African American Concert Singers Before 1950.by Darryl Glenn Nettles net·tle n. 1. Any of numerous plants of the genus Urtica, having toothed leaves, unisexual apetalous flowers, and stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact. 2. Any of various hairy, stinging, or prickly plants. (McFarland & Company, February 2003, $39.95, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-786-41467-7), looks at the vocal arts, offering a rare view of black musical artists who predate or may not have reached the fame of Marian Anderson, Roland Hayes and Paul Robeson. These well-known giants are covered, too. The author profiles such singers as Todd Duncan, 1903-1998, who created the operatic role of Porgy porgy (pôr`gē), common name for members of the Sparidae, a family of small-mouthed fishes with strong teeth adapted for crushing their food of shellfish and crustaceans. in 1935. and William Caesar Warfield, 1920-2002, who among other things was in the film Showboat showboat. In the early 19th cent. entertainment was brought by boat to the pioneers that settled along the western rivers (especially the Mississippi and Ohio) of the United States. At first companies only traveled by boat, performing on land. in 1951 and Maltilda Sissieretta Jones, (1869-1933). Nicknamed "Black Patti" by the Metropolitan Opera, she performed at the White House in 1892 at the invitation of President Benjamin Harrison. --Angela Dodson is executive editor of Black Issues Book Review. |
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