In honor of Women's History Month, I am going to be examining some great singers and artists both past and present (and in some cases future) : Ann Powers of NPR states in her book Good Booty that the "women's world of gospel was not a separate sphere; it could complement or overcome male domination as necessary. It was a family realm...and its maternal feeling was expansive and erotically charged." Growing up in a COGIC (Church of God in Christ), I really feel this quote to be true. There have been many times in the patriarchal COGIC Church were women took over the services with their irresistible charisma and passion. In my experience, I got tired of the dogmatic, brow-beating black preachers sometimes. When women took the mic, it quite frankly provided me with relief. Shirley Caesar will forever be my rock star; she is a bomb of energy, vigor, and zeal. When I was growing up, I would emulate the spiritual dances of the elders and mothers of the church when they caught the Holy Ghost. Shirley Caesar's voice was often my soundtrack and go to singer for this act. Regardless, Caesar, with her raspy cries and strong voice controlled the crowd with a vise-like grip. She was always an immaculate dresser as shown by the video. With her shimmering black jacket, Caesar captures the audience with a rock-esque performance. She captures you with her shrills, hypnotizes you with her footwork and dancing, and before long, she has you dancing as well. I also see Caesar's work here as an encounter with the numinous. She is completely immersed in the music which is a tool for her encounter with the Holy Spirit. The audience is taken into this realm as well, as shown by their shouting and singing. Ann Powers adds that "when gospel made the erotic divine, popular music's room was wrecked and made ready for...innovations of rock and soul." Study the video at the six minute mark, and you'll see Caesar in full swing. She starts her dance, and over the span of two minutes, she has people rushing towards the altar. To me, that is pure Rock N' Roll.
Concluding thoughts:I love how Ann Powers identifies the power that gospel had in molding rock and soul. She says of gospel: "its deepest contribution was the conviction that the soul's erotic fulfillment is a matter of life and death... The mothers and queens who demonstrated longing and satisfaction through their performances... showed how yearning and devotion could become even stronger when shared." While the women featured in this post all have different sounds and vibes pertaining to their music, they are influenced by the yearning, fulfilling element of the gospel genre. Below are some videos highlighting the women above, and other offerings by women who are making great music.
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Rem HarrisSr @ Hendrix College Music and Reviews |