October, 1973
BLACK INK
5
UNC welcomes singer
Sadie Copland
Slaff Writer
Although Hill Hall is no match
for Carnegie Hall, Martha
Flowers, famed Bess of'Porgy and
Bess,” gave a captivating
performance which merited critical
acclaim.
Wearing a red, black, and green
kaftan, she stood, seemingly calm
before the large audience. She
tilted her head in the direction of
her accompanist, and her voice,
which has been highly praised
throughout the world, resounded.
She communicated to her
audience a feeling of musical
intimacy. Her eyes, eyebrows, regal
stance, even her noise, reflected the
meanings of her sounds as she
moved from mood to mood with
great dramatic interpretation. A
three minute standing ovation
rewarded her demanding
performance. Her final selection
was “Summertime.”
Miss Flowers, a new member of
the music faculty, said she misses
the city life. “1 find Chapel Hill
quiet and lovely, but a bit small.”
The Winston-Salem native has
performed in Paris, Berlin,
Moscow and Leningrad, as well as
major cities in the United States.
Her role as “Bess” has taken her to
Asia, Africa, South America and
New Zealand.
Although it would have been
more convenient for her to teach in
the New York metropolitan area,
she decided to teach at the
University of North Carolina
because she wanted to teach where
she was most needed. Since there
were no Black music instructors
here, but there were Black students
in the music program, she decided
UNC was where she could best
fulfill this need.
The Winston-Salem native’s
career began when she won a four-
year scholarship to Juillard School
of Music to study under Florence
Kimball, who also taught
Leontyne Price and other opera
greats.
In addition to performing in
concerts. Miss Flowers also taught
childhood groups for the
Association of Black Social
Worker. She served as evaluator
and consultant for a program
devoted to developing the above
average talents of disadvantaged
children in the performing arts.
In her experience, little children
required more patience than
college students, but they had
quick minds, long memories, and
Carson Reviews
Warren Carson, Jr.
Staff Writer
NOTE: This month’s column is
devoted entirely to albums—my
apologies to theater-goers and
bookworms! Concerning last
month's reviews, / was advised by
some readers not to concentrate on
those albums that people would
more than likely buy anyway, but
on those which were not
necessarily in the lop rank. At any
rate, keep the comments coming so
I can have some indication as to
where folks are coming from.
“REACHING OUT” Freda
Payne (Invictus). Golden Girl is
back into the music scene with
some great new songs. “We’ve Got
To Find A Way Back To Love” is
indicative of Freda’s vocal talent
■ and her inescapable magic. Also, a
rendition of “Rainy Days and
Mondays” is a gem, arranged to
perfection by some of the best in
the business. Check out “Mood for
Love” and “For No Reason” for
some extra tantalizing morsels! No
promo available in Chapel Hill
Record Stores yet.
“Gimme Something Real”
Nicholas Ashford and Valerie
Simpson (Warner Bros.). A good
treat from a very sensuous couple.
Though it is not as dynamic as their
T. V. appearance some months ago,
nevertheless the super songwriting
team offer some very moving
songs. Probably the best cut is
“Anywhere,” but the title cut is
nothing less than superb itself. The
ranges of both the voices on “Bend
Me” seem almost endless, and they
exercise great control. Other good
cuts—“Have You Ever Tried It,”
“Can You Make It Be Brother.”
Promo available at RTC West.
“Freedom for the Stallion” The
Hues Corporation (RCA). The
debut album by a brand new
recording group. The Hues
Corporation offers no new trend in
vocal style, in fact, the style is much
like that of the top groups today.
What they do offer are some
dynamic lyrics, found particularly
in the title cut. The pleasing sound
of the trio also comes through quite
well on “Miracle Maker” and
“Bound On A Reason.” No promo
available.
Enhrstd di
no inhibitions about using their
voices, “if you teach ‘Michael
Rowed the Boat Ashore’ to a group
of youngsters, they’ll be singing it
the next day."
Miss Flowers said she has
wanted to teadh professionally for
a long time. For her, the
gratification of teaching is
immediate. “A student comes in
with no experfence. In two or three
lessons he’s making more
acceptable sounds. The student
starts relaxing and grasping initial
techniques that will bring forth the
best capabilities. To me, this is the
thrilling part of teaching.”
To aspiring Black professional
singers. Miss Flowers advised:
“Keep an eye on your goals. Don't
let anyone or anything hinder you
from what you want to do or be.
This is important because if later
on you didn’t stick to your goals
you would be very disillusioned,
bitter and lost. Believe that
whatever you want in life is
possible.”
She has received numerous
awards—the Marion Anderson
Award, John Hay Whitney
Fellowship, Naumburg
Foundation Award, and the
Martha Baird Rockefeller
Foundation Award.
To the Freshman
So this is your first year around
Well it ain’t that much going down
My new Black warriors and Ebony
Queens
Make sure reality is your thing
Some are here to do their best
Others don’t even try to cope
But instead party and B.S
Escapmg using the wind and dope
But for Black people this is the last
go -
And unless we are together Blacks
won’t show
So all you rappers on Black dignity
and pride
Better become Unity mappers
before we all are conquered by
genocide.
William Ingram
“Bess” during a recent concert in Hill Hall. A three minute
standing ovation concluded her performance.
Simmons appointed
Linda Florence
Siaff Writer
After working with the Student
Honor Court system for nearly two
years, Michael E. Simmons has
been appointed one of the five
assistants to Attorney General
Reid C. James.
Responsibilities of the
Assistants include; I. Receiving
complaints of alleged violations. 2.
Investigating complaints to decide
if there is enough evidence to bring
a person before Honor Court. If
enough evidence is found, the
Assistants should formulate the
charge (making sure that the
charge is worded correctly and
precisely) in order that the case
may be presented formally to the
court. 3. Inform student of h
charge. 4. And appoint
investigator/prosecutor and
defense attorney if the stiider
desires one.
If the defense attorney or th
investigator/prosecutor run int
snags in their investigation, the
may come to one of several of th
Assistants for recommendations o
suggestions. Because of the natur
of the case, Simmons said that hi
position shouldn’t make an.
difference in determining guilt c
innocence, “but it may help Black
in the question of penalty,” he said
In the issuance of penalty
Simmons explained that on
should be able to understand th
defendant’s rational and th
continued from page 8
Brooks endorses Black artists
Chapel Hill artisan, William Neville displaying his craft. Neville
makes mod jewelry by hand and sells it at various locations around
Chapel Hill and the UNC campus.
Kaye Mitchell
Staff Writer
Don Lee can say the most
insulting things, and they seem to
enjoy it,” exclaimed poet
Gwendolyn Brooks, as she arched
her brows high over her glasses.
She referred to white reaction to
some of the more recent Black
poetry, including her own.
Black life, particularly in South
Side Chicago, is the primary topic
of Miss Brooks’ poetry. Her poetry
emits a plea for Black unity and
announces Black awakening.
“Blacks arc gettmg to know
themselves,” she asserted in a
recent interview in the Carolina
Inn. “ ‘Black is Beautiful’ is a most
important phrase for Blacks. It
should be contmued. Whites have
always subscribed to whiteness.
Blacks must now subscribe to
Bla^iess.”
!Wf expression is an old trait for
Miss Brooks. She began to write
rhymes at seven, had herlirst poem
published at 13. and won the
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry at 33. She
was born in Kansas in 1917 but has
lived in Chicago since infancy.
Miss Brooks and her husband,
Henry Blakely, have two children,
Nora. 22, and Henry, 33. She feels
the greatest ideal she tried to give
them was belief in integration.
“In 1967," she said, “I began to
think differently." She now places
emphasis on Blackness, the Black
self. With a shrug of her slight
shoulders, she said. “Whites
tvpically reply to that, ‘Hate is an
ugly thing,’ to which I reply. I'm
not against white. I am for Black.
We already know them, their
deepest secrets and intimacies.
They do not know too much about
us.”
The House Nigger-Field Nigger
syndrome still exists, according to
Miss Brooks. “Many people do not
feel related to less privileged
Blacks, and to have a blanket
indifference." Her voice dropped
with a twinge of weariness as she
explained. “Ihat’s no surprise.
You have to know people, but due
to the '60s there is less of it.”
She encouraged reading book
by Black authors, as well as “Blac>
World” magazine, and an annu.
magazine by the Broadside Presi
“1 he Black Position,” as a meai s
of keeping contact with Blat i
reality.
Many whites respond positive .
to her. Miss Brooks maintaine
“If some decent person of hone v
persuasion hears the truth, they ti
to listen and intellectually examine
it,” she explained.
Miss Brooks leels that poetry is
being read more extensively, and
that young people are taking more
interest. She pointed out, “Many
people are writing poetry that said
they didn't like poetry before."
Miss Brooks refers to the
Chicago poets as the “friends."
They include Don Lee, Johari
Amini and Walter Bradford. She
says that she has not instructed
them, or vice-versa. “No, that has
been suggested. We only meet at
our homes for discussions. We