{"id":71457,"date":"2021-02-09T11:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T10:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/black-history-month-curtis-mayfield-roots\/"},"modified":"2023-05-31T10:57:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T08:57:28","slug":"black-history-month-curtis-mayfield-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/black-history-month-curtis-mayfield-roots\/","title":{"rendered":"Roots: Curtis Mayfield, a dedicated soul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u201c<em>Through our voice the world knows, there\u2019s no choice. We\u2019re begging to save the children, the little ones, who just don\u2019t understand. Give them a chance. To breed their young and help purify the land&#8230;<\/em>\u201d 50 years ago with the song \u201cWe Got To Have Peace\u201d from the album <em>Roots, <\/em>Curtis Mayfield\u2019s message could not have been clearer. It was a response to then-raging Vietnam War which had escalated into the worst scenes of horror. Faithful to his aesthetic, the former front man of The Impressions adjusted his rhymes to a well-balanced rhythm, with arrangements on strings, percussion, a flashy brass section and a wobbly bass, all of it inviting you to dance in order to heal the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Curtis Mayfield live: We Got to Have Peace\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8CM2YMaZSWk?feature=oembed&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption> Curtis Mayfield: We Got to Have Peace <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Self made (ghetto) man<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The higher his voice got, the deeper it became in tone, arguably one of the Chicago native\u2019s best qualities. He reached his peak in the early 1970s, leaving The Impressions and co-founding Curtom, a high class label where our visionary producer chose to make his many views heard. He\u2019d already started down that path in the days of his vocal trio: \u201cPeople Get Ready\u201d, \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hpf0XckJKQc\" target=\"_blank\">Choice of Colors<\/a>\u201d and, of course, \u201cKeep On Pushing\u201d&#8230; all unofficial anthems of the civil rights movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1968, \u201cWe\u2019re A Winner\u201d by the aforementioned Impressions is less a song of equal opportunities than of pure black pride. In Mexico City the sprinters raised their fists, a sign that a new fight was dawning for a community tired of bowing down. Black Power was setting the charts ablaze and Curtis Mayfield was now siding with the Panthers, whose political views were more in line with the underlying radicalism burning in the heart of the gospel singer.  \u201c<em>No more tears do we cry and we have finally dried our eye and we\u2019re movin\u2019 on up<\/em>.\u201d Reading between the lines, the intention was already clear. As he began to work more under his own name, creating orchestrations that enhanced his voice, Mayfield\u2019s politics became clearer still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hpf0XckJKQc\n<\/div><figcaption> Curtis Mayfield &amp; The Impressions &#8211; Choice Of Colors&nbsp; <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRacism is a by-product of capitalism\u201d, argued Fred Hampton, head of the Black Panther Party in Illinois before being assassinated by armed police on 4th December 1969. This statement, an invitation to overcome the divisions of the past, certainly makes sense when we look at Curtis Mayfield, whose independence of mind led him to promote self-governance. For the musician, growing up in a city where more than one idol was encouraging him to do his own thing, having control over your own means of production was the only guarantee of freedom.  \u201cWe were all trying to survive in a business run by record companies that didn\u2019t give you everything you thought you\u2019d earned\u201d, recalls Mayfield, whose views had been shaped by Berry Gordy\u2019s motown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Voice of the angel of darkness<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMove On Up\u201d is all about this \u2013 a success that encouraged black youth to take their destiny into their own hands and which sent our Ghetto Child right to the top of the charts with the solo album <em>Curtis<\/em>, in 1970. This smashing success \u2013 which set his signature aesthetic tone in stone \u2013 is just one of many highlights on this collection. \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iSDCPKsSf2U&amp;ab_channel=CurtisMayfield-Topic\" target=\"_blank\">We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue<\/a>\u201d is without a doubt the record\u2019s crowning glory, with its ultra-slick intro and totally crazy percussion break. And let\u2019s not forget its unifying message, where Mayfield refuses to let his identity be something that could isolate him when, in fact, it could be the solution to confronting the state-organised mistreatment of people of colour.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/HWuYGwLJUuvqv3YvfWgOcO3UqKh3Dwzx3QExoQsE-lUezpc4FJzUNGPhI1-jH867_Hj7dVD5Of1S76nRn3NCFIJGYzwQ1b8mlq4wBntPB0P064pXQNViiGASiinvlQXtC03sQIQ\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As open as his music was, Curtis Mayfield was nonetheless acutely aware of where he came from. This is what <em>Roots<\/em>, whose cover is a sharp contrast to <em>Curtis<\/em>, shows. Gone are the blue skies and funky yellow trousers; now he sits at the foot of a tree with its roots intertwined. The image reflects the message of this record \u2013 a plea for a soul music that is as concerned with debate and ideas as it is with the fusion of sounds. Just listen to \u201cUnderground\u201d with its laid-back guitar, floating echoes, and Latin rhythms. The man at the controls was heading up a group of alchemists. Driven by fast tempos and deep ballads, they explored the limits of the human psyche with powerful blues strokes, reminiscent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FG90_NjWcoQ&amp;ab_channel=DimitrisKoutsiaftis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Muddy Waters (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">Muddy Waters<\/a>. The fact that this both popular and sophisticated album has been compared to Marvin Gaye\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H-kA3UtBj4M&amp;list=PL8IZoS8IvSgV-m6PZx10sH31qY3ho2OSp&amp;index=58&amp;ab_channel=SuperWhoopass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">What\u2019s Goin\u2019 On<\/a><\/em> shows you how good it is. And, like Gaye, Curtis Mayfield\u2019s pen got more and more biting as he became seduced by the work of Johnny Pate, a veteran of Chicagoan jazz who\u2019d swapped his bass for the pen. The result is a series of speeches that echo our current events, such as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TvWfsTBIJzU&amp;ab_channel=CurtisMayfield-Topic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Beautiful Brother Of Mine (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">Beautiful Brother Of Mine<\/a>\u201d, a hymn to unionisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A year later he released <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-cmo6MRYf5g&amp;ab_channel=PierreRichard\" target=\"_blank\">Superfly<\/a><\/em>, a paragon of blaxploitation where he had harsh words for drug dealers and other  \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hCDAfa-NI-M&amp;ab_channel=PierreRichard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Pushermans (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">Pushermans<\/a>\u201d  (those who deal to buy their dose &#8211; ed). Following that came <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=g2udbdAmdkc&amp;ab_channel=CurtisMayfield-Topic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">Back to the World<\/a><\/em>, perhaps the pinnacle and most beautiful of Mayfield\u2019s works. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=igC_1jwWR9o&amp;ab_channel=CurtisMayfield-Topic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Right on for the Darkness (s\u2019ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">Right on for the Darkness<\/a>\u201d is eight minutes of bitter, sticky groove, pointing the finger at those on top who look down at those beneath them, a barely veiled allegory of the hell called life in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Was there ever such a clear-sighted day in the heart of darkness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Roots<\/em>, reissue in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"1010\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-1010x1010.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-1010x1010.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-759x759.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-661x661.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-465x465.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-375x375.jpg 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-85x85.jpg 85w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots-73x73.jpg 73w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/62f167e4-curtis-mayfield-roots.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/GxATSgbkBWQFsS7M4K_dkq7CYaE7BG4NaJN3JdBSMqtu99H6SXcnS3hghA_XoYA30ihm_KM2rmbaAMONTGEJauzcZknVSiSvOo-YSP35zR7_vMpU7VvmTTaBELQChl3w7g9PBV4\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption> <br>Calendar in the original <em>Roots<\/em> LP, 1971 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PAM looks back at landmark works of American black music that are enmeshed in the country\u2019s history. Today, the album\u00a0Roots, Curtis Mayfield\u2019s fine tuning of his allegiance to Black Power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":71197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10913,7833],"tags":[32591,32311],"location":[7976],"yst_prominent_words":[8403,32325,32307,32589,32319,32316,8407,8414,8447,32590,32587,8435,29487,8857,8543,32320,32317,32314,32312,8848],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71457"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71457"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=71457"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=71457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}