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Friday, February 10, 2017

Black History Month Meets Music

This week, we are going to look at African American singers and artists. Here is my favorite Christmas tune, "The Christmas Song," by Nat King Cole.
https://youtu.be/mWNkiAI-R


Reply to this blog post with a tune by one of your favorite African American artists from history. Refrain from using modern day musicians (such as Usher, Rhianna, etc.) and describe musical elements that you like about the piece. As always, be sure to check your spelling and grammar. Posts are due by 11:59 on Friday evening. Remember, you can not use a song that someone already posted! -Ms. R

39 comments:

  1. For the blog post this week I've chosen to do "Isn't She Lovely" by the great Stevie Wonder. I chose this song because it is my favorite song done by him. The lyrics have a positive meaning that anyone of any age, religion, race etc. could listen to and enjoy. I also like the jazz flow of the song and the beat is something you can dance to. This song has been one of my favorites since I was a little girl.

    https://youtu.be/IVvkjuEAwgU?list=PLymM46aOVb8UO94LdAux1fS-pOPRNJJyW

    ~Amber Donald

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  2. This week I chose, the one and only, Michael Jackson. I don't think that I know one person who does not like Michael. The feel of his voice is amazing. The song that I chose is "Rock with You." This song has always been one of my favorites. The music video is so beautiful. The contrast between the dark area, his dazzled outfit, and the emerald lighting is amazing. This song will always stay on top. R.I.P. Michael.
    link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X-Mrc2l1d0
    -Monique Thomas

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  3. This week for my blogpost I choose the song "Stand by Me" by Ben E King. I love the melody and meaning of the song. This has been one of my favorite songs since my sister had to first sing it when she was in choir at Forest Avenue. I also fell in love with the song "Those Magic Changes" by Jordan Fisher in Grease Live that has the happy, recognizable "Stand by Me" beat in the background.
    https://youtu.be/hwZNL7QVJjE
    -Nakira Brown :)

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  4. For my blog post this week, I have chosen a song by the infamous Whitney Houston called "I'm Every Woman". First off, the intro of this song is very smooth and vocal. Then, when the song starts to actually come into the post intro, the beat and melody make you want to dance. As we all know, Whitney Houston was an amazing performer. Her vocals are amazing in all of her songs, but this song is my absolute favorite because of the switch of tune in the beginning and the story that she tells.
    https://youtu.be/H7_sqdkaAfo
    -Emmani Cummings

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  5. One of my favorite tunes from an African-American artist is The Temptations’ Ain’t Too Proud to Beg. This singing group is among one of my favorite artists. I enjoy the rich tone and quality of their voices. I also enjoy the smoothness and showmanship as well. There are many songs I enjoy from this group but this is among one of my favorite.
    https://youtu.be/DxHMHrWJ2SE

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  6. For my blog post this week I chosen the song " Black or White" by Michael Jackson. This one of my favorites songs from him. Plus it has a good message to the song as well. It brings a lot of energy and feeling when he sings this song. Michael Jackson can just blow you away with the vocals he was gift with. He will bed truly missed.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTFE8cirkdQ

    ~ Jahmai' Williams

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  7. For my blog post this week I chosen the song " Black or White" by Michael Jackson. This one of my favorites songs from him. Plus it has a good message to the song as well. It brings a lot of energy and feeling when he sings this song. Michael Jackson can just blow you away with the vocals he was gift with. He will be truly missed.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTFE8cirkdQ

    ~ Jahmai' Williams

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  8. For my blog post I chose to do Etta James I'll Rather Go Blind. This song came out in 1968. Etta James was an African American r&b singer. In the song I'll Rather Go Blind Etta showcase her amazing voice blowing everyone away. If you haven't heard Etta's original song you have probably heard Beyonce's cover of it on the movie Cadillac Records. Both women have voice that came calm any crowd no matter the race, age or gender.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u9sq3ME0JHQ

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  9. Some of the best music in history comes from African American artists. One of my favorite artists in Aretha Franklin. She is a very iconic woman with an amazing voice. For this blogpost, I chose her song “Respect”. Her voice is strong from the beginning to the end of the song. I love the lyrics because the message is expressed as a demand for increased respect towards women. This is a song that no matter how many times it is played; you will still sing along to. This will always be one of my favorite songs.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzPXozDgvYs

    ~LaTayvia Walker

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  10. One of my favorite tunes by an African American artist is B.B King's version of "The Thrill is Gone" which was released in 1969. The sound and effect created by the guitar is what draws me to the song. It executes a very relaxing vibe and his voice only adds to the emotion generated by the instruments playing in the background.




    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BPlsqo2bk2M




    Kerrityn Knight (AKA: Queen Kerri♛)

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  11. One of my favorite songs by a African American artist is an version of "When the Saints go marchin'in" by Louis Armstrong. In the beginning of the song he played the trumpet beautifully. You can hear every musical element played, which are the Cello, Flute, Trombone, Drums, and last but not least the Trumpet. I love the when he and Jewel Brown sung. She has this high soprano voice and her dress is BEAUTIFUL! The song brings joy and makes me want to dance.

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  12. One of my favorite songs by a African American artist is an version of "When the Saints go marchin'in" by Louis Armstrong. In the beginning of the song he played the trumpet beautifully. You can hear every musical element played, which are the Cello, Flute, Trombone, Drums, and last but not least the Trumpet. I love when he and Jewel Brown sung. She has this high soprano voice and her dress is BEAUTIFUL! The song brings joy and makes me want to dance.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The song i chose is "Buy me a boat" by Chris Jenson. In this song you can hear drums , electric and classical guitars. This song includes all the "typical" things that you would call country. Such as , trucks , tractors , beers, rednecks , guns , etc. The real moral of the song is Money . This song relates to a lot of rap songs because they talk about money and other unnecessary things. I like this song because it can kind of relate to all people in a way. He says things like "money is the root to all evil," and "money can't buy happiness." My favorite line is "money can't buy everything but it can buy me a boat," which is what the song is about.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mQPjKSVe1tQ
    ~Tykesha Strickland

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  14. One of my favorite songs by a African American artist is an version of "When the Saints go marchin'in" by Louis Armstrong. In the beginning of the song he played the trumpet beautifully. You can hear every musical element played, which are the Cello, Flute, Trombone, Drums, and last but not least the Trumpet. I love when he and Jewel Brown sung. She has this high soprano voice and her dress is BEAUTIFUL! The song brings joy and makes me want to dance.

    Louis Armstrong - When The Saints Go Marching In: http://youtu.be/wyLjbMBpGDA

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  15. Katerra Blanding

    My favorite is Etta James all I could do. She sings with so much emotion in this song. The instruments in the back enhance the quality of the song. Love this song. I know all the words by heart. Many superstars have covered her song or sung it in movies. Etta James and her music is an inspiration to many everywhere.

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  16. My favorite African American artist is Sam Cooke "A Change is Gonna Come". I like this song because it is uplifting and makes you not want to loose hope. He has a nice smooth voice with soul in it that makes you want to sing along with him.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4
    ~Katherine Miles ♥

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  17. My favorite is Whitney Houston "Greatest Love of All".This is my favorite song by Whitney Houston because it is very touching to me and I really admire her singing voice.This is a very powerful song that I really liked from her.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzlVDlE72w
    MaryJane Oji

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  18. One of my favorite male singers of all times would happen to be Prince, and the song I like most by him would be "When the Doves Cry." It is not like his more popular song "Purple Rain," but the upbeat tempo is the element that draws me in more to "When The Doves Cry." I am a big fan of band music, especially the guitar, and Prince plays this instrument like saying the ABC"s. He is a true performer, and a great artist.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44j3i4U-V6g

    -President of CMD (EliJah Guidry)

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  19. I chose the song Stuck on you by 3T. This group was very popular in Europe. The boys in this group are Micheal Jackson's Nephews. The original song was by Lionel Richie. The original had beautiful piano and guitar combinations. 3Ts version is alot more upbeat and happy. The harmonies between the three members. Both versions are worth a listen.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVdYqKcBDhg
    - Andrea Barnett

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  20. I chose Stevie Wonders's "Signed , Sealed , Delievered I'm Yours" for my blogpost. I like Stevie Wonder voice. He have a lot of different elements in voice. And all his songs are good and have a great message. He also plays the piano very good. He have other songs I like, but this the first I seen.






    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WvRwR-hZDVY

    -Breuna Lewis

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  21. One of the songs that I think embodies Black history is "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday. It is so disturbingly beautiful. It just gives you chills when you listen because you know that what she is singing about is something that has happened in African American history. Black bodies hanging from a tree truly is an extremely strange fruit. One that America has and still harvests. Billie makes this truly disappointing topic sound so poetic. I like that there is not much music accompanying her except for the piano. It gives you the time to really reflect on what she is saying. I think that type of artistry is so beautiful. I also think it is beautiful how far the black community has come. In order to appreciate where we are now we must remember our roots. For you cant appreciate the sunshine without the rain. Though we still have not reached the sunshine yet, we still have a long way to go.

    https://youtu.be/h4ZyuULy9zs

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  22. For this black history blogpost I chose "Im Going Down" by Mary J Blige. I love this song because it's kindle modern but still has that very soulful sound. Mary's voice is just so smooth on the beat. And you can easily hear the piano playing with the most simple but great cords. I also like the cover that Tamera Mowry did which introduced me to the song.

    https://youtu.be/1XmwiwQjU8E

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  23. Aerial Hutchinson
    The song I chose is "At last" by Etta James. I love Etta James, she is such an beautiful singer. I like this song because it is very soothing, and very well written. All of the instruments put together make it sound amazing.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cbOl96RFM

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  25. The song I chose is “Candy Girl” by New Edition. I like this song mostly because of the beat in the background. Also, I like how high their voices are when they sing the chorus of “Candy Girl”. This song is about how much they love this girl like a piece of candy. New Edition is one of my most favorite music groups from back in the 80’s.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAFg2TQk9v0

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  26. The song I chose is "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding. I like this song because of the soul that Otis Redding puts into the song. I also love the way the music is when I'm hearing all different types of instruments. This song is about how you're supposed to treat a lady that is yours.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnPMoAb4y8U

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  27. For my black history month song, I chose "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. This song is great, because Louis Armstrong expresses his music through his voice and his trumpet. This song is demonstrating the positives of the world, regardless of the negativity that is going around.
    https://youtu.be/CWzrABouyeE
    ~Kennon Watkins

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  28. The song i chose for this blog is called " All I Do is Think Of You by Troop. Troop is a 80's R&B group. The song tells about how they all are interested in a girl , and that they think of her all the time. I really love this song. The beat goes right along with the words. It's a perfect song to me.



    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=igS9Yv06S3o

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  29. LaTrell Huitt
    My favorite song is “Baby Love” by one of my favorite African American artist Diana Ross and the Supremes. The song is very hyped, and fun, it makes you want to dance. The atmosphere of the song is bright, it just puts you in a good mood. Almost everyone knows, and enjoys this song, young and old. The instruments add so much flavor to the song.

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  30. One of my favorite artist comes from my favorite genre, R&B Soul, Anita Baker. The song I choose is "Giving You the Best That I Got," I like this song because its laid back, and its an upbeat ballad essentially. I love her use of melismas throughout the song, and how she keeps everything smooth, along with her contrast in dynamics and tempo at some parts. Her vocal technique is very angelic in my personal opinion and she is very true and honest in her music, which I admire.


    https://youtu.be/gKGj8XwooYQ

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  31. My choice for this blog post is the legendary Patti Labelle. The song I choose is "If Only You Knew," because in all honesty its like that sometimes, because you care for a person but you can always tell them. I like this song because of how honest and relatable it is and how it's performed. She uses her entire vocal range, and plays with dynamic and tempo variations throughout the entire song. All these elements make the song all that it is.

    https://youtu.be/cHg-Zkwndqg

    ~Lindsey Smiley

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  32. I never really listened to old African American singers as much and the ones that I have listened to have already been taken. Therefore, the artist that I will be doing is none other than my favorite singer India Arie and it will have to be her song " Pearls". This is actually her versiob of this song by another artist named Sade. I love this song of the musical elements that are in it. You hear the strumming of guitar, what sounds like a steady beating congo, also small bells. This song is peaceful and once you listen to it all your worries seem to melt away because of the cool lyrics. These are the things that make this song soo great.
    https://youtu.be/bCQt4iUg76A
    ~ DeAndrea Jones

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  33. My favorite singer would have to be Fugees song " Killing Me Softly ". I really like this song because Lauryn Hill her soulful voice and the great acoustics in the background. There is this great drum and bass guitar, and that is really the only thing this song needs because it is a simple one. It does not need much to make it great or hype it up because the lyrics make it great already. Her voice in this just makes you want to sing along with it every time you hear it and that is why I really like it.
    https://youtu.be/8ppz-cwLeqo
    ~ Emiaya Kirk

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  34. My favorite black tune, at this moment, is "The Closer I get to You" by Luther Vandross featuring Beyonce. The lyrics are full of love and express the emotions and affection in a relationship. The lyrical and musical elements are what makes this song great. Luther Vandross' voice blends perfectly with the instruments and Beyonce's voice alone.
    http://youtu.be/V4PMSjUbg88

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  35. I chose the phenomenal Roberta Flack for this blog post. I chose her song " Killing Me Softly With His Song". Most people know the Lauryn Hill version but the original version came from Roberta Flack. I grew up listening to Roberta Flack as a little girl being that she is my godmother's eldest sister. This song has so much meaning to it and is one of my favorites. This song is beautiful and has gorgeous lyrics and content. Roberta Flack is so honest and true with every word she sings through the song and that is why i really like it.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qMzzw6IXH1s

    ~Courtney Jones

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  36. The song I chose is "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer. Donna Summer is known also by the title the "Queen Of Disco" which was rare for African Americans to have a major titles during the 70s. She led the way for singers to expand out of the mold that society had placed on African Americans. This certain song has techno beats along with her silky voice that makes you feel as if your floating in the sky. I really enjoy listening to her sing because it tells me that I can do anything that I put my mind to.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTZEf_Fn4gQ

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  37. My favorite black tune is "Perfect Combination" by Stacy Lattisaw and Johnny Gill. The lyrics are full of loving emotions. The musical elements portrayed in this song really made me like this song . The chorus is the favorite part of my song. it has a soft beat and its catchy as well. Also , their voices sound god together.


    https://youtu.be/Wpc-TfSHGcs


    Tamiaha Blackshire

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  38. The song I chose for this week is "Just Once" by James Ingram. He is one of my favorite older artists. His voice is really prominent and I always know its him immediately hearing his voice. This song is really powerful and I love singing along to it. This song is timeless. The different instruments in this song really make it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcd3kN656zg

    -Lindsey Kilgore

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