Vera Hall Discussion - Fran André, Kate Valentine and Rachel Waite

Описание: THIS IS AN APOLOGY! and in it, an important lesson in cultural appropriation in choir work.
When a grassroots choir network (us!) largely made up of white British women, strive to be anti-racist - there’s a chance some of us will make a mess.

We did make a mess.

We created and published a film intended to celebrate and honour the life of Vera Hall. Between Rachel Waite and I, we got things wrong and I am here to say we are sorry. We are sincerely sorry.
Now though, through the mess; the shame, the vulnerability and through the stories that have been uncovered, we have some extremely important learning to share.

If you are a choir leader, a song sharer or a music teacher and want to further explore cultural appropriation, power and copyright in music; watch this video and join the conversation.

Last October I had the idea to make a short film for Black history month to celebrate and showcase the life of a lesser known, black female artist from history. Rachel Hilton, our Liverpool leader, took up the challenge and chose to put the spotlight on Vera Hall. Vera Hall’s song and voice recordings were instrumental in making Moby, a white male American an overnight millionaire in his 1999 album Play. Rachel had been singing an arrangement of the song 'Natural Blues' featuring Vera Hall’s sample with her choirs so it felt good to her to do this.
I really liked the film, Rachel sought feedback on her film through a few channels and we released the film here.

Many watched it and many gave it a thumbs up. But! We messed up. We missed the point.
It appears that Vera Hall was never paid royalties and it is questionable that she was suitably credited for her work. She was not 'discovered' by Alan Lomax, as we said in our film. We haven’t been able to trace full details, but it is possible that Vera Hall and other black artists were dishonoured; not credited and not paid royalties along with Vera in relation to the same album, Moby’s Play.

We inadvertently misrepresented this story, romanticised Vera's memory, her life... and we sugar coated the relationship between her and Moby.

The key people involved in the making and publishing of this video have felt shame, guilt, anger and fear through this process.

Through our work with Fran Andre, who is a racial unity and anti racism advocate, (and also brilliant choir leader!) We have shone a light on a vital piece of history and a white supremacy in the music industry that was overlooked in our film.

As a young adult, I played this acclaimed - seminal album 'Play' on repeat. I listened to the sounds and remember feeling a sense of worldliness - it felt like a soundtrack to racial-unity. A fusion of sounds from other cultures around the globe and electronic music, it felt new and exciting. Now I listen to it and I feel very different. I feel anger.
Closer to the truth is that the 'samples' Moby used from Black artists, including Vera's, were taken...stolen.

I'm at the helm of this heart-lead circle of women choir leaders that is Singing Mamas Choir CIC. I really wanted to share this new discovery with you. Rachel Hilton, Fran Andre and I invite you into this recorded discussion. The conversation is not over... it's an ongoing one. We may even have a few messes in here too! however...
It's a conversation that, but for the open-ness and true heart courage by all involved, wasn't shut down by shame and blame.

We have forward motion. As a network we are aware of our lack of diversity and potential lack of appeal to many women who don't identify with our current presentation of, largely, western, English folk style, and white presentation.
'Singing Mamas Choir's mission is to empower women to improve their well-being by creating song-sharing communities.'

We are committed to reaching all women, empowering from grassroots levels to support the creation of singing circles across all demographics of the UK.

We are also committed to learning and growing, upholding and inspiring one another. I uphold Rachel Hilton for her inspirational leadership and courage. Thank you for your permission, Rachel, to tell of these important discoveries and all that comes to the surface, for others, through your own vulnerable sharing. It is through your leadership that we’ve been able to sit in feelings, unravel the story with care, and realise that it wasn’t such a terrible mess after all...it was a necessary one.
Fran Andre, you rock...here's to future collaboration with you in your own mission to lead people into their own hearts and towards racial unity.

Kate Valentine

Original Video: https://fb.watch/48yemt2dtt/

www.culturalequality.org
http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/
Book - The Rainbow Sign - By Alan Lomax
https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../5c...
https://www.factmag.com/2019/05/15/mo...
https://www.thenation.com/article/arc...
https://www.researchgate.net/.../4279....