This past weekend was the opening for the low rated film, Cadillac Records. It’s the story of the famed Chess Records and its groundbreaking impact on American music and its far -reaching influence around the world. A friend and I (the same friend that went with me to the Cornel West lecture) checked it out on opening night Friday. He’s such a cool guy!
(Shout out to Sam for being such an awesome best friend!)
Uhm, ok. Back to the review.
Chess Records was founded in Chicago by Leonard Chess and his brother back in the mid 1950s. The record label featured Black artists and catered primarily to Black audiences until the arrival of rock and roll pioneer, Chuck Berry and other artists. The movie specifically pointed that out as well as made sure it credited the proper musicians for initially creating a sound that was manufactured and commercialized.
Before Elvis wiggled a hip or did a pelvis thrust, there was Little Walter, Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters. To that end, the movie mentioned a lot of the historical aspects of that era but didn’t dig deeper. For instance, Etta James’ drug abuse was skimmed over for the most part with the exception of a well-acted scene by a Beyonce (Etta James) and Adrien Brody (Leonard Chess). Also, it gleamed over the troubles that Chuck Berry, played by Mos Def, had with underage girls, but did cover his well-publicized arrest.
My guess is that the film was done on a small budget; but nonetheless, the actors did a superb job and many of the newcomers showed a lot of promise. Jeffrey Wright (Muddy Waters) is one to watch, in my book, and Columbus Short (Little Walter) made me wonder why did he ever do movies like Stomp the Yard or Accepted. He clearly has a greater range and I would love to see him in more high level roles—now that I know he can really act.
Even Sasha Fierce herself (Beyonce) was a very convincing Etta James–she tapped into that sassy, cursing, druggie persona quite well. I mean, I enjoyed Beyonce in Dreamgirls and would like to see her do more acting and spend less time trying to come up with Girl Anthems.
I don’t want to spoil the movie for you. Do yourself a favor and go check it out for yourself. It was a great effort from female director Darnell Martin ( I Like It Like That) and I expect to see more of her work in the coming years. Unfortunately, Hollywood is still not completely sold on financing good Black stories or supporting good Black directors, whether male or female. So, I may be holding my breath. Anyway, Cadillac Records had me tapping my feet and I’m sure you will too.
This past Thursday, a friend and I had the blessed opportunity to sit at the feet of one of America’s premier intellects, Dr. Cornel West; unruly Afro, black suit, erratic hand gestures and eloquent philosophical musings followed, much to the delight of the near capacity audience at the Rose Theater located on the campus of the University of Memphis. Dr. West’s new book, Hope on a Tightrope, was available for purchase and a book signing was held after the lecture. I think I can officially proclaim Dr. Cornel West as the ‘Rock Star of Intellectuals’ because as he walked to the podium, random screams and whistles could be heard throughout the audience. I couldn’t help but flash the dimples at this because it made me aware of the fact that there are thinking people in this southern metropolis better known as Big Hick City (Memphis).
For those who have not had the pleasure of listening to Dr. West live and in person, his lecture squarely focused on the usual ramblings about corporate greed, the indifference of the larger society towards struggle, pain and poverty along with an official phrase coining of ‘The Age of Obama’. However, the most provocative reference of the ‘Blues People’ charged my attention span quite a bit. Of course I had heard of the term before as Amiri Baraka wrote a book by the same name, but the re-emergence of it piqued my interest greatly. Dr. West used the term to pontificate on the strife that this nation faces as we move along in the 21st century. Given the comparisons of this present economic turmoil with the Great Depression, if there is anyone arguing that trouble has NOT been looming over our heads for a while now, then I would like to have some of what they are drinking.
‘Blues People’ are basically comprised of the marginalized and the downtrodden with African Americans leading the pack. I suppose 244 years of slavery and roughly 80 or so years of Jim Crow indisputably qualifies us as the flagship bunch. In his philosophical slant, Dr. West seems to connect the suffering of Black people with the larger suffering of this nation; meaning there isn’t a better people who can show the world how to pull through a crisis than the Blues People. I must commend Dr. West for his brilliant ability to connect the dots. Considering that he was speaking in the city that is revered as the Home of the Blues, it was quite ingenious of him to link the music form, the people, the nation’s current condition, and the audacity of hope into one powerful conglomerate.
Blues progenitors emerged mostly from Mississippi cotton fields; broke, but resilient. When the hot Delta sun ceased from beaming on their heads for that day, you can hear the riffs of homemade guitars and gut-induced, melodic bellows that freshened the stale night air of silent despair. Dr. West alluded to the familiarity that he had with these people, mentioning the late Isaac Hayes as one of his personal favorites. Their songs spoke of trouble and invisibility, but their hearts spoke of hope.
(Chris Thomas King–Hard Time Killing Floor Blues)
This, proclaims Dr. West, is why a Blues People are necessary to uplift this nation and the world at large; because it seems as if we all have the blues these days in one way or another. With jobless claims increasing and Congress passing an extension of unemployment benefits, the Blues is a catchy little number to pick up and hum while circling classified ads and surfing Monster and CareerBuilder. The official holiday season begins on November 26th and some of us are bemoaning the fact that we have to let go of those precious dollars that we have been holding tightly to our chests. That is, if we expect to have some form of a decent holiday season. Family members are still kissing loved ones goodbye as they board military aircraft on their way to that debacle known as the Iraq War. Meanwhile, corporate CEOs are flying to Capitol Hill in private jets begging for bailout money while current bailout-ers are still standing with their hands out.
Yeah, we are definitely a Blues People because as far as this economic crisis is concerned, we wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go (think David Alan Grier’s Blues man from the popular 90s comedy sketch series, In Living Color). Modern day Blues People stood in long lines on November 4th to cast their vote for a fellow member of the Blues People; electing him to office because they consider him the best chance at changing this sad song we’re singing right now into a rhythmic, light-hearted celebratory anthem. While he’s working on that, let’s work on tuning up our guitars and harmonicas, grabbing a storefront stoop and playing until the wee hours of the morning or at least until we can smile without forcing it.
Thank you, Dr. West. As always, your prophetic notions resound loudly.
(This post was originally published on my Facebook profile.)
Since the start of this election, I have favored Obama, even in spite of the Clinton-lovers who were under the impression that Hilary was an extension of Bill. I knew from the start that she wasn’t. Hillary had her own agenda and, while capable, I was not able to give her a high degree of trust. I picked Obama mainly because of his strategic thinking. He has always had a plan; and he knew he needed one. Unlike former candidates, he didn’t have the benefit of entitlement or the comfort of a system that has institutionalized inequality; favoring majority over all others. Yes, he’s black…but that wasn’t why he was my choice. His blackness represents something else. I’ll get into that in a moment.
I live in a a city that has elected the same vision-less leader for four terms…and he’s black. Mayor W.W. Herenton has taught me well about voting for people because they are black. What good is your blackness when you are just as poor of a leader? So, needless to say, I have been delivered from voting for people because they are black. I need to know where they STAND now. Considering that I’m somewhat of a skeptic when it comes to politics anyway, the last thing I need is some HNIC that doesn’t have one bone of progression or vision.
But that’s not the case with Obama. He has incredible vision and given all of the attacks that he’s suffered over the course of this campaign, he has definitely demonstrated that he can represent this country among the nations. That representation is more critical now than ever. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, but the only people who REALLY think that America is the greatest country in the world are….Americans. There are other countries that have their beefs with us and since we all got to live on this 3rd rock from the sun together, we need to work to repair those relationships, while figuring out a way to get everybody what they want. Interestingly enough, the world has even chosen Obama. A 24-nation survey that was conducted by the BBC found that if Obama is elected, it will improve their opinion of the U.S. In a separate poll, 74 countries chose Obama over McCain.
So, that’s one major reason why Obama is a better choice. But most importantly, his campaign speaks the language of the people. His approach is to do what’s best for everyone, not a privileged few. Considering the historical heritage of Blacks in this country, we are not allowed, even if we’re rich, to be regarded as members of the privileged few (new money doesn’t count). At least, not right now, we’re not. We have until 2019, then we’ll see.
To that point, I can now explain what Obama’s blackness means. It has been exactly 40 years since the death of King. At some point, we, as a people, had to know that there will be a time to move forward–and to bring the post Civil Rights era to a close. Given all of the backlash of ignorant, prejudicial remarks regarding Obama, it is safe to conclude that an Obama presidency will signal the end of any sympathy towards the struggle of Blacks. Of course, we never had much to begin with—but my point is, there will be even less tolerance for it, should he get elected. Now, that also means that our excuses will have ran its course as well. Black men are no longer able to state that they have not been able to succeed because of racism or the absence of a father. Black women will have to become more supportive of Black men and less acidic with their voices. Because we NOW know exactly how far a Black man can go with the support of a Black woman.
Are you all digging what I’m saying?
Even without the presidency, Obama signals to the Black community a mandate to operate in the spirit of excellence that is inherent in us. We couldn’t have come this far without it. At the same time, it seems as if we are in dire need of a reminder. For the most part, our children exist in a ‘formless void’ because they don’t know who in the hell they are or where they come from. Therefore, there is no way they can know where they are going. We are NOT telling our story; and furthermore, we are NOT staying true to it. Our cloud of witnesses may be shaking their heads in disdain at us.
Here’s my final say: whatever the decision, we will all be alright. The Book of Jeremiah says that those of us who trust in the Lord will be like the tree planted by the rivers of water, bearing fruit even during the time of heat. As for Obama, he will be fine as well. He has been built for the nations…and to that point, I personally feel like the man is too good to be president. I think the world can benefit from his visionary leadership, not just this country.
Should he win or not, his point has been proven in so many ways. Should he win, that will mean this country has come a long way…and should he not, then it means that it has further to go, but at least it’s on its way. Should he win, it will mean to little black boys and girls that you can really can become anything you want, even president. Should he not win, it’ll still mean the same thing. Should he win or not, he’ll have his work cut out for him because his position as a chosen leader has been established (president or statesman).
Should he win or not, we will all be alright. BUT GO VOTE CAUSE I WANT HIM TO WIN!!!!!
Before I dive into more about cultural translation, I decided to post a little funk to make your Monday hum better. I don’t know about you but sometimes I need a jolt, especially one of those ‘First of the Week’ pick me ups. Mondays are marked with starting over; it’s the first day of the week for workers, the first day of school for schoolers, and perhaps the most prevalent thing about Mondays is the monotony of it. It generally means that everything is just the same, don’t much else happen on Mondays–and it’s almost like it’s impossible to jump start a Monday. Attitudes are completely lacking enthusiasm. Ok, maybe that’s just how I feel about Mondays.
But, you know what, there’s very little that REAL Hip Hop can’t soothe. Enjoy this classic from the late night TV show The Arsenio Hall Show. I dare you to get somebody under 30 to try to name ALL of the emcees freestyling….
The first time I heard this term, it was being used by a political science professor to describe the late Isaac Hayes. At the opening ceremony for Kwanzaa 2006, the artist formerly known as Black Moses was standing alongside the former Superintendent of Memphis City Schools (Memphis, TN), Carolyn Johnson as official ceremonial royalty. I recall jotting the term down because it conveyed definitively the work of artists in general.
Music, art, and literature reflects the tonality of society and determines cultural messages during a specific time period. For instance, within American society, there is a pride that we take in being such a powerful authority in the world and much of that attitude is prevalent in our cultural messaging. But how this message is interpreted becomes critical in how we are perceived by the rest of the world (this is essentially cultural translation). In some cases, this pride could be read as arrogance or perhaps condescension; therein lies the responsibility of ensuring that cultural messages are received appropriately out of respect for other global citizens and, moreso, respect for history as this country was birthed from humble beginnings.
Speaking of humble beginnings, Blacks in America must also be leery about denigrating aspects of our culture being situated as proper reference points for validating ‘how they are’. At present, much of Black art and culture has been sacrificed to the god of capitalism, leaving it nullified in splendor and void, in many cases, of any intellectual beauty. Richness embodies our experience in this world, not just in this nation. Vital events, people, and cultural property such as books, music, plays, paintings, etc have faded away into obscurity because there is not a mainstream movement afoot to initially introduce and later preserve them as definitive cultural identifiers
Fine print: Simply put, I’ll be damned if I stand around and let someone like Soldja Boy write his way into the history books as a major artist that the Black community produced. You gotta be kidding me!
So, why does any of this matter? I’m glad you asked that question and I will answer it on the next post about cultural translation.
….well, I have to do something to keep you coming back….
Until then, peace and blessings.
CK/FBS
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Pssst!!! Click The JETSET Podcast link and follow it to some great music. Be sure you subscribe to the feed so you can stay updated on new shows
For the first time since the landing of the first African Americans as indentured servants in 1619, this country is in a position to elect its first African American president. Oh yes indeed. This is not the first time that an African American individual has ran for the highest office in the land, but it is the first time that one has come this close to actually closing the deal. Much has been said about this and that’s expected; even more will be said and that’s expected too. As a people, however, we must make sure we are included in, if not all, then the majority of these discussions. Why? Because there has never been a better time to speak up regarding our present state in this country, as well as the world. History wants an account and we, as a people, must ensure that it records our attitudes and perspectives correctly.
In addition, some dialogue should continue, movements should be upgraded and executed according to their respective next levels and much should be done in the way of critically evaluating former models and strategies used for the purpose of liberation and struggles for inequality. Now, that’s a big, lofty sentence that simply means we have to be the ones who are in charge of our story and our advancement while making sure others tell it right. Our future generations depend on it.
At this juncture, there has not been a better time to reassess the progress of the African Diaspora, but also look at the critical state in which it remains. Black people have struggled continuously for the proper representation in history and as it stands, it is now time for history to ‘pay what it owes’. This can only happen if we continue the onerous task of writing volumes for inclusion in the story of humankind.
With that being said, we must also make sure we are not saying the same things over and over again. New, fresh, profound, and beneficial perspectives are needed now. Here’s one of my hot buttons: I have a slight issue with individuals who are/were deeply entrenched in past movements and are still using the same lingo as well as the same tactics to address issues and problems within the Black community.
I ain’t calling no names….I’m just saying…..
Given that, let me introduce myself. I am Chandra Kamaria, also known as The Funky Black Scholar. What’s up with the moniker? Well, I’m glad you asked that question.
Funky. It’s because I do not consider myself a pretentious egghead with no flavor. Instead, I am Hip Hop—not the dumb ass lyrics, the even dumber ass dances version of Hip Hop, but instead the Eric B and Rakim, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C, X-Clan, KRS-ONE brand of Hip Hop. I am funky–funky fresh and in effect, if you want to go back that far.
This will also explain my angle. My generation was born on the other side of the Civil Rights Movement during the late 60s and 70s; which means our parents are, more than likely, Black Baby Boomers. Their lives were marked with racial injustices and protest so we, their children, have a clear understanding of race and how it has affected every area of Black life. This became the foundation as we formed our collective voice during the formative stages of Hip Hop and that is why we responded when X-Clan commanded us ‘to heed the word of the brother’. We were the generation who made fashion statements form rocking Africa medallions, ankh symbols, and kente cloth with high top sneakers and spandex biker shorts. Wow!
Black. It is who I am and what I study. It will not get any more complicated than that.
Scholar. I study, pontificate, analyze, criticize, theorize, and all that other ’izing’ for the purpose of adding and perhaps creating scholarship in Black thought. Again, since I am not a pretentious egghead, I am not fond of sitting amongst a group of snotty academicians whose sole intention is to merely impress each other by spouting theory and bragging on books they have read. I want to be accessible, even approachable for the sake of aiding others along in their journey of enlightenment, self-awareness and actualization. That’s the grassroots thing in me.
I have to warn you that in visiting this blog you will encounter varying sides of the Funky Black Scholar. For the most part, I consider myself an artist and a scribe. So, you may find posts that will look and feel like poetic centerpieces and other times, the posts may read like parts of a dissertation. All I ask is that you bear with me. There’s one thing that I will not forsake and that’s the attempt to put some critical thinking ‘juju’ on issues that affect Blacks around the world. I also won’t make any promises about getting it right all the time…but do know that a sista will work hard at it. Ok?
I suppose I have said enough about me and what I am here to do. I felt it necessary because often times a bio can only tell you so much. Sometimes a person needs to elaborate and in the era of social media, there are hoardes of people out here who’s jumping on this bandwagon without any real purpose or intention to do any good. Instead, profits and the opportunity to become an internet celebrity entices them more. For me, it’s God’s Will on the outcomes of this. I am growing more comfortable in that so I am ready to do my part in working on the behalf a marginalized people that have yet to fully recognize their potential and their status in the world.
