Still Black, Still Proud | 08.23 | D.C.
By Team JamBase Sep 3, 2008 • 11:30 am PDT
Still Black, Still Proud – A Tribute To James Brown :: 08.23.08 :: 9:30 Club :: Washington, DC
On August 23, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Vieux Farka Toure and a slew of other African superstars gathered at Washington, D.C.’ 9:30 Club to celebrate the music of James Brown with a project called Still Black, Still Proud.
Pee Wee Ellis has been described as “The Man Who Invented Funk” for his work with James Brown, bringing R&B into the era of funk, starting with Pee Wee’s seminal 1967 song, “Cold Sweat” – arguably the first pure modern funk song – and 25 more James Brown hits. It started a revolution in music.
Funk was the renewal of the African in African-American music, making James Brown’s music immensely popular, deeply felt and vastly influential in Africa.
It did not go unnoticed that first Pee Wee, then Fred Wesley served as James Brown’s musical director, arranger and songwriter; they are revered for that as much as their thrilling sax and trombone playing. So it only makes sense that Africa now comes to James Brown with the great Senegalese singer Cheikh Lo, Cameroon’s sax star Manu Dibango joining with Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley in a rhythm-fuelled tribute to the worldwide circle that funk has become.
 Pee Wee Ellis | |
 Fred Wesley | |
 Vieux Farka Toure | |
 Cheikh Lo | |
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 James Morton & Vieux Farka Toure | |
 Vieux Farka Toure | |
 Martha High, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis | |
 Fred Wesley |
JamBase | Still Proud
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