The Niggerati was the name used, with deliberate irony, for a group of young African-American artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance. "Niggerati" is a portmanteau of "nigger" and "literati". The rooming house where writer Wallace Thurman lived, and where that group often met, was similarly christened Niggerati Manor. The group included Zora Neale Hurston, Langston … [Read more...] about Monday Open Thread: The Harlem Renaissance – The Niggerati and the Negrotarians
Arts and Culture
Friday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music
The Ethiopians was one of Jamaica's best-loved harmony groups during the late ska, rocksteady and early reggae periods. Responsible for a significant number of hits between the mid-1960's and early 1970's, the group was also one of the first Jamaican acts to perform widely in Britain. … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music
Thursday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music
Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group the Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earliest international reggae hits with "Israelites" (1968). Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Miek" (1969) and "You Can Get It … [Read more...] about Thursday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music
Wednesday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music
Toots and the Maytals, originally called The Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group and one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. Frontman Toots Hibbert's soulful vocal style has been compared to Otis Redding, and led him to be named one of the 100 Greatest Singers … [Read more...] about Wednesday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music
Monday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music
This week's open threads will highlight how ska at one time was a black music genre derived from reggae and mento. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that … [Read more...] about Monday Open Thread: The History of Blacks and SKA music