00:00:11.130 - 00:01:00.990

the buffalo rew Rew err aereo Whoa! Canyon LeBeau! Larry fucking batty Watt. So a bow ready, buddy? Whoa, Yeah! Whoa! LaRue e or mealy. Oh, room. Hello. My name is Maya Angelo. Music, Music. That element that is supposed to be able to quiet the breast

00:01:00.990 - 00:01:28.270

of the savage beast that inspires and makes us able to bear the whips and scorns of time. That's our subject today. Music music was one of the first art forms that man created that homo SAPIEN created. And it was really created as a functioning, uh, element

00:01:28.270 - 00:01:50.290

it was. It was used to perpetuate God's when when primitive man saw bursts of lightning and thunder bolts and that sort of thing, Then he made music to quiet down, to pacify, to assuage that particular force that life force, that that was frightening. And he was

00:01:50.290 - 00:02:11.140

in all of it. It is functioning. It is a functioning art farm in Africa today. It's used as a communications device. Now we have in the studio, Mr Kass Bonsignore, who is in a shanty from Ghana and he has a talking drum. We'll ask him to

00:02:11.140 - 00:02:34.050

say to you Hello and welcome to the program. calf. Yeah, Yes. Uh, you see, now you're welcome. Okay? It he's really said to you, Akwaaba, which is in in a shanty and the icon languages. Welcome. I speak Franti, but I don't really know how to say

00:02:34.050 - 00:02:55.830

to a TV program. So he's had to say that to you in the African Music is, uh is functioning not only as an entertainment piece, but also to instruct it is an educational force. The first thing I'm Mr Kass sponsor and his drum quartet, uh, is

00:02:55.830 - 00:06:29.140

going to play is a high life dance That's supposed to be, uh, very entertaining, But there's some instruction in it, too. Now, if you get up in your house and dance, you'll understand. Mm, That's the high life. Now, if you saw the first program in

00:06:29.140 - 00:06:49.760

this series, you saw that the high life has a corollary in the United States. It's called the hunch here. Well, if you when you go to West Africa, you will you will dance to that very beat. The next drum number song, in fact, is the ad

00:06:49.760 - 00:07:15.790

budget. You can try to say that now with me. I budget it's an evidence and Mr Cosponsor is going to play it. Uh, it's a dance of I have great joy and and virulent virility. A little arrogant, too, I'm afraid. It's very beautiful. Mr Corresponds here

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and at Beja. Mhm, Mhm, mhm, Mhm at budget. I hope you got up and danced with that. I did. Now that music that that beat are those beats those poly rhythms laid a foundation for the music that was created subsequently all

00:10:22.950 - 00:10:50.940

over the world that that two and three rhythms laid on top each other. The music crossed the Atlantic. Certainly not willingly. Certainly not like, uh, most cultural exchanges do. Sort of in insidiously, uh, just kind of wafting over on the ways this music came in the

00:10:50.940 - 00:11:12.730

breasts of the slaves in their need, in their agony, in the particular pain of what was called in the United States at that time, the peculiar institution because people were too sensitive. They like to think they were too sensitive to call it slavery. But that pain

00:11:12.730 - 00:11:42.870

that came out of slavery caused, allowed are opened, an avenue so that so that music could be created. The slave before had no understanding. In fact, of that particular that That's strange and unique brutality that slavery in the United States introduced to him. So in that,

00:11:42.880 - 00:12:03.830

in that peculiar institution he created a great music as spirituals. If we listen to the kind of faith that the black man put into his music and into his God, he used the music as a direct avenue to God. The heavenly tones are going to sing

00:12:03.840 - 00:14:41.660

a song and you will understand exactly what I mean. Yeah, Mhm. Oh, a Yeah! God! Now, Reggie Home Red image Mhm.

00:14:43.140 - 00:15:05.680

If you are deaf or unfeeling or have some other critical ailment, then I can understand if you didn't understand the instruction that was in that song. The black man has always had great respect for nature in West Africa. Today, in fact, all over the continent, you

00:15:05.680 - 00:15:34.900

find, uh, you can find people dancing, uh, to commemorate an eclipse are a great rain or a volcanic eruption that maybe took place two or 300 years ago. The black Americans wrote and sang a fantastic song about a rain. I suppose it was about 2500. Maybe

00:15:34.900 - 00:17:59.670

3000 years ago, Noah built an ark because of it, and black Americans Those thousands years later wrote a song called Didn't It Rain? Yeah, Yeah. Wait, wait, wait. Ready?

00:18:07.740 - 00:18:35.830

Yes, I'm sure there There's a song that was written by a white American. I think Burt back Crack wrote the song obviously from From the lyrics and melody we have to approach the song as it really was written by a fine human being. Blacks and black

00:18:35.830 - 00:19:23.690

human beings are going to sing this song. Ah, that was written by white human beings. I think it it There's some instruction in this too. Uh huh. Mhm. Mhm. Mm. What? No one needs now his love sweet love. It's the only thing Read me now in

00:19:23.690 - 00:20:41.390

London. Sweet love. No, that's just okay. Everyone knows not just everyone. No tell a double amount there are. And you? No. Yeah. Uh huh. In that we love It's the only thing Leave now. Sweet love. Yeah. No, not just what's up? That everyone knows

00:20:41.390 - 00:21:52.950

that gentle everyone the we don't need another meadow. There are cornfields and we feels enough road. Yeah, my dream we need now. Sweet. It's the whole thing need now his love sweet love. No, not just for self. Everyone not just for some Everyone

00:21:52.950 - 00:22:54.690

know not just everyone knows. Not just for no. Yeah. Hey, everyone. What? What now? His love Sweet love flowers Lead them. He's done suite one way now sweet leave that. It's love sweet love. Mhm. Thank you. Thank you. Heavenly Tones You really are heavenly. The tone

00:22:54.700 - 00:23:26.110

is heavenly Our music continuing its passage reached a, uh the the South The B B King said a couple of weeks ago that many of our people were spiritual. They prayed and sign But he suggests that the blues came out of the realization that singing and

00:23:26.110 - 00:23:46.640

praying to God he's These are his words simply wasn't getting the man up off his back. So some of our people decided to sing about what was really happening to them. So they wrote some blues. Big Bill Broonzy has the blues that says I don't want

00:23:46.640 - 00:24:17.770

no help Baby I don't need no oil in my hand I don't want no women around me always raising sand When I've been drinking When I've been drinking When I come home Baby, please let me lay down and read I want somebody to hold me to

00:24:17.770 - 00:24:47.780

lay me in my bed Talk, baby Talk to me and hold my head When I've been drinking Mhm When I've been dreaming When I come home Baby, please let me lay down and read Yeah Put me up, baby In a big wheelchair Romy, Romy They wrote

00:24:47.780 - 00:25:12.700

me anywhere When I've been drinking When I've been drinking When I come home baby, please let me lay down and rest Yeah, yeah Mhm That's fine There's another one from that period That was sung by Arthur Big boy crewed up and it's one of the oldest

00:25:12.700 - 00:25:38.680

blues It has a feeling that is partly still I mean one can still see more of the African influence in it Because of the meter The meter is so strange It says, Baby, please don't go baby Please don't go baby Please don't go back to New

00:25:38.680 - 00:25:55.270

Orleans If he derives from being the worst you've ever seen, Baby, please don't go You got me way down here You got me way down here You got me way down him And eat the folks on the road You treat me like a door You made

00:25:55.270 - 00:26:18.990

me walk the low You got me way down here There is one man gone already? One man gone There's one man gone from the county farm with his shadows on You know it's one man gone, baby, please don't go, baby, Please don't go, baby, Please don't

00:26:18.990 - 00:26:40.200

go back to new old lean You feed me rice and beans the words you've ever seen I really felt that's one style of the blues Louis Armstrong came along in New Orleans and created along with Kid Ory and King Creole. And that Papa Celestin and Papa,

00:26:40.210 - 00:27:02.300

Paul Yancy and Mal Yancy a style of music called the New Orleans Jazz. The first time the music, the Christian music or the spirituals had been done in a in a secular way. Uh, was when Louis Armstrong, uh, sang and played When the Saints go marching

00:27:02.300 - 00:27:26.120

in and I'm sure everybody knows that we don't have to. We don't have to just lay down these, uh, particular ones. Uh, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith and Martin Smith were women who carried, um, the idea even further. I mean, as as singers that that the

00:27:26.130 - 00:27:49.620

blues were supposed to tell you something about their lives. The songs they sang talked about again natural phenomena Bessie Smith sang a song about the flood in in, uh, in Texas or someplace. Uh, Ma Rainey sang about the heat one summer when it was just so

00:27:49.620 - 00:28:08.790

hot that she couldn't have good relations with people. Uh, there were Bessie Smith sang a song called Give Me a Pig Foot and a bottle of beer. Love me because I really don't care. I'm here to tell you love me because I really don't care. I'll

00:28:08.790 - 00:28:24.010

give me a picture book and a bottle of gin Love me because I'm in my sin. I'm here to tell you she talked about I mean, the pig foot and a bottle of beer is very important in the black American life. So she was talking about

00:28:24.010 - 00:28:45.330

something, Really? For real lead belly And, uh and, uh oh, jelly roll. Martin came along, and they and, uh, and cow cow Davenport came along and put some more juice to the blues. And we got into a boogie Woogie style which was very famous for a

00:28:45.330 - 00:29:10.640

wild meade. Lux, Lewis and, uh, and Fats Waller were men who also helped each time helped the music to to reach another stage. Ethel Waters sang a song, um called Happiness is just a thing called Joe and I I think what we're seeing today is that

00:29:10.650 - 00:29:26.590

is a great great gap between, say, that song and the songs that are being done today. Ah, today. Well, those songs used to say My man is no good, but I love him just the same. He's mean and evil, and he beats me and so forth,

00:29:26.590 - 00:29:40.070

and that's a pretty negative position, point of view. I mean, it may be true, but why make a song about it? But I don't think it's as true today, say as it was 40 years ago Now, today our young people are singing songs that are that

00:29:40.070 - 00:30:04.120

have a great significant significance for the for the for the Struggle towards Liberty. One of the most popular songs today is a song by Aretha Franklin that says, Think there's another one that says, uh, give me a little respect when I come home. She's not playing.

00:30:04.140 - 00:30:20.450

The person who wrote that song wasn't playing. Otis Redding wasn't playing. Uh, there's a song that was very popular a few months ago that said, We're moving on up, we're a winner. This is a point of view that we have got to come to totally collectively.

00:30:20.520 - 00:30:41.550

I'm speaking to my people. We must come there collectively that we are winners now. When? When we trace the music, see what happened. See that? Why This program is called blacks Blues. Black Black is that at one point and in Africa we were blacks. Then we

00:30:41.550 - 00:31:02.740

came to the States and we sang the blues for 349 years. Then it was really bad. We are today black. This is a positive statement. That is to say that we have done everything we have been as as defeated as any people can be. And we

00:31:02.740 - 00:31:24.540

have triumphed. We must now join the the triumph. You think so? So when the hesitations, the hesitations have a song now called Who will answer and the the young people I don't know them, but they are singing it with such fervor that some of you must

00:31:24.550 - 00:31:40.720

must must, uh, answer it. Some of you, the leadership must come from somewhere and each one of the programs I'm doing, I hope certainly that they'll be entertaining. But you know also, if you have watched the other three or four Then you know also that I

00:31:40.720 - 00:32:03.980

will take some time to talk to you. I will use this medium to talk to you. No, I finished my preaching for a moment. The black Americans used music to help them work the work songs the John Henry they take this hammer. Here's a hammer and

00:32:03.980 - 00:32:19.600

so forth It helped them to work. We also decided at some point that we didn't just want to sing the natural with the natural voice as it came out of Africa. And as we sang in the church is so some of our men and women studied

00:32:19.610 - 00:32:39.320

a voice. And of course, we have had Mr Todd Duncan, Paul Robeson, Mr William War Field and other great baritones and tenors and Miss Marian Anderson as a soprano they sang, they showed that we were able are Vocal box was able to be trained to sing

00:32:39.320 - 00:33:12.200

opera. But something special happened when we took that vocal box that was trained and sang our own melodies. Mr. James Smalley is here and he's going to sing, Waterboy and listen to this instrument, please. Oh boy. Well hired me. If you're gonna come want to tell

00:33:12.200 - 00:33:47.150

your mummy Dairy No hammer. That son of dismounted that ringers like mine boys doesn't bring with, like, mod Done bust Disrupt boys from higher to mega All the way to the jail Boys! Yes! Back to the jail, ***. You jack of diamonds, Your Jack O diamonds!

00:33:47.160 - 00:34:34.860

I know you of old boys. Yes! No, You of old, you robber! My pocket! Yes! Rubber my pocket. Don't rubber my pocket of silver and gold Water boy, where are you? Hard if you don't call What? Tell your maybe. Wow, What a boy! Mhm. Thank you.

00:34:35.240 - 00:34:57.590

That's a beautiful instrument. No, that's your bass baritone. Yeah, it sounds like a bad base base. That's it. That's it. That's it. Uh, the the work songs that were used on the land changed when the black men went to see when they worked in Jamaica or

00:34:57.600 - 00:35:19.030

in New Orleans. Uh, in mobile. And here's a sea shanty, A black American Sea shanty from mobile, Please. Were you ever done in Mobile Bay? Johnny? Come tell us. And diva with a even cotton by the day. Johnny, come tell us and heave away. Hey, keep

00:35:19.030 - 00:35:35.800

away! Keep away and throw your pay a dollar a day is a sailor pay to work all night and evil day The work is all The ship is hard, Johnny, Come tell us and heave away. That's 6 ft of water in her Hold, Johnny, Come Tell

00:35:35.800 - 00:35:55.150

us that he gave away. Hey, keep away! Keep away and draw your pay The ship is old The rats have gone But we can never throw our way Johnny, come Oh, Johnny Oh, Johnny Won't you leave her? The grub is bad but Jenny strong Oh, Johnny,

00:35:55.150 - 00:36:13.950

come and leave her way Keep away keep away and draw your way Before we go we'll sing this song It's time for us to leave her Oh, hey, We never sing to be Johnny Come tell us and keep away on the hungry ship to Michael. She

00:36:13.960 - 00:36:43.450

Johnny, come tell us an evil way. Keep away. Keep away and draw your pay. The rats have bone. And with a group, it's time I got that way. Way, way too mhm. Thank you, Mr Smiley. Thank you. Thank you. Now the the I want to talk

00:36:43.450 - 00:37:05.650

a little bit more about what happened to our music when this was happening. When when jazz New Orleans Jazz, uh, was burgeoning in New Orleans and in the South, a group of of white American musicians were inspired by by the the creation creativity Big spider back,

00:37:06.030 - 00:37:28.740

uh, Jack Teagarden, Mugsy spaniel and many others brought the music north into Chicago, and they called it Dixieland. Uh, they spread the music. They weren't able actually to play the music, says Louis Armstrong played it or those fellows. But they played another kind of music, which

00:37:28.750 - 00:37:49.360

which, which is good, too. Ah, and I think that we must consciously take the credit for that music too. I know that black Americans rarely go to see to hear Dixieland and I'm I'm also guilty of that. But I do realize that it is out of

00:37:49.360 - 00:38:14.700

my pain. The Dixieland came. It is out of my understanding out of my my experience is that this music came Lonnie Johnson, Do you remember Lonnie Johnson? Do you remember tomorrow night? Will you remember what you said tonight? Tomorrow night, Will all the thrill be gone?

00:38:14.710 - 00:38:30.530

Very important song for me anyway that for all of us in a certain era, I don't want to tell my age so But if you know it, you know it. Little green sang in the dark in the dark. It's just you and I Not a sound,

00:38:30.530 - 00:38:48.620

not a sound. It's not one side. It's just the beat, the beat of my poor heart in the dark, in the dark in the dark. I get such a thrill. Do you remember that? Now you can hear that What has happened has happened to the music

00:38:48.620 - 00:39:04.580

by that time is that you can hear the rhythm underneath and some of the original African tonality you can hear the third and the fifth. Flattered. You can hear what what is called the pentatonic scale. You can hear it in the blues, but something else has

00:39:04.580 - 00:39:25.470

happened there. The European music has has has also influenced, uh, the African music. Uh, the difference between American pop music and say Latin music is that the African and Spanish music merged in, in this case, the African and European music. That is to say, the English

00:39:25.470 - 00:39:54.840

rounds. And, uh, that's sort of nice, mellow melodic strain merged, and we get the song like a like Oh, like that very one in the dark with that smooth, melodic feeling to it. Ah, around the forties, middle forties. Charlie Parker, Mr Charlie Parker, Mr Dizzy Gillespie,

00:39:55.220 - 00:40:22.230

Max Roach, Mr Roach, Mr Thelonious Monk and even Babs Gonzales. We don't hear enough of these days. Ah. Came to New York and created a music called Bop, and they wore a little goatees and everybody was very slick, and they paid some terrible dues for for

00:40:22.230 - 00:40:42.400

creating the music. But anytime, anything that's worthwhile, you have to pay for. In any case, only says we pay immediately. Uh, maybe it's in an installment. Maybe we pay off in an installment plan, Uh, way. But we do pay. So anything that is creative is certainly

00:40:42.400 - 00:41:03.180

painful. Ah, So to those men, whenever we hear of them, uh, we should be very grateful. They took the music to a new level, and then from Bob from B Bob, the music went into a progressive jazz phase, and, uh, that now is moving into a

00:41:03.180 - 00:44:06.290

progressive jazz music blues phase. I don't know what what to really call it, but there's a trio called the Jimmy Ed Trio and they cook. They say, Listen here. Mhm. Having everything. Mhm. Oh, yeah.

00:44:45.990 - 00:45:47.990

Mm hmm. I don't know. Beautiful. Good. If the next song deals again with the natural phenomenon this is called here comes that rainy day. It doesn't sound like it. It sounds like it's bright noon and everything is really all right. Yeah.

00:46:21.480 - 00:51:07.490

Mm. No. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Hello? Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Okay,

00:51:30.160 - 00:51:53.910

brothers, that sounds to me like an whole orchestra. Doesn't sound like a trio. This next song was written by some little some young men from England. They've written some beautiful things. The Beatles. They wrote a song called Eleanor Rigby. Rigsby. And now we'll see how it

00:51:53.910 - 00:55:11.470

sounds with the the Jimmy Ed Trio. Okay, that Yeah. Mhm. Okay. Mhm. Yeah. Mhm.

00:55:17.840 - 00:55:42.850

Yeah. Mhm. Thank you very much. We thank you for watching the program. We hope you've enjoyed it. And we hope you've learned something. I'm going to ask the rest of the group the crew to help me, and we'll do a finale for you. I'll ask the

00:55:42.860 - 00:56:09.000

heavenly tone. Mr. J. H. Smalley, the African drummers can sponsor is, uh, African Quartet is already in place. And Mr Jimmy Edge Trio and we'll sing. I want to be ready. If you're at home. Just, uh enjoying yourself. Jump up and shout right about now I

00:56:09.000 - 00:58:48.810

want to be ready. I want I won't I won't be ready. I won't I If you get to heaven before I do all my friends I'm coming Rivers killing and cold Modern river It's still cold Chills the body but not my soul Just

00:58:49.640 - 00:58:53.200

talking talking