Ghetto Reality

Artista: Dupree, Nancy

Formato: COMPACT DISCS

Gravadora/Label: FOWY

Catalogo: 7520

Faixas: 1.1 What Do I Have?
1.2 James Brown
1.3 Bag Snatchin’
1.4 Docta King
1.5 Virgin Mary
1.6 I Want
1.7 Frankenstein
1.8 Cold
1.9 Jingle Bells
1.10 Call Baby Jesus

Nancy Dupree initially found her elementary school music students in Rochester, NY resistant to participation in class. Once she dropped the standard literature (which asked “Mr. Bear” to “come and play”) and began composing music that bore relevancy to contemporary society and to their very tuned-in and grownup interests, she found they immediately took to performing. Her songs addressed, for example, the contributions icons James Brown and Jelly Roll Morton (aka “Docta King”) made to society, the intangible assets each child naturally possessed (“What do I have? Guts… heart… and soul”) and fighting for civil rights (“I want my freedom; I want it now”). Not only did singing about meaningful issues in real musical styles reveal the immense talents the students had, but it gave all a critical lesson in empowerment.