Music Addikts

Photo Credit: Justin Russell

Week to week, us ADDIKTS are continually amazed at the breadth of talent and music that has made up American History. This week, we remember Curtis Mayfield. A multi-instrumentalist, Mayfield graced the earth with his presence for a short 57 years, but his music lives on.

Best known for his production of the “SuperFly” soundtrack, Mayfield was also a member of the famed group, The Impressions.  The Superfly soundtrack was noted for its deviation from ghetto excessiveness characterizing earlier blaxploitation works. Instead, Mayfield used the soundtrack as a platform to comment on real issues affecting black in urban, economically depressed communities.

What Talib Kweli, Common and others did for socially conscious rap, Mayfield did for R&B and funk. 

Mayfield met his maker in 1999, sadly leaving behind a host of family members including his wife, brother, sisters, 10 children and 7 grandchildren.

As we know February is known to celebrate two things: love and our heritage.  Well, we decided to combine the two and celebrate BLACK LOVE as we lead up to Valentine’s Day.  So, take this journey with us as we start with a classic love song, “The Light”!

 

“I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this..Gotta be somethin for me to write this Queen, I ain’t seen you in a minute…Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it”

keep your soulHIGH!

Congratulations are in order for singer/songwriter/producer/composer, Muhsinah on her recent Grammy nomination for her vocal contribution on The Foreign Exchange’s “Daykeeper”.  Muhsinah is not only an underground talent, but a bit of a genius who is making her mark with an eccentric jazz-infused R&B.  She hails from Washington D.C., graduated from Howard University and currently resides is Brooklyn, New York.  The classically trained pianist began playing at the age of 11, but did not begin singing until she was 19 or 20.  Her style influences range from classical, to psychedelic, to jazz to world music; and all can be found throughout her seven-album resume.  Specifically she cites Alice Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald and J Dilla to be among her major musical influences.

Also dubbed, The Golden Girl, Muhsinah creates music from a core of big drums, big bass, and Indian samples.  While the instrumentals have a life of their own committing to no specific formula, her complex yet cohesive vocals are rich, well-seasoned and gracefully weave themselves throughout each track sounding like stringed instruments.  If you’re not careful, you can easily get caught in her sound-web, unaware that the music also has a message.

While taking the musical road less traveled, she has managed to be noticed and sought after by artists such as the Foreign Exchange, Little Brother and Common.  Phonte (of Little Brother and Foreign Exchange), heard her track “Construction” from her album, The Oscillations: Sine and decided to give her a call personally for a collaboration. Her latest album, The Oscillations: Triangle was released earlier this year.

Although the world has yet to recognize Muhsinah in the mainstream arena, her vocal finesse and futuristic composition has allowed her to run parallel to those who take the beaten path. For more on Muhsinah, please visit her site and Twitter page.

Check out her video for “Construction”:

Discography:

The Oscillations EP (CD/MP3)- Self Release 2005
day.break (MP3 Only) – Rxlngr 2007
pre.lude (CD/MP3) – (Japanese Release) Circulations 2008
day.break 2.0 (CD Only) – Rxlngr 2008
The Oscillations: Sine (MP3 Only) – Rxlngr 2008
The Oscillations: Triangle (MP3 Only) – Rxlngr 2008
The Oscillations 2XLP (CD/MP3) – Rxlngr 2009

*C Notes is a contributing guest writer covering events in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.