ARTS
'The Michigan Daily
Friday, November 30, 1990
Page 9
Counterculture is his vibe
by Forrest Green Ill
From the very beginning of his
recording career, Gil Scott-Heron
was creating what the average
AmeriKKKan would consider "deep
hit" before shrugging him away.
Actually, before his first album,
Small Talk At 125th and Lenox, was
released, Scott-Heron was writing
poems and books that attest to the
unquestionable fact that politics and
art are inseparable.
Scott-Heron considers himself a
poet as well as a lyricist and pianist;
novels such as The Vulture, The
Nigger Factory and, both the book
*nd album, Small Talk.., were
mighty forerunners of the most
conceivably militant rap lyrics of
today. Scott-Heron's own ingenious
raps belong on the shelf with Amiri
Baraka, Nikki Giovanni and possibly
arrare few of today's most insightful
rappers.
If nothing else, the album and
song "The Revolution Will Not Be
Televised" will persevere in music
story forever. Scott-Heron's mes-
sage was literally decades ahead of its
time, guaranteeing that later efforts
by those who steal from him could
only pale in comparison. In this
s~nse, Gil slammed each and every
scker MC that would ever bite his
style, all the way up to and includ-
iig Public Enemy and Professor
1 riff, who used the line repeatedly
oh their way t the top.
' The Nation of Islam's minister
Lbuis Farrakhan and his efforts to
speak directly to the destitute in the
(nner cities is more within the logic
Of Scott-Heron's message. If and
when the AmeriKKKan revolution
Gomes, as the man said, "there will
le no pictures of pigs shooting
gown brothers on the instant replay/
there will be no pictures of pigs
mpus Cinem
In Highlander, a secret race of
Immortals causes confusion and dis-
tress among even the saltiest New
-Yorkers as they run around the Big
Apple and try to wack each others
heads off. Cristopher Lambert plays*
the Highlander, the civilized Scot
*mmortal whose Napoleonic brandy
really is Napoleonic, and Clancy
Brown plays the Khergen, a chain
bhewing barbarian who probably
thought the Nazis were a bunch of
gifted amateurs. The immortals con-
*erge for The Gathering, during
Which they don't actually gather but
fight to the death for "the prize" -
something infinitely greater, the
viewer is led to believe, than the
lotto.
Due to the fact that immortals are
immensely unpopular among mor-
Amazin'
Blue
just doo-
wop it
by Ami Mehta
S itting in a small room listen-
ing to 12 people standing in a
circle rehearsing songs a cappella
may not sound like anyone's idea
of fun. But sitting in the audience
of the Michigan Union Ballroom
tonight, listening to the final
product of a rehearsal by coed a
cappella ensemble, Amazin' Blue,
should be even more enjoyable
than watching MTV.
Where on MTV can you hear a
versatile group such as this sing
and entertain in a fast-paced con-
cert including jazz, '50's doo-
wop, Baroque pieces, popular hits
and original compositions? This
show promises to be an exciting
evening for lovers of many
different kinds of music.
The 12 students that make up
Amazin' Blue come from various
backgrounds and majors. Mudita
Agarwal, business manager and
singer in the group, said, "Most
people have had some type of
musical training whether it be
vocal or instrumental." The
ensemble is completely student-
run with different members han-
dling publicity, song selection,
compostion, direction and chore-
ography. Under the musical direc-
tion of Scott Adler, Amazin' Blue
toured the East Coast, recorded an
album last year and are set to re-
lease another in February.
Even though Amazin' Blue are
now successful, Karl Kasischke,
director of publicity and group
member for four years, remem-
bers that in the beginning there
was a struggle to find people to
sing for them until they were
taken in by the University
Activities Center. UAC coordi-
nates many student groups, in-
cluding performance troupes like
Comedy Company and
MUSKET. After becoming affili-
ated with UAC, the ensemble be-
came more popular on campus.
"Recently, the musical ability of
Amazin' Blue has gone through
the roof," Kasishcke enthused.
Kasishcke said the group
learned 15 song in the last
month and try to do a completely
new set of music for each concert.
Amazin' Blue has one concert a
term for the public and also does
shows for the Greek system and
area businesses. The group will
also be performing with Irish folk
band the Chieftains in December.
Amazin' Blue has provided quite
an experience for its members.
Kasishcke elaborates: "We're just
a bunch of crazy individuals and
we spend so much time together,
its amazing."
AMAZIN' BLUE performs
tonight at 8 p.m. in the Michigan
Union Ballroom. Tickets are $2,
available at the Michigan Union
Ticket Office and at all
Ticketmaster Outlets (plus the
evil service charge).
Gil Scott Heron will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be
televised, will not be televised... Gil Scott-Heron will be live.
shooting down brothers on the
instant replay/ there will be no
pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers on the instant replay."
Later albums, including From
South Africa to South Carolina,l
Bridges and Reflections would be
written so topically that they now
read like the kind of history books
See GIL, Page 10
Too bad the mirror wasn't distorted. Honey-voiced members of a
cappella group Amazin' Blue audition for The Night of the Living Dead on
the set of classic '70s kids TV show, Romper Room.
I
Z
r
1 1u
U
tals, they have to take up false iden-
tities. Lambert's Highlander be-
comes a reticent but intense antique
dealer with an aura of mystery, while
the Khergen, Lambert's eight-foot-
tall, black leather-draped enemy, re-
defines punk. In one scene Lambert
enters a church to assess his situa-
tion and the Khergen ambles in after
him, blows out the votive candles,
sits down, props his combat boots
up on a pew and leers at a group of
nuns, flicking his tongue at them
and licking his lips. The film fol-
lows their encounters in 16th-cen-
tury Scotland and 20th-century New
York and the final showdown be-
tween them echoes their first battle
on the Scottish moors at the film's
beginning.
See CAMPUS, Page 10
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