, Donny Hathaway, Sharon Jones, Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye and other Christmas standard-bearers are present. Though there are 2021 holiday releases by Bill Will, Nao, Mandisa, José James, Shaggy and others as well. Here’s over thirteen hours of soul, jazz, reggae, gospel, hip hop, and more to for a Christmas musical journey.

Whether you are staying put, or travel far, please do have a wonderful, peaceful, and safe holiday season. It has been a pleasure and honor share music with you all here on Good Black News for another year.

Stay safe, sane, and kind. And I’ll see ya back here in the ‘22!

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: Christmas Around The World Playlist 2021 (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: Christmas Around The World Playlist 2021 (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Christmastime is here, y’all. Hope you all are having a wonderful first Monday of December. Here is a collection of Christmas music from around the globe. This collection of artists from Jamaica, Africa, and various points around the world will put you in the holiday spirit:

Dig these tracks from Bob Marley, Jacob Miller, Calypso Rose, Angelique Kidjo, Yellowman, Boney M., and others are a showcase of originals and fresh takes on holiday standards. Happy Holidays!!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: An Epic, Afroclectic, All-Night-Long Halloween Mix for 2021 (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: An Epic, Afroclectic, All-Night-Long Halloween Mix for 2021 (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on October 25, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Monday, good people!

Hope this tiny missive finds you all safe and well. Here’s my last October/Halloween Season offering, and it probably comes as no surprise this one is an eclectic mash-up leveraging off the three I have done so far.

I’ve cast a wide net for this playlist. Jazz, Blues, Soul, Rock, Reggae, and film soundtracks are all here in this more than 12 hour dose of music featuring chills, both real and imagined.

Killers, ghosts, vampires, demons, mad scientists, gravediggers, werewolves, and creatures of all ilk are on hand for this musical journey.

Do enjoy. See ya next week with a break from the macabre.

Until then, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “The Upsetter” – A Tribute to Reggae/Dub Legend Lee “Scratch” Perry (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “The Upsetter” – A Tribute to Reggae/Dub Legend Lee “Scratch” Perry (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on August 30, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Yesterday we lost the great Lee “Scratch” Perry, the monumental reggae singer, producer, and studio wizard who pushed the boundaries of Jamaican music.

He worked with and produced for many artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, the Congos, Adrian Sherwood, the Beastie Boys, and many others.

Perry also was a crucial figure in the development of the homegrown art form of dub, which involved the stripping of vocals from previously released recordings and treating the instrumental beds with a variety of otherworldly effects.

Perry serviced dozens of classic “dub plates” to Jamaican sound system dancehalls. Keith Richards told Rolling Stone back in 2010, “You could never put your finger on Lee Perry – he’s the Salvador Dali of music. He’s a mystery. The world is his instrument. You just have to listen. More than a producer, he knows how to inspire the artist’s soul. Like Phil Spector, he has a gift of not only hearing sounds that come from nowhere else but also translating those sounds to the musicians. Scratch is a shaman.”

Brotha had a healthy sense of his own impact, too. “I am the best record producer that Jamaica has seen. Many say that l am the best in the world!” he said in 1984.

Here’s a collection devoted to the best of one the greats. Stay sane, safe, and kind, y’all.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Silly Games” – The Best of Lovers Rock Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Silly Games” – The Best of Lovers Rock Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on August 9, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

This week’s offering is more than a little inspired by the 2020 film Lovers Rock.

Writer-director Steve McQueen’s loving portrait of a house party was one of the best films of last year. I’ve included a few tracks from the soundtrack by Gregory Isaacs, Janet Kay and others.

Though this collection takes us back the last days of the rocksteady era and early days of reggae, it features artists like Ken Boothe, Johnny Nash and John Holt and Hortense Ellis.

They enjoyed international hits with versions of well-known love songs and originals that would go on to be clone classics of the genre.

Happy Monday, and enjoy this reggae mushy stuff.

As always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: A “Rumba Around the World” Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: A “Rumba Around the World” Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on July 26, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Music Monday, y’all.

The term “rumba” refers to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, “rumba” was used as a synonym for “party” in Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba.

It has since been used in different countries to refer to styles of music and dance around the globe, most of which are only tangentially related to the original Cuban rumba.

This playlist gathers music from Cuba, The Americas, and Africa. This is another one that comes with a “Rump Shaker Warning.”

Please enjoy!

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “African Unity” – A Collection of Reggae From Around the World (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “African Unity” – A Collection of Reggae From Around the World (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on July 19, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Monday, you all! This week’s playlist celebrates reggae music from around the world.

Reggae originated in Jamaica in the 1960s. It is deeply linked to Rastafari, Afrocentric thought, and promoting Pan Africanism. It is the nation’s most impactful export.

Over the decades, reggae has traveled with Jamaican immigrants, and its message and popularity has spread cross the globe.

Today there are reggae performers from every corner of the planet. In the United States, Latin America, Europe, the UK, Asia, and Africa you will find reggae artists thriving.

Here’s a collection of established artists like Linton Kwesi Johnson, Steel Pulse, the late Lucky Dube, and Alpha Blondy. Also included are emerging artists like Awa Fall, Los Cafres, and Matthew McAnuff.

Hope you enjoy this collection of classics and new music. And as always, stay safe sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Freedom Street” – Songs of Liberty Playlist(LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Freedom Street” – Songs of Liberty Playlist(LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on June 28, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

On this Monday nestled between Juneteenth and Independence Day, Lori Lakin Hutcherson and I thought it prudent to offer this collection of music celebrating freedom and liberty.

Many of these tracks even have the word freedom in their title. Others have just long been associated with the fight for Civil Rights and reform for years.

There are tracks here long-considered, classics, and other new songs on the subject. Clocking in at under 6 hours, this one is a comparatively short collection for me.

Hope you dig this collection of Freedom songs. And if there are any overt omissions, hit me in the comments, y’all.

Have a great week, and stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)