Soul
Summer of Soul Is Questlove’s Thrumming Ode to Black Music and Culture: Sundance 2021 Review
This review is part of our Sundance 2021 coverage. The Pitch: In 1969, the same summer as Woodstock, a different music festival played just 100 miles away in Harlem. It was the third annual Harlem Culture Festival, a weeks-long celebration of soul, Motown, blues, and gospel where nearly 300,000 people gathered and celebrated the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Mavis Staples, Nina Simone, and a host of other Black artists at the time. But the festival was more than, as it would be haphazardly marketed, the “Black Woodstock”. It was a nexus around which so many facets of Black life at the time would intersect, from Afrocentrism to the Black Panthers (who would provide security for the event) to the renewed reclaiming of the word “Black” to identify themselves in print and in person. The music ...
Janis Joplin’s Pearl Remains a Stunning Gem 50 Years Later: Classic Review
Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus is back for Season 12, which examines the enduring legacy of Janis Joplin’s posthumous final album, Pearl. Also, after you read this article, scroll below to enter our exclusive Janis Joplin giveaway or score some original Opus swag. — Pearl never stood a chance at being just an album. That was assured when Janis Joplin was found dead in her hotel room of an accidental heroin overdose during the sessions that would lead to her second and final solo record. At that point, Pearl, which came out a little over three months later, could never simply be the latest measure of the brilliant blues singer as a recording artist. It became part of the myth of Janis Joplin — an idea that’s only grown bolder and more complex over the decades. To many fans,...
Adele’s 21 Brought Sincerity to Pop Music When It Needed It Most
Editor’s Note: Consequence has been around long enough that so many of the new albums that originally turned us on to music are now celebrating their first milestone anniversaries. As we begin to reflect on these records, you can catch our updated assessments here. It’s September 2011, and London’s breathtaking Royal Albert Hall is filled with over 5,000 music fans. (Oh, how I miss live music.) On stage, a 23-year-old Adele has the undivided attention of every eye, every ear, every soul, as she tells the story of “Someone Like You,” the overwhelmingly successful second single from her sophomore album, 21. “I didn’t have that one song that I believed myself on…that one song that moved me,” she explains to the crowd. “And it’s important that I do feel like that … so I have the confidence to ...
Ex-Nigerian ambassador Bolere Ketebu passes on
Dr. Bolere Elizabeth Ketebu, former Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland is dead. She was 66 years old. Her death was made known by President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday. In a statement, Buhari condoled with the Ketebu family, the Bayelsa State government, as well as friends and professional colleagues of Dr Bolere Ketebu, The President said the former ambassador served her country creditably in several capacities. She was at one time President National Council of Women Societies, Secretary to Bayelsa State government and a member House of Representatives between 1992 and 1993. In September 2001, she was elected Advisor, Habitat to the International Council of Women (ICW). She was elected in 2003 as International Board Member to ICW, position she held till 2009. As a board member, she coordinated...
Ex-Benue MILAD Isa Kontagora passes on at 65
A former military administrator of Benue, Retired Col. Aminu Isa Kontagora, has passed on. Gov. Samuel Ortom, while announcing his death on Monday in Makurdi, said the retired colonel died on Sunday, Jan. 10, at the age of 65. Ortom declared Tuesday, Jan. 12 as work-free day in the state to enable the people mourn the former military administrator. He further directed that all flags be flown at half mast in honour of the deceased. Ortom in his tribute, described the death of Kontagora as a great loss to Nigeria and Benue in particular, adding that his footprints in the state remained indelible. The governor described Benue as second home of the deceased, having remained in touch with the state during happy and trying moments. He sympathised with the government and people of Niger over the ...
The Magic of David Bowie in 10 Collaborations
Editor’s Note: We continue our celebration of the life and art of David Bowie with a look at 10 magical collaborations. Keep checking back all week for more new and reshared content reflecting on our favorite Starman. And, if you’ve missed anything, you can experience it all again here. David Bowie was a singular force, blurring gender and genre lines in a career that spanned over half a century. Along the way, he gifted listeners with a slew of memorable, solitary personas: Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke, the Man Who Fell to Earth, the Goblin King, and, in his stunning final act, the Blind Prophet. While Bowie will rightly be remembered as a brilliant solo artist who consistently pursued new inspiration, he would be the first to tell you that his musical odyssey was never conducted a...
Fair or Cap?: Some Folks On Twitter Were Not Feeling Tina Fey’s Casting In ‘Soul’
Source: Walt Disney Studios / Pixar Soul Of course, some folks have found something to complain about when it comes to Disney’s Pixar’s latest animated film, Soul. The phenomenal Disney+ exclusive that features an African American protagonist, a first for the Disney-owned studio, follows the story of middle school jazz teacher Joe Gardner voiced by Jamie Foxx. The movie revolves around Gardner’s soul trying to make its way back to his body. Along the way, he encounters a wayward spirit named 22, played by Tina Fey. After they are paired together, 22 decides to help Gardner get back to his body in time before he misses out on the gig of a lifetime. While on their mission, Gardner helps 22 discover her purpose in life, and at the same time, learns a new understanding of what it truly means t...
Senator Kwakwaso’s father laid to rest in Kano
The remains of late Musa Saleh Kwankwaso, the Majidadin Kano, Makaman Karaye and the father of a former governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has been buried after a funeral prayer led by Shiehk Aminu Daurawa. Hundreds of sympathizers graced the funeral prayer held immediately after Jumaat prayer at the residence of the former governor along Miler road Bompai, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State. Among those in attendance were a former governor of Jigwa State, Sule Lamido; Senator Rufa’i Hanga, Kawu Sumaila, Ganduje’s commissioners of Local Government, Murtala Sule Garo and that of Rural Development, Musa iliyasu Kwankwaso. Sheik Daurawa prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed and and prayed to Allah the Almighty to give the family the fortitude to bear the ...
Governor Lalong mourns NIPSS deceased chief
Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has described the death of Prof. Habu Galadima, the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, near Jos, as a “great loss” to Nigeria. Lalong said this in a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs (DOPA), Dr Makut Macham, in Jos. He also said that the demise of Galadima was a huge loss to his immediate family, NIPSS, Plateau and Nasarawa states. He said that the deceased would be greatly missed by the academic community in Nigeria and the diaspora. “Prof. Galadima is an astute scholar of international repute, administrator and professional who demonstrated uncommon commitment in carrying out every responsibility he was assigned. “Since he assumed office one year ago, Galadima had injected a fr...
Composers of the Year Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross: “It’s Been an Intimidating Journey”
“You’re naming us Best Composers of All Time, right,” Trent Reznor asks over the phone. His partner-in-crime Atticus Ross laughs on another line. He’s joking, of course, but he’s also not exactly out of his element. While all-time might be a stretch — at least, for now — the two are certainly in contention for the last decade. After all, it’s been a wild 10 years for Reznor and Ross, one that began with a deafening bang. That big bang arrived at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, when Reznor and Ross triumphed over the likes of Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat to win Best Original Score for David Fincher’s The Social Network. Their debut score wound up being an opening salvo as Hollywood came calling — and fast. Since then, they’ve amassed an eclectic resume that most composers spend decade...
Soul Wears an Old Hat But Opens New Doors for Pixar: Review
The Pitch: A new original Pixar film from the co-writer/director of Monsters, Inc., Up, and Inside Out, Soul is meant to remind us all how wonderful this studio’s films can be. And with a cast including Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, and Graham Norton … could it possibly go wrong? Death Becomes Him: The ads for Soul have been playing for roughly a year, due to the film’s original release plan being upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the gist has been the same: Foxx voices Joe, a kindhearted middle-school music teacher in New York City who has dreams of being a full-time jazz pianist. Lucky for Joe, he’s got the talent, too, as he shows to a jazz legend (Angela Bassett) during an impromptu audition. After getting the gig, everything seems swell for Joe…until he falls through an open sewer and die...
CNPP urges President Buhari to sack minister, spokesperson
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed and the presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu. CNPP accused the duo of continuously misinforming Nigerians and turning the country into a laughing stock. Secretary-General, CNPP, Willy Ezugwu, made the call in a statement on Sunday in reaction to the duo’s comments on Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index report. Ezugwu described Mohammed and Shehu as major liabilities that have contributed to the poor image of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government. He noted that the Buhari administration would have been perceived in a better light without the two. “To most Nigerians, the Minister of Information represents a face of misinformatio...