My first introduction to African music was by my mother, who bought the 'Pata Pata' album by the great Miriam Makeba when it came out. Now that is an album. What a voice.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I first heard African drum rhythms and chants at the movies. Then, when I had the opportunity to go to Africa and visit the villages, I heard the real, raw, true rhythms and realised the origins of the old Negro spirituals I grew up with in the South.
Going back and forth between Western Arabic and African countries clearly created the various musical backgrounds I could have and obviously influenced my professional attitude, my way of approaching both music composition and singing, particularly phrasing.
I've always been interested in any kind of great music, and African music is, I think, the source of it all.
As a youngster, my parents made me aware that all that was from the African Diaspora belonged to me. So I came in with Caribbean music, African music, Latin music, gospel music and blues.
I'm not blowing my own trumpet here, but I made a rap song 20 years ago with Afrika Bambaataa.
I think music is one of the hero/sheroes of the African-American existence.
My mother had a great vinyl collection, and she was constantly playing female singer-songwriters. I first learned about classic song structures by listening to them, and Laura Nyro particularly stood out. Her voice was outside what you'd usually hear on the radio; that really appealed to me.
My first album done what it had to do. It introduced me.
The first song that I ever recorded was written by my mother.
People used to call me names, so my mom had this beautiful African lady come talk to me.
No opposing quotes found.