Opera from a Sistah's Point of View

ARCHIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC AND CULTURE liner notes NO. 15 / 2010-2011 Opera from a Sistah’s Point of View: The Angela Brown Collection aaamc mission From the Desk of the Director The AAAMC is devoted to the collection, preservation, and I write this column as we enter into be of use to others.” Although Brown’s dissemination of materials for the second decade of the twenty-first career continues to evolve, Head of the purpose of research and century and as I reflect on the political, Collections Brenda Nelson-Strauss study of African American social, and cultural changes that have believes that “starting the archiving music and culture. taken place during the first ten years process now is advantageous from an www.indiana.edu/~aaamc of this new millennium. Within this archivist’s perspective because of the context of change, I marvel at the ways opportunity to evaluate and preserve in which African Americans continue materials initially, then annually, as new to expand and redefine the boundaries materials are created. I think things are Table of Contents for artistic expressions, revealing the less likely to fall through the cracks if we diversity of musical creativity among have a more active role in documenting From the Desk of this group. Two major collections Angela Brown’s career.” We look forward the Director ......................................2 acquired in 2010—the Angela Brown to our ongoing relationship with Angela Collection and the James Spooner Brown (see inside story). Featured Collection: Collection—reveal the ways in which Following the AAAMC’s November Angela Brown ..................................4 African Americans negotiate their dual 2009 conference, Reclaiming the Right to identities as performers in Western Rock: Black Experiences in Rock Music, In the Vault: classical traditions and how they several of the participants donated Recent Donations .........................8 construct and define black identities in items ranging from CDs to posters. The popular music genres broadly viewed as most significant donation came from Featured Collection: non-black. James Spooner, whose film Afro-Punk James Spooner ..............................9 The first installment of the Angela was screened during the conference Brown Collection chronicles the (see inside story). The materials in this One-on-One with development of the career of an collection explore the issues of race James Spooner ...........................11 opera singer who has maintained her and identity through the experiences, participation in and allegiance to the perspectives, and innovations of Fear of a Bleak Planet ..............14 African American musical tradition. African American punk musicians. The This collection can inspire others collection establishes the foundation From Records to Radio: Interview with who may have been advised to choose for research on the black presence in Kirkland Burke ..............................17 between the world of classical music punk and rock. We welcome materials and that of African American vernacular from musicians documenting their Music, Media & Museums ..22 traditions. Angela’s continued success contributions to these traditions. shows us that one music tradition Our online music review site, Black AMGP Book Series ...................25 does not have to be sacrificed for the Grooves (www.blackgrooves.org), is other. It is indeed possible to be Angela approaching its fifth anniversary and AAAMC Finding Brown the gospel singer, Angela Brown continues to receive accolades. Since Aids Online .....................................26 the R&B or popular music singer, and June of 2006, over 600 reviews have been Angela Brown the opera singer. published and the majority of the CDs, The Angela Brown Collection DVDs, and books have been added to On the Cover: complements other AAAMC holdings the AAAMC’s holdings. Brenda Nelson- that document the role of African Strauss continues to serve as editor, ARCHIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC AND CULTURE American musicians in performing and and reviewers include the AAAMC’s liner notes composing music from the Western graduate and undergraduate assistants NO. 15 / 2010-2011 classical tradition, including the Patricia as well as our full-time staff, IU students, Opera from a Sistah’s Turner Collection, the Phyl Garland scholars from other universities, Point of View: The Angela Brown Collection Collection, and the Black Composer and various guest contributors. We Collection of manuscript and printed are grateful to the record labels and scores. We anticipate future donations publicists who continue to support our of materials from Brown, who realizes efforts to promote black music. the importance of archiving materials We continue to add new titles to before they begin to deteriorate or are the African American Music in Global otherwise damaged. Perspective series published by the Brown acknowledged that some University of Illinois Press. I am pleased Angela Brown. Photo by Roni Ely. of her materials were “yellowing and to announce the release of Songs in Black tearing up in boxes in the basement,” and Lavender: Race, Sexual Politics and which convinced her that the collection Women’s Music by Eileen Hayes (see should “be preserved now so that it can review inside). 2 en in music, music criticism, musical aesthet- From the Desk ics, and regional studies. The series will also of the Editor promote the publication of biographies and �� autobiographies of African American mu- �� On July 1, 2005, the world lost another sicians in an effort to document more fully �� African American musical legend—Luther the contributions of individual artists to the �� Vandross, who began his professional ca- development and proliferation of African �� reer in the 1970s as a background singer for American music. Two books are currently in �� many renowned artists and as a vocalist on production for the series: New Perspectives on commercial jingles. In the 1980s he quickly the Blues,two months.edited by She David further Evans; contributed and Black to advanced to superstar status as a soloist and WomenARSC and byMusic: continuing More than her the service Blues, editedwith �� balladeer. Even when hip-hop dominated by Eileenthe Travel M. Hayes Grant and Committee. Linda F. SewaldWilliams. the American soundscape in the 1990s, Van- Thesealso are published scheduled a for short release commentary in 2006. dross remained popular among the masses, Sincepie cethe in mid-1990s, the December the AAAMC 2010 issue has of col- �� a testimony of the power and influence of laboratedAnthropology with the News African entitled American “The UArtsntidy his songs. A gifted songwriter-performer, he InstituteReality and of the Complaints School of about Music Music: to spon- �� is best known for his smooth vocal timbre sor “ExtensionsReexamining of the the Power Tradition,” Relations a concert of �� and passionate delivery of love songs, as seriesSonic initiated Disputes.” by former Research Associ- � �� Brenda Nelson-Strauss continues well as his spectacular live performances that ate Dr. William Banfield that showcases the her work on the Library of Congress �� featured an array of stage props. The tropi- �� works of African American composers. Our National Recorded Sound Preservation cal scenery (inclusive of palm trees); living �� 2006Plan, concert which is slated will befor published February 26,in 2011.2006, room, bedroom, and dining room furniture; �� at 4:00 p.m. in the IU School of Music’s She also serves as the Conference �� and the elegant formal gowns worn by his �� Auer Hall. The program will be announced Manager for ARSC and in that capacity � �� background singers gave each song its own �� at a later date. A corresponding exhibit is �� organized the 2010 conference last � personal touch. Vandross simply was a clas- also Mplanneday in New for displayOrleans, in and the presentedCook Music a �� sic act. Similar to other musical legends such �� paper on the LOC project. In addition, �� Library. �� as Ray Charles, who died in 2004, Vandross’s Overshe servesthe past as theyear, chair the of thestaff Black of the live performances, original compositions, AAAMCMusic participatedRoundtable forin theseveral Music publica- and distinctive vocal style will remain central tion Libprojectsrary A andssociation. professional Over theconferences. past year, to the American soundscape through his re- Headshe of represented Collections theBrenda AAAMC Nelson-Strauss on the following committees: Council of Head cordings, videos, radio and television com- attended the Music Library Association an- Librarians, IU Libraries Archives and mercials, and movie soundtracks (see tribute nual conference in Vancouver, B.C. (Febru- Portia K. Maultsby with Angela Brown and Charles Sykes. Photo courtesy IU Jacobs School of Music. Special Collections Month, Cataloging inside). ary 2005)Congress, and theMedia Association Preservation for Recorded

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