So the CD with my father’s music arrived this morning…. it’s a pleasure to rip it ass and put it on my iPod… even if it’s only two songs.
As a family we’re going to deal with this… but it’s still a wonderful experience to listen to Mansa’s music, no matter the circumstances.
There are these liner notes, and here is what this man had to say about my father:
Rudolph Lord had developed a style completely of his own with his band Mansa Musa (my note: silly man, Mansa is his name, not the band’s name!), which is presented her with “Nothing For Nothing” and “Beat The Drum”. Especially the black people of Trinidad are renowned in the US music scene for their legendary sense of rhythm. My friend Billy Calderon, long-time drummer in Elivs Presley’s band and later producer in San Francisco, rang me one night, played a rhythm down the phone and asked me if our musicians could do it better. “Easily!”, I replied. He came to see me, was enthusiastic and recorded his songs for the album “Before & After” (AOA) wit some musicians from Mansa Musa. The core of Rudolph Lord’s band consisted of a rhythm section with African drums of different sizes, as well as two guitars, solo voice and chorus.
You know, there’s nothing in here to indicate to me that this man ever met my father, much less got permission from him to include my father’s music in this compilation CD. Also, I don’t like the tone of the paragraph. Who is Billy Calderon, and how is he involved in getting my father’s music onto this CD?
I am still pissed off about this; until my father says to me, “Yes I gave this man permission,” I will continue to be livid, but it doesn’t detract from the pleasure I feel in hearing my father sing, drum and my mother and cousin singing back up…
Mi familia….
Add comment