First Crush
Friday February 26th, 2021 with Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter
First Crush Black History Month Special

Hello First Crush listeners! On today's program, we'll be celebrating and honouring Black History Month by highlighting some of the influential Black women at the core of contemporary North American music history. I'll preface this special episode by saying that I am no means an expert or a music historian. The artists on today's playlist do not compose an exhaustive list, and make-up just the tip of the iceberg. That being said, it is important to pay homage these women and their talent, innovation and contribution to contemporary music. As we know, the legacy of today's popular music is rooted in Black cultural histories that predate the colonization of so-called "North America." Likewise, all of the artists and genres I play on First Crush got their start due to these women and their counterparts; whether it be in musical style, lyrical content or technique. I'll end off the program by shouting-out a few current Canadian female artists who I think you should have on your radar. Black History Month reminds us that supporting Black folks and their self-expression is not bound to a date on the calendar, and that we should collectively celebrate their accomplishments all year 'round as they continue to make history. Here are the resources I mention throughout the program that you can check out for more information on the artists and their music: Mamie Smith (1891-1946) “The Queen of the Blues” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/arts/music/mamie-smith-crazy-blues.html Elizabeth Cotten (1893-1987) “The Mother of Folk” https://folkways.si.edu/elizabeth-cotten-master-american-folk/music/article/smithsonian https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/cotten-elizabeth-libba-c-1892-1987/ Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973) “The Mother of Rock ’N Roll” https://www.npr.org/2017/08/24/544226085/forebears-sister-rosetta-tharpe-the-godmother-of-rock-n-roll Sylvia Robinson (1935-2011) “The Godmother of Hip Hop” https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8533108/sugar-hill-records-sylvia-robinson-hip-hop-godmother https://genderamplified.org/sylvia-robinson-the-godmother-of-hip-hop/ For more information on the history of Motown (mentioned in today's program: Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Supremes): Smith, Suzanne E. Dancing in the Street: Motown and the Cultural Politics of Detroit. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674005464 Host Note: I bought this book at Benjamin Books in Sandy Hill in early 2020 (pre-COVID) - it may be worth seeing if it's still available there! If not, I believe it can be found online. I also used course notes from a lecture I attended at the University of Ottawa (The Sound of Rock), taught by Professor Keith McCuaig in January-February 2020 (pre-COVID). He primarily lectured using this textbook as a resource. It's pricey but I highly recommend it. It was also purchased at Benjamin Books: John Covach and Andrew Flory – What’s That Sound: An Introduction to Rock and Its History, 5th Edition (W.W. Norton and Company, 2018) I also love this Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/sheshreds_media/