#ma rainey

[melaninpov]

Chadwick Boseman 1976 - 2020

3 years ago today, we lost a talented brother

[ilikestuff69]

Emma Stone winning over Lily Gladstone feels similar to Anthony Hopkins winning over Chadwick Boseman.

Like did the winner deserve it? Absolutely. Those performances were phenomenal. But the person who didn’t win FELT like person who should’ve won, if that makes sense?

[macbxth-pdf]

A little tidbit of knowledge for all the black sapphics who may come across my blog

Source: Dagger: On Butch Women ( Edited by Lily Burana, Roxxie and Linnea Due )

Passage: The Myth and Tradition of the Black Bulldagger by SDiane A Bogus (pg 29-36 in the physical copy, pgs 30-37 on the pdf)

Mutuals who I think would like this post: @femmepire-butchbiter @nsslaughter @cobwebgf @blackhighfemme @brownsugarbunny @cottagecorewitchebitche

[cartermagazine]

Today In History

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey was born in Columbus, GA on this date April 26, 1886. Rainey was an influential blues singer and early blues recording artist.

Dubbed the “Mother of the Blues”, ‘Ma’ Rainey bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of southern blues, influencing a generation of blues singers.

‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ is a 1982 play by Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson-which chronicles Ma Rainey and the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in a recording studio in 1920s Chicago, and deals with issues of race, art, religion, sexuality and the historic exploitation of Black recording artists by white producers.

The play has been converted into a film, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The film stars Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and Michael Potts. Streaming now on Netflix.

CARTER™️ Magazine

[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.

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020, George C. Wolfe)

15/04/2024

[queerasfact]

Black History Month: Ma Rainey

I went out last night with a crowd of my friends, It must've been women, 'cause I don't like no men.

Prove It On Me Blues, Ma Rainey, 1928

Born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1886, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey began performing at a young age, and by her late teens, was touring as part of Black minstrel shows around America’s south.

Know for her strong voice, she was one of the first performers to popularise the blues, and bring it to audiences around America. She recoreded over 92 songs with Paramount records, alongside well-known musicians such as Louis Armstrong.

Ma had a close relationship with fellow blues performer Bessie Smith, with Ma’s guitarist Sam Chatmon saying that “I believe she was courtin’ Bessie.” Some of Ma’s songs - like Prove It On Me Blues - also teased the idea of her queerness, which appealed to white audiences who saw blues as an exciting, risque, liberated genre.

Learn more

[Image: black-and-white photo of Ma Rainey, smiling, wearing a headband, pearls, beaded earrings, and a beaded dress; source]

[billboard-hotties-tourney]

Julie London (1926-2000) solo - additionally an actress Songs: "Cry Me a River," "Desafinado" Propaganda: "I think her voice and the way she sings are so incredibly, mind-numbingly hot -- the sultry, low tones, the warmth, the way she carries notes as if she's caressing them... Just thinking of her voice makes me lightheaded honestly. And then those gorgeous eyes, the *power* in that stare, those cheekbones, that soft-but-knowing smile, and actually I may have to stop here because I'm losing my coherence at this point sorry I'm off to listen to more of her songs"

Gertrude Rainey (1886-1939) Rainey and Rainey - vocals; solo Songs: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," "Bo-Weevil Blues" Propaganda: see visual

Visual Propaganda for Julie London:

Visual Propaganda for "Ma" Rainey:

[a-nybodys]

next up in my lesbian visibility week series is ma rainey, the mother of blues. she was seriously the coolest woman ever, please look her up and listen to 'prove it on me blues'

[fuckyeahcostumedramas]

Viola Davis as Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Film, 2020).

[disco-cola]

DEVIL GOT MY WOMAN 🥀🕯️ made a new playlist for the upcoming october nights // listen here on Spotify (also check out my retro halloween and my other late 60s early 70s autumn inspired playlist if you’re still looking to get into the spirit 🎃🍂)

[jazzdailyblog]

Doc Cheatham: A Life in Jazz

Introduction: Adolphus “Doc” Cheatham was a master of the trumpet whose career spanned over seven decades. During this extensive period, he collaborated with some of the most influential figures in jazz, and his unwavering dedication to his craft left an indelible mark on the genre. In this blog post, we delve into the life and legacy of Doc Cheatham, exploring his early beginnings, major…

[wondermutt20]

"You sing 'cause that's a way of understanding life."

Ma Rainey - (1886-1939) - American Singer

[fear-ne]

ma rainey didn’t fuck women, wear suits, and sing about it in 1928 for people to try and make white ass taylor swift into a queer icon

[popculty]

Happy Public Domain Day (Jan. 1)!

These works from 1928 are now in the public domain, including Orlando by Virginia Woolf, films by Charlie Chaplin, and sound recordings from Ma Rainey.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

FIRST LADIES OF BLUES & JAZZ MUSIC -- MOSTLY SINGERS & SONGWRITERS INSTEAD OF MUSOS.

NOTE: ^These ladies had to have been around musical instruments for their entire careers, so, why neither of them ever decided to give one a go is beyond me. They're all singers exclusively, every one.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on the various ladies of blues & jazz music, from oldest to youngest, and all illustrated by William Stout for his extensive (and definitive) "Legends of the Blues" portraits series.

Gertrude "MA" RAINEY (born Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939)

LUCILLE BOGAN (born Lucile Anderson; April 1, 1897 – August 10, 1948)

ETHEL WATERS (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977), 2x

VICTORIA Regina SPIVEY (October 15, 1906 – October 3, 1976)

Mabel Louise Smith (May 1, 1924 – January 23, 1972), known professionally as "BIG MAYBELLE"

Sources: www.motherjones.com/media/2016/04/cartoon-portraits-of-blues-legends, Buds Art Books, Pinterest, various, etc...