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.
Shemekia Copeland photo by Mike White
Rosa Hawkins, one of the three original singers in New Orleans R&B vocal trio the Dixie Cups, died Tuesday January 11 at age 76.
To hear our interview with her, click here.
To read more about her life, click here.
Photo by Michael DeMocker, Nola.com/The Times-Picayune
