Saturday, June 20, 2009

Lady Legacy brings the 'Heat' to Freedom! A Juneteenth Celebration



Lady Legacy headlines a hot night of hip hop and spoken word with Whiteside the Poet

Friday, June 19, 2009
Cherrywood Coffeehouse
7-10 pm

Friday night was a hot one for music lovers at Cherrywood Coffeehouse, even with a breeze on the outdoor stage. DIY Revolution ends its hiatus since SXSW to bring highlights from one Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas from one music and poetry lover's perspective.

Pre-show Poetry Reading: Keep Your Hand On The Mic! Hold On!

It had been 16 years since a public reading, but I was compelled to share my love of African American Emancipation Day, bettter known as Juneteenth. It was a last minute surprise for everyone (including myself), but in the spirit of the holiday I opened the show with a reading of the poem that became lyrics to the Negro National Anthem, James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing". The song has become relegated to Black History Month events, but reading the words remind me just how far we have come as African-Americans and how these words led a generation through segregation, through protesting and marching for civil rights.

Next, I gave the audience a choice of poems by Johnson's fellow Harlem Renaissance writer, Langston Hughes. They chose "Freedom's Plow", a stirring lyrical history of America's common struggles and accomplishments, and ultimate freedom:

A long time ago,
An enslaved people heading toward freedom
Made up a song:
Keep Your Hand On The Plow! Hold On!

For last night's show, I exchanged the plow for the mic, but the sentiment is the same - freedom.

I didn't have enough time to read an original poem, but wanting to stay on topic, I ended my set with a brief, well known poem by Maya Angelou - "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings". Reading the book and meeting Angelou as a 16 year old aspiring writer inspired me to express myself freely with words.



Spoken Word: Yes, "We're Going to Mars" With Whiteside the Poet

Known for a lyrical flow of poetry that is all at once personal and universal, Whiteside the Poet delivered an uplifting set with hip hop beat accompaniment. Reading familiar and new poems and displaying a "spoken word artistry with hip hop sensibilities," the crowd was all in when invited to participate in "Sometimes I Wish I Was A Blind Man".



Whiteside ended the night with a poem inspired by a poem and lecture by Nikki Giovanni about the posibilities of space exploration (See "Quilting the Black Eyed Pea (We're Going to Mars)"). The poet took us to outer space - sharing a story of love, the choices we make (and the consequences) - ultimately suggesting the possibilities of leaving the world behind to discover something new.

At times there was laughter and cheer, as well as silent reflection throughout the poet's set. A friend suggested a name change to 'Whitside', to reflect some of the humor intrinsic in his poetry.



Hip Hop: Lady Legacy's 'HEAT' Set the Stage on Fire

After an impromptu freestyle led by Whiteside, everyone was warmed up for a rare Austin appearance by "Austin's Hottest Female Hip Hop Artist" Lady Legacy. The sole Texas winner of the SEA, Southern Entertainment Award, has been busy performing throughout the Southeast, and leading a summer Performance Art Camp, a program supported by
P4P- PositivityforPurpose.

The bodacious MC's signature song, "Heat" was definitely the highlight of the set - regulars and newcomers alike in the audience burned with excitement. (I could have sworn even a few dogs at the pet friendly coffeehouse were mesmerized.) The Lady kept it raw and real, and at one point explained rather than apologized to the mixed crowd: "You have to excuse me. Sometimes I talk dirty."

So to the naysayers who say hip hop isn't alive and thriving in Austin, TX - to risk triteness - you just had to be there last night. Lady Legacy started and finished with lyrical flows like the finest crystal, vintage 2009. Austin's premier female rapper has definitely had a lot to celebrate in addition to the freedom of a people, and we were privileged to toast her success on Juneteenth.

Yeah, you just had to be there.