There's something about a song that can take you back in time and raise emotions and thoughts of days gone by. Today I stumbled across Chic's instrumental genius track 'Open Up'. From the Real People album,Chic became instantly my idols. I was a 'hood kid with a huge attraction to Chic. They were everything I was trying to be, stylistically. They manifest the funk with impeccable style. They were upbeat, posh and romantic. They were uppercrusty and seditty without being stuckup and conceited.
Last week, I gave an interview to Radio Montreal and there was something I wanted to convey about what I see as the estrangement between the generations of African Americans by class. I hate to say so, but I don't think that the current young generation has come anywhere near replicating the excellence of ours. Not as blacks at any rate.
Some time ago, I played to role of 'the last real black man' and did some scoffing about how our generation had real black culture and that which passes for 'black culture' today is dysfunctional, retrograde and ugly. It has been crossing my mind lately - more often than I'd like. I have this distinct notion that if Denzel Washington as he was when he made 'The Mighty Quinn' and 'Carbon Copy' tried to break into Hollywood, there would be no place for him. In today's entertainment industry, Sidney Poitier would be broke. In today's music business, a group like Chic, who would dare wear suits and long dresses and play upbeat dance music with a string section and without salacious lyrics would be laughed out of the studio.
Look at that album cover. What do you see? I see ladies and gentlemen. I see clams on the half shell, a little jive and jitterbug. I see people who say let's put an end to this stress and strife. They simply don't make 'em like they used to. Looking at today's culture, it's hard to believe that these were real people.
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