Sing-along Café 2025-03-06

March 6th. We're not in Black History Month anymore, but we're still on that theme. At church, my Affirming and Inclusivity Team has chosen to focus on anti-racism for 2025, in addition to our main role of affirming the Pride community. 

My Black History Month playlist is huge, and there's so much to talk about and so much good music to listen to. This time, we were talking about the big influence Black people have had and continue to have on other music, the rhythms and techniques of ragtime, jazz, the blues, R&B, gospel, funk, reggae, and afrobeats are not only used by Black artists. 

Last week, Don sent me some interesting information about a Canadian tenor, Edward Johnson, that he was instrumental in including Black singers in opera at the Met in New York. I didn't find that, when I looked him up, but quite the opposite, that he is known for excluding Black singers. I found reports that it was the next General Manager of the Met that introduced Marian Anderson five years later in 1955. Nevertheless, we were interested to hear about a Canadian leading the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, after singing in Italy using an Italian name to hide his Canadian identity. And, how wonderful to see and hear Black singers in opera, and country music, and any genre anywhere, understanding that there is still anti-black racism in some arenas (pun intended). 

We had lots to talk about as usual, I baked muffins, and we sipped tea, and it was a lovely evening in lovely company. 

Next week, March 13th is a day away from PIE day/Affirming day, so we'll have a PRIDE theme. 

Here's a list of some of the songs we listened to and sang along with on March 6th:

• The Maple Leaf Forever and Vesti la Giubba by Edward Johnson
• Amazing Grace by Jessye Norman
• Wonderful is Your Name by Melvin Crispell lll
• Goodness of God by CeCe Winans
• When you Believe and My Love is Your Love by Whitney Houston
• Man in the Mirror and Black or White (video and song) by Michael Jackson 
• Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles
• Calm Down by Rema and Selena Gomez
• Update by Burna Boy
• small samples of a few songs from the Afrobeats playlist
• Easy and Brick House by The Commodores
• Super Freak by Rick James (we couldn't manage the whole song)
• Reggae Night by Jimmy Cliff
• Hymn to Freedom by Dione Taylor