CAT 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Blaxploitation, African-American Music, Mel Stuart
Agenda
â—Ź Soul in the 1960s cont.
â—Ź WattStax
James Brown
● “Godfather of Soul”
â—Ź Beginnings as R&B vocalist in the 1950s
â—Ź Establishes new sound through polyrhythmic layering
â—‹ Different rhythms combined
● “Papa’s Gotta Brand New Bag,” “I Feel Good,” “Sex Machine”
â—Ź Starts trend of performing/dancing while singing
The Assassination of Civil Rights leaders
â—Ź Disillusionment with Civil Rights gains by mid/late 1960s
â—Ź Malcolm X/Malik el-Shabazz assassinated in 1965
â—Ź Dr. Martin Luther King assassinated in 1968
â—‹ James Brown performs the evening of his death amidst possible riots in Boston
â—‹ Performance broadcast on local TV, resulting in lower crime rate than average
“Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”
â—Ź The first song to explicitly celebrate racial identity
â—Ź Criticisms of racial injustices
â—Ź Embracing self-determination over integration
● “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothin’”
Into the 1970s
â—Ź Motown moves to LA
â—Ź Multiple soul artists for record political songs
○ Marvin Gaye: “Inner City Blues,” “What’s Going On,” “ Troubleman
○ Stevie Wonder: “You Haven’t Done Nothing,” Big Brother,” “Livin; for the City”
The Watts Riot/Rebellion
â—Ź 1965 protests and rioting following arrest and charges of police brutality
â—‹ Five day, 34 deaths, 3400+ arrests
â—Ź 1966 - Watts Summer Festival commemorates event, aimed at building community
cohesion
â—‹ Celebration of Afro-American culture
WattStax Concert
â—Ź Culmination of 1972 Watts Summer Festival
â—‹ Benefit for local hospitals
â—Ź Features artists exclusively from the Stax label
â—‹ Bar-Kays, Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes
â—‹ Emphasis on gospel, blues, R&B, and soul artists
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Beginnings as r&b vocalist in the 1950s. Papa"s gotta brand new bag, i feel good, sex machine . Disillusionment with civil rights gains by mid/late 1960s. Dr. martin luther king assassinated in 1968. James brown performs the evening of his death amidst possible riots in boston. Performance broadcast on local tv, resulting in lower crime rate than average. Say it loud, i"m black and i"m proud . The first song to explicitly celebrate racial identity. I don"t want nobody to give me nothin" . Multiple soul artists for record political songs. Marvin gaye: inner city blues, what"s going on, troubleman. Stevie wonder: you haven"t done nothing, big brother, livin; for the city . 1965 protests and rioting following arrest and charges of police brutality. 1966 - watts summer festival commemorates event, aimed at building community cohesion. Features artists exclusively from the stax label. Emphasis on gospel, blues, r&b, and soul artists.
