![]() To be totally honest, I'm not scared to talk about anything. Because, of course, who wants to see all of that muck and mire and hell? I just don't feel like being silent. But this is where we are in 2021 and you were already there in 2002. It probably made some people uncomfortable then. The topics you were leaning in to, nobody really wanted to touch. You were ahead of the curve, culturally, but sounding like classic old soul musically. I was telling somebody that The Colored Section was either 10 years too early or 30 years too late.Īre you serious?! I don't see that with people, but they say it, so I accept it! Some of us awaken late, even though we seem like we “woke,” as they say. I just really honestly was going through it. I hope you found something good because you were needed the last four years, and you did not show up. If you know nothing else, know that he means every word he says with the same fervor of every word he sings.ĭonnie, I have been looking for you everywhere. True to form, he shared nothing but the same raw and honest truth that has made this record a conversation piece for the last 2 decades. This resurgence of The Colored Section provided an opportunity to speak to Donnie himself. ![]() Among the 16 additional tracks and 90 minutes of bonus content are two outtakes from the original sessions: Donnie’s coy but confident proposition “Trois” and the dynamic love ballad “When You Call My Name.” The Colored Section’s original 14 tracks are getting a digital deluxe reissue, including a treasure trove of remixes, rarities, and previously unreleased material. ![]() Public discourse has only recently caught up to the very topics he tried to warn us about in 2002.īack then, Donnie flooded speakers with everything important that needed saying just in case he never got another chance, but today, a fresh opportunity to appreciate his work circles around again. While his baritone is from another time, conjuring Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, and other gilded soul men, Donnie himself is from the future. Like the church kid he is, Donnie knows how to pull out the drawbars on his Hammond B-3 Organ of a voice. And “Do You Know” pairs bossa nova rhythms with blue sky harmonies on an invitation to romance. “Wildlife” turns the tables on racism to call it the savage beast it is. From its onset, it declares itself a tour guide through the societal ills that both define and complicate the Black experience in America (“Welcome to the colored section / Welcome to the Negro leagues / Sign your name on a Black list / And know this / It’s American history”).ĭonnie guaranteed himself a place on neo-soul radio with an ode to natural Black hair called “Cloud 9.” The almost satirical “Big Black Buck” addresses the intersection of capitalism, race, and classism with an R&B-cum-vaudeville sound as whimsical as it is dark. The lyrics on Colored Section sound the alarm on racism, sexism, homophobia, and religious hypocrisy. Though delectably sung, Donnie likes his soup chunky. With his intrepid debut album The Colored Section (2002), Atlanta singer-songwriter Donnie served up a savory, cohesive course of 14 tracks like a seventh album from an old pro. Authentic soul music warms you from the inside like a good homemade soup.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |