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Posts tagged as “world music”

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: Celebrating Reggae Songs of Struggle and Peace (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: Celebrating Reggae Songs of Struggle and Peace (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on July 6, 2020

[Photo: Girls dancing in youthclub, Wolverhampton, 1978 © Chris Steele-Perkins/Magnum Photos]

During this time of unprecedented demands of civil rights, our Good Black News playlists have focused on African-American artists during the month of June. But Reggae artists from Jamaica, the U.K., and Africa have long had a thing or two to say about the triumphs and struggle of people of the African diaspora as well.

Reggae came into being in the 1960s as an evolution of the Rocksteady and Ska musical styles. (More on those forms in the weeks to come.) Reggae is a soulful export of Jamaica that expresses in words the pain, struggle, hope, and emotion that is felt by the average person.

Reggae is often marked by its lament-like chanting and emphasizes the syncopated beat. It leans heavily on the use of the Jamaican vernacular and African drumming style.

This collection features a wide range of international artists including, Bob Marley, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Alpha Blondy, Steel Pulse, Hortense Ellis, Bim Sherman, Judy Mowatt, John Holt, and many others.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:136V6ZM1WeFQ8P1yMiOQWR”/]

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

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

Born On This Day in 1945: Reggae Music Legend Bob Marley (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on February 6, 2013

Bob MarleyNesta Robert Marley, OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981), more widely and commonly known as Bob Marley, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers (1963-1974) and Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974–1981). Marley remains the most widely-known performer of reggae music, and is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience.
Marley’s music was greatly influenced by the social issues of his homeland, and he gave voice to the political and cultural nexus of Jamaica as well other oppressive, racist societies throughout the world. His best-known hits include “I Shot the Sheriff“, “No Woman, No Cry“, “Could You Be Loved“, “Stir It Up“, “Get Up Stand Up“, “Jamming“, “Redemption Song“, “One Love” and “Three Little Birds“, as well as the posthumous releases “Buffalo Soldier” and “Iron Lion Zion.” The compilation album Legend (1984), released three years after his death, is reggae’s best-selling album, going ten times Platinum which is also known as one Diamond in the U.S., and selling 25 million copies worldwide.  To learn more about his life and music, click here, and watch “Could You Be Loved” below:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qo42heoLUs&w=420&h=315]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson