The music of Earth Wind & Fire (EWF) continued the pathway of Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and Gamble and Huff (the Sound of Philadelphia) of producing dance music with socially conscious lyrics. Armed with the song writing talents of Maurice White, the music of  Earth Wind & Fire spoke to the “our better selves”,...
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Curtis  Mayfield- soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer- best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to film Super Fly. From these works and others, he was highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music. Using his blues and gospel-based framework...
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The Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until 1972. The Funk Brothers played on Motown hits such as “My Girl”, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, “Baby Love”, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”, “The...
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Stax Records founded in 1957 was a major factor in the creation of Soul music.  The legacy of Stax Records is a unique one that spans nearly half a century. Stax Records is critical in American music history as it’s one of the most popular soul music record labels of all time – second...
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In the 1960s, Motown introduced America to what came to be known as The Motown Sound, a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence. Among the most important architects of The Motown Sound were the members of Motown’s in-house team of songwriters and record producers, including Motown founder Berry Gordy, William “Smokey”...
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Black Music Month, inaugurated by President Jimmy Carter at the urging of songwriter and record producer Kenny Gamble in 1979, answers the statement posed by writer extraordinaire Ralph Ellison, What would America be like without Blacks. African American music carries and conveys not just the history and struggle of Africans in America, but equally...
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The history of women in America is the story of the struggle to create a better society and a new woman and man to inhabit that society. The women’s struggle, characterize most definitely by women of color, in particular African American women, provide lessons for the creation of a new woman and man in...
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