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Soulsville, USA Van De Vele Muzikale Heiligdommen Die Mem- Phis Rijk Is

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Soulsville, USA Van De Vele Muzikale Heiligdommen Die Mem- Phis Rijk Is Albert Moreu Tangela Mathis (links) in actie Bij het uitstappen op de parkeerplaats van Stax Records: Hoop voor de toekomst het Stax Museum for American Soul Music schalt Soul Man van Sam & Dave uit blikkerige speakers. Natuurlijk. Ik ben weer terug waar ik in 2007 voor het eerst op bedevaart ging, bij een Back to Soulsville, USA van de vele muzikale heiligdommen die Mem- phis rijk is. Hier aan East McLemore Avenue, iets ten zuiden van het centrum van de stad, Je zou het bijna vergeten, maar ten tijde van Elvis en B.B. King staat een herbouwde versie van de studio van het platenlabel Stax Records, waar ooit soulgigan- schonk Memphis, Tennessee de wereld ook nog eens het beroemde ten als Otis Redding en Isaac Hayes kind aan huis waren. Hier, in het hart van een wijk die Stax Records, waar soullegendes als Otis Redding en Isaac Hayes thuis officieus Soulsville, USA heet, wonen ook nu nog de armsten van Memphis, een stad die toch waren. Het baanbrekende platenlabel werd niet alleen bekend om zijn al niet overloopt van rijkdom en kansen. Net als deze hele regio is de geschiedenis van Stax onmiskenbare sound, maar was door zijn koppige kleurenblindheid een Records een boek vol zwarte bladzijdes. Maar tegelijkertijd is er geen beter voorbeeld te vinden onverwacht baken binnen de strijd om gelijke burgerrechten in de jaren van de kracht van hoop en optimisme, die hier net als in de jaren zestig ook nu weer tegen alle zestig van de vorige eeuw. AmericA ging terug en ontdekte dat Stax verwachtingen in springlevend blijken te zijn. nog steeds een schoolvoorbeeld voor de rest van de Verenigde Staten is. Erfgoed Stax Records werd opgericht door Jim Maar dan letterlijk. Stewart en zijn partner en zus Estelle Axton, die samen in een oude bioscoop in een zwarte buurt TEKST & FOTOGRAFIE MartiN SCHÄFER van Memphis een platenlabel dreven. Die locatie 48 VOORJAAR 2014 AmericanS bleek een gouden greep, want de Staxstudio Groter dan The Beatles werd een pleisterplaats voor al het hoopvolle De permanente tentoonstelling laat zien wat talent uit de buurt. Waaronder bijvoorbeeld pia- deze plek zo ongelofelijk bijzonder maakte. Bij nist Booker T. Jones, een onmisbare spil in Stax’ Stax deden blank en zwart samen schitterende vaste begeleidingsband Booker T. & The M.G.’s, dingen in een tijd waarin het Zuiden nog hals- die op loopafstand van de studio geboren werd. starrig gesegregeerd was. De half blanke, half David Porter, schrijver van onder meer Soul Man zwarte huisband Booker T. & The M.G.’s is en Hold On! I’m Coming!, werkte vlak bij East daarvan slechts één voorbeeld. Volgens singer/ McLemore in de supermarkt Big Star – dezelfde songwriter William Bell, bekend van You Don’t winkel, die jaren later weer als naaminspiratie Miss Your Water, telde alleen de muziek die er diende voor de gelijknamige cultrockband uit gemaakt werd: “Je werd gewaardeerd om je ta- Memphis. Met Porter beland je dan al snel bij lenten. De enige meningsverschillen die we daar zijn vaste schrijfmaatje Isaac Hayes, samen met hadden, waren op creatief gebied.” Porter herin- Otis Redding de onbetwiste megaster van Stax nert zich nog goed dat blank en zwart het in de Records, mede door wereldhits als Theme from studio samen probeerden te maken, met eeuwige Shaft. En dat is nog maar het topje van het concurrent Motown als motivatiebron. “Dat gigantische erfgoed van Stax. Dwaal maar eens wilden wij ook! En dus bedachten we met zijn een dag rond in het waanzinnige Stax Museum, allen hoe we dat het beste konden aanpakken. dat je op speelse wijze langs de highlights van de Dat we iets unieks in handen hadden beseften Het Stax Museum of American Soul Music Amerikaanse soul leidt, natuurlijk rijkelijk geïl- we toen niet zo.” Tot 1967, het jaar van de eerste lustreerd met iPads en luisterkoepels. Van de au- Europese tour, toen de zwoegende artiesten thentieke gospelkerk bij binnenkomst via de Soul ontdekten dat Stax in onder meer Engeland, Train-dansvloer tot Isaac Hayes’ custom-made Su- Frankrijk, Noorwegen en Nederland haast groter ‘In 2013 werd de volle honderd perFly Cadillac Eldorado met 24-karaatsgouden dan The Beatles was. Porter: “We hadden geen procent van de eindexamenklas details en wit knuffelbont op de vloer; een beter idee wat wereldwijd betekende. Ik kwam uit van de Soulsville Charter School en leuker totaaloverzicht van soulmuziek bestaat een gezin van twaalf kinderen zonder vader, die gewoonweg niet. stierf toen ik twee was. Dus toen ik in Europa op een universiteit aangenomen’ AMERICAMAGAZINE.NL 49 Museumdisplay voor Johnnie Taylor Studenten aan de Stax Academy treden als huiswerk op over de hele wereld ‘Bij Stax Records waren soulgiganten als Otis Redding en Isaac Hayes kind aan huis’ liggen constant voor op het landelijk gemid- delde. Zo zit je als tweedeklasser al regelmatig bij lessen in de vierde of vijfde. It keeps us one step ahead of the game.” Ook leert elke student ver- plicht een instrument bespelen, wat natuurlijk een joekel van een schoolband heeft opgeleverd: het Soulsville Symphony Orchestra. Uitzonder- Parkeren met soul lijke talenten doen auditie voor de naschoolse Stax Music Academy, die per jaar zo’n honderd jongeren klaarstoomt voor een toekomst in de zag dat mensen iets mooi vonden dat ik gemaakt muziekliefhebbers en invloedrijke Memphianen, muziekindustrie met een allesomvattend totaal- had, was dat zonder meer wereldschokkend.” En die Stax Records eind jaren negentig nieuw leven pakket, dat varieert van leren liedjes schrijven tot Bell: “Ik weet nog dat ik heel erg op mijn gemak inblies. Met niet alleen een museum voor het spraakles. En ook op de Music Academy lonkt raakte, maar ook dat al die liefde me een enorm verleden, maar ook een ruimhartige plek voor de universiteit al van verre, zeker omdat hier de verantwoordelijkheidsgevoel gaf. Dat ik thuis de toekomst van Soulsville, USA: de Soulsville lat zo mogelijk nog hoger ligt dan bij de Souls- echt mijn best moest gaan doen.” Charter School en de Stax Music Academy. ville Charter School. “We leren wat we moeten Eerstgenoemde biedt gratis middelbaar kwali- doen om de dingen te kunnen doen die we wil- Plek voor de toekomst teitsonderwijs voor ongeveer zeshonderd leerlin- len doen”, zegt Tangela. Met als resultaat dit jaar Die gedachte lijkt ook de springplank voor gen, een gouden buitenkans voor een doorgaans meer dan 8,6 miljoen dollar aan studiebeurzen de studenten van de Stax Music Academy, die kansarm deel van de plaatselijke bevolking. voor de 36 afgestudeerde studenten. vandaag in hun eigen auditorium repeteren voor Die met beide handen wordt aangepakt, want hun show tijdens het jaarlijkse gratis festival Stax in 2013 werd de volle honderd procent van de Soulsville, USA is nooit echt een plek van to the Max. Samen met onder meer Porter, Bell eindexamenklas op een universiteit aangenomen. gouden bergen geweest, maar met hoop, liefde en voormalig Staxdirecteur Al Bell op de eerste Ongekend, in het Amerika van de 21ste eeuw. en hard werken zijn ze hier altijd een heel eind rij klappen we ons breed lachend een ongeluk, gekomen. Met Stax – toen en nu – als voorbeeld terwijl de vijftien- tot achttienjarige leerlingen Stapje voor voor hoe het moet en kan, weet men hier in elk een masterclass soul weggeven. De Music Aca- Volgens de bijna afgestudeerde Tangela Ma- geval een ding zeker: de jeugd heeft eindelijk demy is een initiatief van de Soulsville Founda- this komt dat door een mix van werken en nog weer eens echt toekomst. Eindelijk weer eens tion, de organisatie van voormalige Staxartiesten, harder werken. “Ze pushen ons hier erg hard, we hetzelfde liedje. 50 VOORJAAR 2014 Tennessee FullPg Dutch Guide Ad_Layout 1 04/02/2014 10:34 Page 1 wteelcomn tnesse deep-south-usa.com /tennessee Boek 1.indb 51 07-02-14 11:49.
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