Same old story....

[oursin]

Seen in a review of Marybeth Hamilton's In Search of the Blues: Black voices, white visions:

When record companies first marketed race records - music by and for blacks - the singers were women: Mamie Smith and her Hot Jazz Titans, Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Victoria Spivey, Alberta Hunter. According to Hamilton, "nearly every work of blues history" dismisses these women as "popularisers, not folk singers". They did not count as "the real black voice".

She did it, but it wasn't The Real Thing....

Comments

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

//choke

Someone said that about MA RAINEY?

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

My reaction precisely. Ma Rainey??? Haven't they heard her sing?

[egretplume.livejournal.com]

Those interested in the topic might check out Blues Legacies and Black Feminism (http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Legacies-Black-Feminism-Gertrude/dp/0679771263/ref=pd_bbs_6/103-9306898-3656645?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184429336&sr=8-6) by Angela Davis. (yes, that Angela Davis). (link is to Amazon)

It would be interesting to think about the dismissive "populariser" from the other direction, as the desirable, lucrative, and marketable "crossover." Oftentimes the rationale for disqualifying these women as blues artists was that they dabbled in pop. And made money.