The Black Chord.The Black Chord by Vivien Goldman Vivien Goldman is a British journalist, writer and musician. She was born in London, the child of two German-Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. She studied English and American literature at the University of Warwick. She began her career as a PR officer for Island Records. and David Corio Universe/Rizzoli Publications, 1999, $45.00, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-789-30375-2. The ties that bind jazz, R&B, rap, salsa or reggae to the ancestral anthems of Africa is the main theme of The Black Chord, an eloquently written, all--encompassing Diasporic literary and photographic retrospective by Vivien Goldman and David Corin. Along with Isaac Hayes' heartfelt foreword, Ms. Goldman--a journalist whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, the Village Voice and the Daily Telegraph--writes, "the African seed of sound was transplanted everywhere, always expressing a unique situation and sensibility." Photographer David Corio's 200 stunning black-and-white shots range from the cerebral cool of Miles Davis to the celebratory toasts of Mutabaruka. The Black Chord is divided into four chapters. In "Roots and Culture," Bobby McFerrin, Baaba Mal, Trinidad's steel pan players, Cuban congueros and Trinidadian steel pan players connect the drum and the voice to the ancestors. In "Heart & Soul" the longings of love are beautifully portrayed in the moods and grooves of Sade, the artist formerly known as Prince, Marvin Gaye and Brandy. "Revolution" showcases the power of Fela Kuti's gaze and raised fists, Bob Marley's Rastafarian rhythms and The Fugees' daring fusion of hip-hop with Haitian and other Caribbean beats. "Explorers" is a shout-out to pioneers like the Afroaerodynamic Grace Jones, the metal-toothed RZA RZA Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig Allah RZA Requested Zenith Angle from the Wu-Tang Clan, and the supreme trickster trickster, a mythic figure common among Native North Americans, South Americans, and Africans. Usually male but occasionally female or disguised in female form, he is notorious for exaggerated biological drives and well-endowed physique; partly divine, partly human, George Clinton. These musical visionaries are just a partial list of what Corio captures in rare form. Goldman's poignant, spare prose and Corio's vibrant visuals display the complex diversity of the music of the Pan-African world, and overall, make this an appealing work. Eugene Holley, Jr. is a music writer and frequent contributor to BIBR BIBR Bay Islands Beach Resort (Roatan, Honduras) BIBR Backward Indicator Bit Received , and resides in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion