Curtis Mayfield: Revolutionary Message Music (1942-1999)
Curtis Mayfield was an exemplary R&B, funk, and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Many across the globe recognize him most for writing, singing, and producing on the soundtrack for Super Fly (1972), a classic Blaxploitation film in which he appears. The soundtrack is among the first to generate more revenue than the film.
Mayfield’s extraordinary life and legacy earned him the Grammy Legend Award in 1994 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Also, Mayfield is a double inductee in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was inducted as a member of The Impressions in 1991 and as a solo artist in 1999.
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield, affectionately known as the “Gentle Genius,” is one of the first mainstream R&B singers and composers to incorporate critical social and political commentary into their oeuvre. This injection of robust social and political critique into his work is known as “message music.”
Spiritual Influences of the Gentle Genius
His predilection for message music has provenances in the gospel music and Black preachers he heard as a child. The astute listener of Curtis Mayfield’s music can recognize the substantial influence of gospel music.
His most conspicuous embrace of gospel music is clear in “Amen” (1963), a restructured version of an old gospel song. Mayfield and The Impressions sang “Amen” for the soundtrack of the film Lilies of the Field (1963).
The Impressions’ Hits with Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield dropped out of high school early to become lead singer and songwriter for The Impressions. With Mayfield as lead singer, The Impressions flourished.
The group reached the zenith of its popularity in the mid-to-late 1960s. During this period, some of his songs with The Impressions were wildly popular, including “Keep on Pushing,” “People Get Ready,” “This is My Country,” and “Check Out Your Mind.” Through these songs and others, Curtis Mayfield functioned as one of the chief musical voices of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.
The Artist’s Impact on Political Movements
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. employed “Keep on Pushing” and “Move On Up” as anthems for the Civil Rights Movement. In “Keep on Pushing,” Mayfield encouraged Blacks to fight against oppression.
His music was tremendously inspirational for the Black Power Movement. The Movement valued the song’s candid critique of racism, passionate advocacy for black pride, and potent embrace of Marxist economics.
Through his message music, Curtis Mayfield became one of the founding voices of the Black Power Movement. He helped to define and shape it. Also, his “We’re a Winner” became an anthem of the Black Power Movement.
He used his music as a vehicle to champion racial and social justice, fight inequality, and galvanize Blacks to engage in collective political action. Without question, more artists today need to awake to Mayfield’s revolutionary spirit.
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