In our blog about self-care, music came up several times. That’s no surprise. Music can bring joy, help us heal, forget, remember, learn, and of course make us dance. And honestly, these past few weeks, music has been THE thing helping us get through. June is Black Music Month, so we thought, let's give music the celebration it deserves, cause we deserve too.
Katura: What’s the first song you ever remember hearing? Mine was “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste of Honey. I remember the record; it was caramel - almost see through.
Bria: “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross. I still know every word of that song!
Bria: Can you play a musical instrument?
Katura: Nope. I’m a flute school dropout.
What’s a song you know word for word? Say $100 is on the line - what song are you betting on?
Bria: Well, “Never Too Much” is a sure bet. But “Cassanova” by LeVert is a definite winner. I would spend my summers down south with older cousins and when they would buy new music they’d tell me we “had to learn the lyrics!” I don’t know what would have happened if we didn’t learn the lyrics, but I still remember those summers and that song!
Is karaoke your thing? Can you sing or is it for fun?
Katura: I do not like the visibility of karaoke. I’ll sing offkey at home, thank you very much. What’s funny is that several of my relatives are super talented musically. Shout to my Uncle Curt, Uncle Raymond, and my cousin Eric to name a few. So ppl think I am musically gifted too. But my friends know better. 😁
Pretend we can go out like we used to for birthdays, girls night, date night. What’s your get ready song?
Bria: Now, this totally depends on the event. Birthdays - just about anything with the word birthday in the lyrics or song title. Girls night - anything lifting up the ladies and requires cardio. Date night - R&B or Neosoul.
Are you more or less productive when listening to music?
Katura: Less productive, because of all the bodyrolling!
Speaking of bodyrolling, I miss concerts so much!! Which artist always gets your money when they come to your area? You already know mine is New Edition and its various incarnations. Also Earth, Wind & Fire. Their live shows are otherworldly. They can have all my lunch money!
Bria: There are a few artists. However, Janet Jackson ranks at the top. It was the first concert my dad ever took our family to see. We planned to attend her Unbreakable tour together, but it was postponed and later rescheduled.
Bria: Have your musical tastes changed as you’ve gotten older?
Katura: At the age of [redacted], I think my musical taste is the best it’s been. Teenage me was listening to whatever was on the tv and radio. But now I curate my music. I’m a more thoughtful and appreciative listener.
What’s your favorite song that celebrates us -- Black folks? And in honor of Juneteenth (June 19) -- a favorite song that celebrates freedom.
Bria: I can’t choose one song! “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” by McFadden and Whitehead, immediately comes to mind. “Young, Gifted and Black” by Aretha Franklin (Nina Simone), “Black” by Buddy, “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar, “Freedom” by Beyonce, “Goathead” by Brittany Howard, “Rollercoasters” by Tank and the Bangas. A quick note about “Rollercoasters.” When Tank and the Bangas performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk, Tarriona "Tank" Ball tells the story of Jazzland in New Orleans. She explained that well over a decade after Hurricane Katrina there is still a sign posted outside of the park that reads ‘Closed for Storm’ and that there are areas of New Orleans that the storm has never passed. I don’t bring this up to discuss New Orleans, but rather a larger narrative about what is happening in America right now [i.e., pandemic, social unrest, economic uncertainty, etc]. We’ve been enduring a storm, a storm that hasn’t passed by yet. We need songs to help us celebrate our ancestors, call out oppression, remember our greatness, bring joy to the present and hope for the future while we’re enduring. Because this storm, for Black people in particular, has been big, wide and slow moving.
I don’t know about you, but there were a few times that my parents weren’t too pleased with my musical selections. Did you ever get in trouble for listening to music your parents didn’t approve of? If so, were you able to sway them to appreciate it even if they didn’t like it?
Katura: I did have my share of cassettes with ‘parental advisory’ stickers like Big Daddy Kane’s “It’s A Big Daddy Thing.” What’s funny is my dad bought them. I don’t think he noticed! And I knew better than to blast certain songs. I wasn’t too much into super explicit music, though. What my parents weren’t pleased with was that I watched videos all the time. Video Soul. Video Music Box. MTV Jams. The Box. Yo! MTV Raps. We had cable early on, and I remember Nickelodeon turning into BET at 8 every night. Just in time for me to catch Donnie Simpson!
What got music you in trouble? Cause I know there's a story.
Bria: We had very similar childhoods. Watching television was a curated experience in our house - news, anything with Black people, PBS, Saturday morning cartoons - so catching videos on tv, especially in the day of multi-million dollar music videos, was a treat! But I have dozens of stories about having to explain the lyrics to my parents and why I felt it was appropriate for me to listen to <fill in the blank> artist! My dad also bought my music. He would never deny a purchase, but would wait until he heard me listening to it. Later I would find, for example, my Menace II Society soundtrack “missing” from my collection and after accusing my brothers of taking it, he’d casually tell me he got rid of it. So, I began curating my musical selections at home and living vicariously through my friends’ music collections.
Bria: Why do you think music is so important to Black culture?
Katura: Not to be dramatic but I think music helps keep us alive. Maybe not biologically, but it feels true energetically. Music is a culture carrier. I think about how much I learned about Black history and culture through music, from Sweet Honey in the Rock and Sam Cooke to Stetsononic, Tribe, Public Enemy. There’s the historic role drumming played in communicating, storytelling, celebrating. The dj sets D-Nice and Jazzy Jeff did in honor of George Floyd and our people protesting. Music connects us. I think it also gives us a freedom we may not feel when songs aren’t playing.
Let’s do a different Top 5. Instead of hip hop artists, who are the best vocalists -- any genre and gender? Mine are Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Whitney Houston and Sam Cooke.
Bria: How are we supposed to name five?! I can’t! I wrote and deleted the list too many times. I even tried to cheat with tie breakers! I’ll just say there is a long list of talented vocalists from all genres that have enriched my life. <quietly exits stage left>
Katura: 🗣🗣🗣 You cannot opt out of the Top 5!!!
Bria: Sorry to those I have not named: Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Lalah Hathaway (have you heard her make harmonies with her vocal chords?!)
Katura: YES!! Lalah Lathaway's voice is magic. A great note to end on.
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Bria R. Griffith is a multi-industry organizational leader on a mission to connect community and business to implement strategies that promote social and economic equity. Katura Hudson is a writer and strategist with a passion for community; diversity, equity & inclusion; and New Edition.
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