ARTS The Michigan Daily BY BRIAN BERGER WAKE up! Whether you know it or not, the fact is that Gil Scott- Heron has been kicking the dope jams for nigh on 15 years. While there has recently been a heightened awareness of Scott-Heron's themes and messages, via the work of hip- hop artists like KRS-One, Eric B. and Rakim, and Public Enemy, the boppin' poetical genuis that is Gil Scott-Heron is still largely un- known. "Radio stations l question their Blacknessi They call themselves Black but we"ll see if they play this" -Public Enemy There is no doubt that hip-hop, artists have a legitimate gripe with the so-called "urban contemporary" radio stations. The ghettoization of' hard hip-hop to the late night hours is just plain retarded. But, as bad as that is, consider the plight of Black rockers, reggae, blues, and jazz artists whose work doesn't fall into line with the hip-hop, light soul, and flaccid funk that radio seems to favor. In this day and age, you would be hard pressed to prove by listening to the radio that some of the most biting, political, and funky soul/rock 'n' roll was not only performed by Black artists, but damn popular in its time. I'm talking about Sly and the Family Stone, The O' Jays, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Edwin Starr, the Chi-Lites, and, of course, the most sampled man alive, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. In the heady days of Top 40 and freeform radio, these artists were tremendously popular. Unfortu- nately, it seems that the explosion, of striking Black music was too much too soon, and both the artists Friday, October 21, 1988 Page 7 Gil Scott- Heron Lyric master broadcasts the Revolution live from Ann Arbor and radio retreated to the far safer position of singing about love and happiness. Admittedly, there was some ear- wrenching music in the post Blaxpoitation film era, most notably George Clinton's various P-Funk ensembles. For the most part, how- ever, polyester leisure suits were in and political awareness was out. All music, but Black music most tra- gically, grew increasingly conserv- ative and faceless as the '70s dragged on. The rise of hip-hop in the early '80s was a harbinger for a new awakening in Black music. While people like Prince and Michael Jackson reclaimed rock and soul as their own, artists like Afrikaa Bambata, Grand Master Flash, and the Sugar Hill Gang mined a vein that assimilated some of the dis- parate elements of be-bop, blues, funk, and toast to come up with a whole new musical form. But, while America was suffering through the Commodores and Isaac Hayes, our friends in Jamaica and England were busting ass to create one nation under a groove. Artists like Culture, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh, and Linton Kwesi Johnson fused supple rhy- thmic beauty with uncrompromising yowls of spiritual/ political fury. As a reggae frontman, activist, and politically aware artist (as opposed to politically "Correct" - Johnson's smart enough to know he doesn't have all the answers), Johnson became the eptiome of the new Black poet cum singer cum role model. The mention of role models finally brings us all back home to the topic at hand, Gil Scott-Heron. You see, all the great things that I've ascribed to the hip-hop artists, Linton Kwesi-Johnson, and everyone See Heron, Page 9 Soviet symphony debuts rhapsody BY D. MARA LOWENSTEIN 0 N Sunday afternoon, listeners will have the opportunity to soar to the ceiling in harmonic anticipation, experience aural ecstasy, and, finally, relax in a sea of rhapsodic melody. World-renowned director/conduct- or/composer Yevgeny Svetlanov will present the U.S. premiere of his Rhapsody No.2 with the Moscow State Symphony at Hill Auditorium. Svetlanov, also a pianist and scholar of symphonic and operatic heritage, has been with the Moscow State Symphony for the past 23 years. Svetlanov is credited with the exceptional quality and international acclaim of the orchestra. Before joining the Symphony, Svetlanov was conductor of the Bolshoi The- atre, where he conducted numerous critically acclaimed productions, in- cluding Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Tsar's Bride," and Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov." The Moscow State Symphony, founded in 1936 by Alexander Gauk, is known for its consistently innovative programs. The ensemble was the first to perform works by Kachaturian, Kabalevsky, and Prokofiev. In 1943 the symphony gave the infamous first performance of Shostakovich's "Leningrad" Symphony. Now, under the direction of Svetlanov, the Symphony is in the process of creating "An Anthol- ogy of Russian Music," a project that will take at least 20 years to complete, and promises to be the finest compilation of Russian Music ever. The orchestra first toured the U.S. in 1960 and has toured extensively ever since. This will be the Moscow State Symphony's fifth trip to Ann Arbor, and Svetlanov's fourth. Svet- See Soviet, Page 8 h WLARD'S HAUNTED BARN OPEN EVERY NIGHT THRU Oct. 31 7:00-10:00 pm -*9* f'7 Take Washtenaw to Carpenter, south on Carpenter 4 miles to Merritt left on Merritt-11/2 miles 482-7744 $1.00 off admissi Offer good throug on with this ad. Limit ;h October 26. 4 people. U TM ANNOUNCING- THE FIRST COMMEMORATIVE STAMP COLLECTION TO THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM IN SOUTH AFRICA [ETI IT EDITOJ ,j~v Bus . fR... . 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