%s1 / %s2

Playlist: to listen

Compiled By: Nadine Mondestin

Caption: PRX default Playlist image
No text

STAIRSTEPS Stories! VOL. 2 (Cubie Burke): The Untold Story of the Five Stairsteps

From Howard Burchette | Part of the The Funk Show series | 48:54

The "FIVE STAIRSTEPS and CUBIE" was a family pop act who released hit records from 1968 to 1969 on both Curtom and Buddha Records. CUBIE BURKE was the youngest member of the Burke family and began appearing with his five older siblings at the age of six months. In 1968 at the age of 3 1/2 he began appearing on the groups album covers and publicity photos becoming a full member of the group. CUBIE BURKE would later become a professional dancer. He would perform with The Dance Theater of Harlem, The Atlanta Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Las Vegas theatrical shows, the Olympics, Prince as well as others.

Cubie_burke_dance_theatre_harlem_small

Cubie Burke was born into a musical family known in show business as the “ Five Stairsteps & Cubie”. His five siblings were much older that he and he began to appear on stage with them at 16 month’s old singing, dancing and playing the drums. Eventually he would begin a solo career at the age of 17 as a professional dancer. During this hour singer, song writer, musician, actor and dancer Cubie Burke talks about his life in show business on and off the stage.

This program: (STAIRSTEPS Stories! VOL. 2 (Cubie Burke): The Untold Story of the Five Stairsteps is one hour in length and is one third of a three part series. Any of the three programs can be played without the other two. This program is divided into three sets. The first set is the short one which leaves room for the news. Sets two and three are standalone leaving room for announcements.

Highlights of the interview

Segment One:   Cubie Burke talks about his life and entering show business at the age of one year ½ performing on stage and playing the drums. He grew up in Inglewood, NJ and was 17 years old when he joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem,

Segment Two: Cubie Burke discussed his life as a professional dancer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the Atlanta Ballet, and being the only African American male lead dancer of the Atlanta Ballet.  He performed in two Olympic closing cermonies (Barcelona and Los Angeles).

His original unreleased compositions, "Fix Me ", “Every Now and Then ","Together Again "," No Turning Back ",   and "Beautiful Holy " were discussed. He also talked about acting in the Unsolved Mysteries TV series on the “Tupak Sakur episode”.  

Segment Three:     Cubie Burke states that two of his mentors were songwriter Clyde Otis and Stevie Wonder . Other mentions were on the Soul Train Music Awards, Curtis Mayfield , Biggie Smalls , the Isley Brothers and final closing remarks.

Click on this link to get to Clarence Burke’s official WEB page:
http://www.jasmanrecords.com/

Classical Composers & Musicians of African Descent Vol. I

From Howard Burchette | Part of the The Classics series | 53:05

This limited series of classical music will feature four composers of African descent and two musicians of African descent.

On this program today we will explore the music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, William Grant Still, Andre Watts, David Baker, William Levi Dawson and others.

André Watts is a classical pianist and professor at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University.

Chevalier Meude-Monpas was a French composer and a black Musketeer.

William Grant Still was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions.

William Levi Dawson was an African-American composer, choir director and professor.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was an Afro-English composer who achieved such success that he was once called the "African Mahler".

Michael Abels is a Los Angeles based African-American composer. The Chicago Sinfonietta was founded by Maestro Paul Freeman in 1987 in response to the lack of opportunity for minority classical musicians, composers, and soloists.

Lechevalier-_small Classical Composers and Musicians of African Descent Vol. I is a one hour program divided into three sets leaving room for PSAs, the news, announcements, station IDs etc.

Black Classical Masters series: William Grant Still

From David Person | 19:57

Profile of William Grant Still, the dean of black classical composers, with excerpts of an interview with his daughter Judy.

Classicmastercollage_small William Grant Still composed more than 100 compositions -- ballets, symphonies, symphonic poems, operas and pieces for chorus, solo instruments and voice -- but most people outside of classical music circles probably don't know his name. His daughter Judy Still would likely say that's because he was black. In this four-part series on Still, part of the larger Black Classical Masters series, Judy Still will talk about her father and the challenges he faced as he struggled to gain acceptance for his art. Listeners will also hear Still's own voice, courtesy of a documentary provided by Judy Still. The Black Classical Masters series is an on-going examination of black history and culture. It explores both by looking at the contributions of black artists to classical music. More than 80 episodes of the Black Classical Masters series have aired on WLRH-FM in Huntsville, Alabama since the series began in 2001.