Category: Reader Submitted

Makeda! – “I’ll Say It How I Want To” EP Annoucement

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Makeda! (previously known as Music Bones) is back with a new name, a new EP, and a new music video! Though the name is different, you can expect the same blues-y rock sound that came with Music Bones. Their new album, I’ll Say It How I Want To, is set to be released June 8th of this year. The first single from that album, “If He Gets to Be President”, will be blessing us way sooner than that; look out for it on May 29th.

Watch this space for more information on their new album and video. And to drum up your excitement about all the new content coming down the pipe, check out the EP announcement below:

I’ll Say It How I Want To is a four song EP that takes you on the journey of a band’s path to emergence. The songs featured provide a glimpse into the band’s sound and more importantly into their perspective. Makeda! is a rock band that insists on embodying the essential ethos of rock and roll, as exemplified by the genre’s founder Sister Rosetta Tharpe. In doing so, their work actively seeks to draw from tradition, and following in the footsteps of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, leverages music as an instrument of truth telling and disruption. The songs on the EP serve as a response to current events and an unapologetic critique of the paradigms that would have us seek our worth in the subjugation of others (namely white supremacy), while planting the seeds of a vision for something else. That vision is one that Makeda! will continue to advocate for through their music, their work, and their name.

The band’s name (pronounced ma kə da) pays homage to the real name of the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba, as identified by the Kebra Nagast, and is the band’s way of holding space to recall histories that have been whitewashed, minimized and distorted.

Continue reading “Makeda! – “I’ll Say It How I Want To” EP Annoucement” →

Black Women in Punk and Metal: Addendum

I don’t know everything, and that’s where I rely on you all (the readers!) to fill in the gaps. Recently, a reader emailed me a few bands that are led by black women, all of whom I knew nothing about previously. The person doesn’t have any social media that I can shout out, but Jean-Philippe, thank you for sending this information to me!

This is a paste directly from the email. A lot of what Jean-Philippe has to say is deep and relevant, so I’m including most of what was sent here. I love when people send me bands to feature, so if you know of any rock band with a black woman (or women!) in it that hasn’t been featured on this site, please send me an email! I can be reached at jaleesa@blackwomeninrock.info.

Hi ! My name is Jean-Philippe from Montreal.

I’ve bought Laina Dawes book ”What are doing here ?” and i must say i learn a LOT not only about the implication and the hard battles that black womens have to endure to making sure they have their place in the scene (punk#HC#Metal) but about the difficulties that these warriors have to face also in front of the relatives (families/friends/etc.) because of the ”akward” choice to love a music who is supposes to be dedicated to the ”masses” but in reality, for black womens, have to front, once again, another form of elitism if not discrimination and racism.

Inspired by the book, i’ve found your web site and i must say it is something that i was definitively missing…. Still A LOT to learn.

Being a punk/HC fan (my knowledge in metal is just awful), here’s some bands i’ve known who black womens were members :

1- WISIGOTH (Late 90’s Montreal). If you don’t know this band, i think you will really like. Zahra is the ”growl” voice in the dual vocals of this crust/punk/metal band.

 2- BRIGADA FLORES MAGON (France early 2000’s). Raymonde was the bassist of the band. She did an lp and a 10”. Brigada Flores Magon – Octobre 61
before she was the leader of tha band RAYMONDE ET LES BLANCS BECS in the early 90’s. Here’s page with cool pictures from here. http://rude-loulou.skyrock.com/842529397-RAYMONDE-ET-LES-BLANCS-BECS.html
Raymonde et les Blancs Becs – Footbollocks
3-CASEY (France – Discography) Known as the best french rapper, this black women have some of the most bitter, angry yet most intelligent texts. She love the ”HARDCORE” sound in music including rock and punk. She did a rock project with ZONE LIBRE and two lp’s aboslutly stunning lp’s have been release. Here’s one of the videos. Absolutly phenomenal.

one of the best songs of the project… so much despair and anger. A song about the exploited making a revolt against the tyranny on his different forms (bosses, politicians). A song who express how the poor/rejected is facing disdain and disgust from ”them” and the treatement he received with the stress and the despair that bring his destiny.

finally, sorry for the annoyance since you surely already know lots of the infos above. It’s just reading of the book and your web site gave me the occasion to ”go back in class” and make my homeworks about the challaneges that black womens have faced and won with courage and guts in this so-called ”scene for the misfits”.

Keep up the great work.
Sincerely.
JP