#blackmusicmatters

[longliveblackness]

Gertrude "Ma Rainey" Pridgett is known as the Mother of the Blues and is one of the earliest blues singers as well as one of the first generation of artists to record their work in that genre.

Though Ma Rainey sang quite a lot about men, “Prove It on Me,” according to Angela Y. Davis, “is a cultural precursor to the lesbian cultural movement of the 1970s, which began to crystallize around the performance and recording of lesbian-affirming songs."

Went out last night with a crowd of my friends,

They must've been women, 'cause I don't like no men.

Reportedly, the song refers to a 1925 incident in which Rainey was arrested for hosting an orgy at her home involving women from her chorus. Rainey also was rumored to have had a relationship with Bessie Smith, her protege. An ad for “Prove It on Me” winks at these rumors, showing Rainey mingling with women while wearing a menswear-inspired take on a woman’s suit, under the eye of a cop lurking suspiciously in the shadows.

This is remarkable not only for the openness about lesbian relationships, but the blatant nose-thumbing at law enforcement. For all the new sexual openness of the 1920s, queer sexuality was still taboo and heavily policed- even more so for Black and Brown people, and violence from law enforcement was a constant threat.

Rainey’s legacy is one of defiance, independence, larger-than-life glamor, and iconic artistry, even as her power was limited by the white, male- dominated ruthlessness of the recording industry and the confines of a similarly racist and homophobic America. Despite this, she transformed the role of women in music.

Rainey was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 for her early influences on today's music industry.

•••

Gertrude "Ma Rainey" Pridgett es conocida como la Madre del Blues, fue una de las primeras cantantes de blues y forma parte de la primera generación de artistas en grabar su trabajo en este género.

Aunque Ma Rainey solía cantar mucho sobre hombres, “Prove It on Me”, según Angela Y. Davis, “abrió camino cultural al movimiento cultural lésbico de la década de los 70, el cual comenzó a cristalizarse en torno a la interpretación y grabación de canciones lésbico-afirmativas.”

Salí anoche con una multitud de mis amigos,

Deben haber sido mujeres, porque no me gustan los hombres.

Según se informa, la canción se refiere a un incidente de 1925 en el que Rainey fue arrestada por organizar una orgía en su casa, en la cual estaban participando mujeres de su coro. También se rumoreaba que Rainey había tenido una relación con Bessie Smith, su discípula. Un anuncio comercial de “Prove It on Me” hace un guiño a estos rumores y muestra a Rainey fraternizando con mujeres mientras usa una versión masculina de un traje de mujer, bajo la mirada de un policía que le está acechando sospechosamente desde las sombras.

Esto es destacable y no sólo por la franqueza sobre las relaciones lésbicas, sino también por la obvia crítica a las autoridades. A pesar de toda la nueva transparencia sexual de la década de 1920, la homosexualidad todavía era un tabú y estaba fuertemente vigilada (aún más para las personas negras y de color), y la violencia por parte de las fuerzas policiales era una amenaza constante.

El legado de Rainey es uno de desafío, independencia, glamour descomunal y arte icónico, incluso cuando su poder estaba limitado por la crueldad de los hombres blancos de la industria discográfica y los confines de un país (Estados Unidos) igualmente racista y homofóbico. A pesar de ello, transformó el rol de la mujer en la industria musical.

Rainey fue incluida póstumamente en el Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll en 1990 por sus influencias en la industria musical actual.

[bootiesbooksandtheblues]

The Juice Crew 2023. #JuiceCrew #Legendary #jammin #SOULmusic #BlackMusicMatters #beautifulisBLACK https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKxe3VOUri/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[blackfringemusic]

[domquixotedospobresblog]

Day 23 of the #BlackMusicMonthChallenge — “Your fave from a musical family legacy.”

‘Hello It’s Me’ x The Isley Brothers feels soooo good to me! I feel like my whole nervous system just chills out whenever I hear this song. I just realized that I also could’ve used this song for Day 22’s challenge because they outdid themselves on this cover! The way they arranged Todd Rundgren’s song is a masterpiece within itself.

.

.

.

#feeltheesoul #soulmusic #theisleybrothers #isleybrothers #ronaldisley #rnbsoul #throwbackrnb #soulsinger #nostalgia #classicrnb #rnbmusic #rnbvibes #rnbsoulmusic #soulvibes #blackmusicmonth #blackmusicmatters #musicsermon

[myrebelancestorsdiedforme]

[brazilianebonyyyyyy]

[tahajaharmaniii]

I wanna start a Black 21+ iMessage group chat

Black Men & Women Welcome!

Let’s talk culture, let’s joke, let’s talk love, let’s talk goals let’s vent! 🤎

[goodblacknews]

June is #africanamericanmusicappreciationmonth also known as #blackmusicmonth and Good Black News looks forward to celebrating the people and culture who invented and innovated the sounds that spread across the globe and have influenced and inspired billions. #blackmusicmatters https://www.instagram.com/p/CPmhteklYtC/?utm_medium=tumblr

[theigive]

Someone was cool enough to film Thursday’s performance at The Cypher. Check it out

[not4oryew]

Melanin and Motherland. A whole performance going on…I look to my right and saw this beautiful profile and these earrings and was so captivated and focused. This person wasn’t posing, wasn’t minding me at all. I got this shot really quick before they moved and when i went back to look at the photo I realized how many other little nuances were captured as well - the smoke, the fist - a real moment in time. 🕺🏾 🕺🏾 🕺🏾 #lostinriddim #music #livemusic #liveevents #dancehall #afrobeats #photography #documentaryphotography #eventphotography #sacramento #bayarea #afromusicmatters #blackmusicmatters (at Sacramento, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CU28w28BGCl/?utm_medium=tumblr

[longliveblackness]

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, famous in the 1930s for her upbeat electric guitar playing style, is the original godmother of rock and roll music. She was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, and recognized for her contributions in paving the way for other artists in the industry.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was born in 1915, grew up in a small town in Arkansas. Raised in the Pentecostal church, she honed her talent in music during tent revivals and church gatherings.

In the 1930s, she started making a name when she moved to New York, where she performed in the city's nightclubs. In 1938, she became famous for her record called "Rock Me." Her 1945 recording "Strange Things Happening Every Day" is considered the first gospel song that bridged the "race" (later called "R&B") charts after it reached number two.

Her fame was sustained until the 1950s when she could fill arenas with thousands of fans who want to watch her perform on stage with her electric guitar.

By the 1960s, a new generation of musicians seemed to have overshadowed her fame. Still, she went to Europe to perform for new audiences in London and Liverpool.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe died in 1973 at the age of 58. Even though her name was somehow forgotten by most people, her influence is very much alive.

"She influenced Elvis Presley, she influenced Johnny Cash, she influenced Little Richard," says Tharpe's biographer Gayle Wald. "She influenced innumerable other people who we recognize as foundational figures in rock and roll."

She was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame on May 5, 2018 for her essential role in the industry.

"Without Sister Rosetta Tharpe, rock and roll would be a different music," according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website. "She is the founding mother who gave rock's founding fathers the idea."

•••

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, famosa durante la década de 1930 por su estilo animado de tocar la guitarra eléctrica, es la madrina original del rock and roll (rocanrol). Se le indujo al salón de la fama del Rock and Roll en el 2018 y se le reconoció por sus contribuciones en pavimentar el camino para otros artistas en la industria.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, quién nació en el año 1915, creció en una pequeña ciudad en Arkansas. Criada en la iglesia Pentecostal, ella perfeccionó su talento musical durante avivamientos en carpas y reuniones de la iglesia.

En los 1930, comenzó a darse a conocer cuando se mudó a Nueva York, donde hacía presentaciones en los clubes nocturnos de la ciudad. En 1938, se hizo famosa por su canción llamada “Rock Me”. Su grabación de "Strange Things Happening Every Day", hecha en 1945, es considerada la primera canción góspel combinado o unida con “race” (luego llamado R&B). La canción llegó a segunda posición en las carteleras.

Su fama se sostuvo hasta la década de 1950, cuando solía llenar estadios con miles de fanáticos que querían verla en el escenario con su guitarra eléctrica.

Para los 1960, su fama fue opacada por una nueva generación de artistas. Aún así, se fue a Europa para hacer presentaciones a nuevas audiencias en Londres y Liverpool.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe falleció en 1973 a la edad de 58 años. Aunque su nombre fue olvidado por muchas personas, aún así su influencia estaba muy viva.

“Ella influenció a Elvis Presley, ella influenció a Johnny Cash, ella influenció a Little Richard” dijo el biógrafo de Tharpe, Gayle Wald. “Influenció a innumerables personas que hoy reconocemos como figuras fundacionales del rock and roll (rocanrol).”

Fue incluida póstumamente en el salón de la fama del Rock & Roll el 5 de mayo del 2018 por su papel esencial en la industria.

“Sin Sister Rosetta Tharpe, el rock and roll sería una música diferente”, según el sitio web del Salón de la Fama del Rock & Roll. “Ella es la madre fundadora que le dio la idea a los padres fundadores del rock”.

[bootiesbooksandtheblues]

Rest in peace, Trugoy the Dove. 🙏🏽✊🏾🖤 #DeLaSoul #jammin #SOULmusic #BlackMusicMatters #beautifulisBLACK https://www.instagram.com/p/ColAAmXuW51/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[djomic]

(djomicmixvibez)

[julieoutrage]

Photo by Nick Moreland

[myrebelancestorsdiedforme]

For the Culture 🔥🔥🔥🙏🏿