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American Routes (Series)
Produced by American Routes
Most recent piece in this series:
23-23: Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté, 6/7/2023
From American Routes | Part of the American Routes series | 01:59:00
It’s Blueswomen, Jazzmen, African roots and branches. Chicago blues singer Shemekia Copeland‘s father, the late blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, brought her into his music as a child. As an adult, she found new ways to use blues to express her perspective. We’ll hear from some of Shemekia’s heroes including Etta James, Ruth Brown, Alberta Hunter and Big Mama Thornton. Then a conversation and performance by Boston-based Mandinka balafon player Balla Kouyaté and music inspired by and from the continent of Africa from Randy Weston, Miriam Makeba and the Modern Jazz Quartet.