Quincy Jones comments on Say It Loud

Quincy Jones, the executive producer of Say It Loud!, is uniquely qualified to talk about the significance of African American music. He has played a leading role in literally every style of African American music since the late ’50s, from jazz with Dizzy Gillespie, to soul with Ray Charles, to his best selling collaborations with Michael Jackson in the 1980s.

Why is it important for kids to learn about the history of black music?
It’s not only important, but I think it’s one of the primary sources of self esteem. It’s sad that so many young black kids feel rootless and they treat their culture—and themselves—as if it were rootless. I think one of the strongest things they could have is to have the music to hold on to. What a source of pride.

Here’s an example of what I mean. It makes me really angry to hear people call Louis Armstrong an Uncle Tom. I knew him as a person and he was not close to being a Tom. This man did what he had to do to survive. But he’d still jump in Eisenhower’s face about the desegregation of schools in Arkansas. It’s very hard for kids to realize that now. But if they can understand the historical context that Louis operated in, they might appreciate his struggles and his great acheivements.

What is unique about the connection between African American music the country’s history?
The interesting thing is that African American music is not just about music, it’s also sociology and history. You could put together a list of just song titles and have the entire history of the country and African Americans in the country. When Chuck D says rap is the CNN of the street, for instance, he’s right. And that’s a very African thing.

What makes it African?
You have to go back to the sources and think about music in Africa versus Europe. In Europe, more value is placed on virtuosity and the concert hall, there’s a distinct difference between musician and audience. In Africa, it’s totally a life music, the music is connected to every part of life and to ritual. That’s the biggest difference. That’s why the music is was powerful enough to survive the Middle Passage and take root in the New World. The same connection to life continues in African Americian music today.

The people featured in the series—Stevie Wonder, Maurice White of Earth, Wind, and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, and many others—are the ones who understood the relevance of their heritage. They reached back into that receptical of music and pulled out the harmonic and melodic sensiblity of jazz or the blues, or gospel. That’s why their music survives.

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