Rock journalist Kandia Crazy Horse

BoldasRADIO — By Rob Fields on December 4, 2007 23:23

 

This is one interview that I’ve had in the can for over a month and, unfortunately, just couldn’t get it together to post.

That said, I’m happy to share this interview that I did with Kandia Crazy Horse, an
award-winning music journalist and editor of "Rip It Up: The Black Experience in Rock ‘n’ Roll".  She’s also a fellow blogger–along with performance studies scholar Tavia Nyong’o–at Bluegum, and a tireless supporter of the full range of Black musical expression.

Here are some of the topics we touched on during our discussion, which lasted for a little over 40 minutes.  I’d suggest downloading it and taking it with you on the road.  Here goes:

• Her background

• Why DC was so fly in the 70s

• Her parents’ connection to Africa

• Ahmet Ertegun, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler and the Atlantic Records connection

• The formation of "Rip It Up"

• Game Rebellion

• What’s encouraging/discouraging about today’s scene

• The continuing resistance to the idea of Black rock

• Sasha Frere-Jones’ piece on the white of indie rock & the "leeching out" of soul

• Southern white jam bads as the locus of soul that harks back to the older Black traditions

• Why aren’t Black kids finding Black music?

• Whites’ curatorial bent

• Black responsibility

• A band she likes: The Carolina Chocolate Drops

Name that tune?  The song leading into and out of the interview is Janelle Monae’s "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!"

MP3 File