The bebop musician I am highlighting today, had a very interesting story. Nii-lante Augustus Kwamlah Quaye, better known as Cab Kaye ( September 3, 1921, London – March 13, 2000, Amsterdam), was an English-born Ghanaian-Dutch jazz singer, pianist, bandleader, entertainer, drummer, guitarist and songwriter who was influenced by Billie Holiday and often accompanied himself on … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: Scat and Bebop Singers
Friday Open Thread
Friday Open Thread: African-American Architects
McKissack & McKissack is an American architecture and engineering firm based for many years in Nashville, Tennessee, and now based in New York City and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1905, it was the first African-American-owned architectural firm in the United States and is the oldest minority-owned architecture and engineering firm in the country. The firm was founded by … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: African-American Architects
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
Friday Open Thread: African-Americans and the Labor Union Movement
Frank Rudolph Crosswaith (1892–1965) was a longtime socialist politician and activist and trade union organizer in New York City. Crosswaith is best remembered as the founder and chairman of the Negro Labor Committee, which was established on July 20, 1935 by the Negro Labor Committee. … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: African-Americans and the Labor Union Movement
Friday Open Thread: The Blackness of Country Music
Rufus "Tee Tot" Payne (4 February 1883 – 17 March 1939) was an early 20th-century African-American blues musician from Greenville, Alabama who was more widely known by his nickname Tee Tot. Payne's nickname of "Tee Tot" is a pun for "teetotaler". It is said that Payne received his nickname because he usually carried a homemade mixture of alcohol and tea wherever he went. … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: The Blackness of Country Music