Hearing the Reggae message, seeing the music and the sounds of the city

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

The positive vibrations of reggae music stands perhaps as more important than ever in these divisive days. “Rally round the flag, rally round the flag, red, gold, black and green,” sang Grammy award-winning Steel Pulse, who performs at the House of Blues on Friday, February 8. The song remains an anthem and message of peaceful solidarity in the Black community and among freedom and peace loving people around the world. The band, formed in 1975 in the culturally diverse city of Birmingham, England, continues to be led by the dynamic vocalist, guitarist and founding member David Hines with decades long keyboardist Selwyn Brown at his side. Steel Pulse was active in the Rock Against Racism movement and spoke out lyrically to protest against injustice. Early on it raised its voice about the environmental impact of climate change on its song, “Global Warming.”

To see more of reggae music’s political, social and musical impact in New Orleans, the soulful Stephen Marley comes to the HOB on Wednesday, February 27. It’s all about one love.

Seeing the Music

Often folks read about documentaries made about and by local artists though they don’t actually get a chance to view them. The New Orleans Film Society, community radio station WWOZ and OffBeat magazine have teamed to provide another opportunity by presenting a new series dubbed “Seeing the Music.” Its first screening will be on Tuesday, February 5 with the film “Closeup: Tank and the Bangas,” an eclectic funk/soul/rock/hip-hop, New Orleans bred-band led by the always dramatic vocalist and inspirationally attired Tarriona “Tank” Ball.

Featuring the rapidly rising group that’s nationally been receiving a lot of good press, should prove to be a fun way to kick-off the series. Before the 7:30 p.m. screening at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), 2800 Chartres Street, there will be an opening reception that starts at 7 p.m. A “conversation” about the film and band will follow with WWOZ’s Dr. Charles Steiner that will be moderated by drummer and vocalist Derrick Freeman, who is most recognized as the leader of the Soul Brass Band.

The series continues on March 14, 2019 with a not to be missed “Buckjumping” and another screening to be announced on April 11, 2019. The programs are free to members of the Film Society and NOCCA students, $2 for WWOZ members and $10 for the general public.

New Orleans Medley: Sounds of the City

A tour of New Orleans musical history can be experienced by going out to hear live music at the clubs and walking in the city’s streets. Elements of its past linger in the present especially when performed by talented artists who learned from their elders. That goes not only for jazz but for just about all genres – hot young brass bands have the roots of the music in their sound, pianist Professor Longhair was influenced by Tuts Washington and the style was passed to Allen Toussaint and to a whole generation of musicians to follow.

The Historic New Orleans Collection offers another such “tour” in exploring the city’s music and musical connections at its exhibit, “New Orleans Medley: Sounds of the City” that will be on display through August 4, 2019. Through the use of vignettes, objects, photos and audio and visual installations its aim is to portray “three centuries of progression” of music in the city. Its broad scope moves from internationally acclaimed composer and pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk, who was born in New Orleans in 1829 and was inspired by the city’s music for his works like “Bamboula,” to the present-day explosion of the homegrown style of Bounce. The exhibit celebrates New Orleans diverse musical legacy focusing on the musicians, composers and even deejays, who have had a hand in spreading the music.

The exhibit is housed in the Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street and is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free.

This article originally published in the February 4, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.