We Got To Have Peace

I just uploaded a new mix called "We Got To Have Peace" and you can listen to it here or by clicking on the photo above. I put a lot of thought and care into this one, so I felt like explaining some of my thoughts about it below. Feel free to read or just move on to the tunes, either way, I think what I am trying to convey should be pretty straightforward and clear.

I must admit, I've stopped following politics closely. The sheer amount of news is overwhelming and it seems like if one unbelievable event occurs, the next day something even more unbelievable happens. With the 2016 elections, I think many people believe a new low has been reached, but as I dig back into my records from the 70s and think back to history, I know that things have always been pretty bad for those without money, power, or social status. I suppose people felt like some sort of progress was made, but I think we are quick to forget that this is a country where the civil rights act was passed just over 50 years ago, and women's voting rights have existed just shy of 100 years.


Still, the division, rage, and political situation of the world today (come on now, the world is so much larger than the United States!) is frustrating. Countries keep pouring money into armies to fight wars; we ignore the crisis that our planet is facing, putting profits and convenience above the very planet that we live in; people are still dying from starvation; the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. We try to pat ourselves on the backs by giving Western countries titles such as "first world countries," "advanced," "civilized," but what good is being all that, if it still leaves people starving and on the streets? How civilized are we, if we cannot look another person in the eye and recognize them as a fellow human being? Not much, I believe.

So what does any of this have to do with a blog dedicated to records & music? A lot, actually. Much of the music that I like and listen to has been birthed from sociopolitical struggles, from the pleas of Marvin Gaye, to the raucous shouts of Fela Kuti, to the poetry of Gil Scott-Heron, to the intergalactic vibes of P-Funk, to the inception of Hip-Hop, music has been central to the history of social commentary. Especially with the rise of the MC, tracing its roots to toasting in Jamaica, street poetry in Harlem, way back to the griots and prophets of West Africa, politics and music have been forged together and have become inseparable.



Now, these conditions and messages are not always in the forefront. Sometimes the healing power of music can do more for a person than one would imagine. You can't protest 24/7, you can't watch the news 24/7, if we don't take a moment to enjoy what we have in life, then we will end up drained and spent. As Audre Lorde said, self-care can be a political act. The official motto of the Zulu nation is "peace, unity, love, and having fun" which I think captures what music can do in a succinct manner.


While there is much background to be mined and I could go on, let me get back to the music and how this all connects. I've been wanting to do a mix with a theme of peace & unity for a long time now, primarily inspired by "Let's make peace & stop the war" by Funk Inc, "We know we have to live together" by Eugene Blacknell, & "Why can't we live together" by Timmy Thomas. So with my latest upload I decided to put the message in the forefront. It's great to enjoy the great music that has come out of hardships, but it's also important to recognize where it is coming from and take some of those issues to heart. I think this is part of what it means to be a responsible listener of music in this day and age (in addition to actually buying & supporting artists, especially independent ones).


I've culled 33 songs from my vinyl & digital collection featuring both new & old music from the likes of Gil Scott-Heron, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Lee Fields, Stevie Wonder, Kool & The Gang, Cameo, Roy Ayers, The US, Bohannon, Darondo, Sir Joe Quarterman, Zara McFarlane, the aforementioned songs, and many many more... But I felt that no song was worthier to name this mix after than the uplifting, vibrant soul classic "We Got To Have Peace" by the one and only Curtis Mayfield. This is really the message that I want to convey: until we stop killing each other & learn to live together, what good is progress? Why do we keep highlighting our differences and respond with fear? We KNOW we have to live together, so why can't we live together?

We got to have peace.

All these songs that were recorded over 40 years ago still ring so true today. I hope that the songs that were recorded today won't ring true 40 years from now, but I think they probably will. Progress is slow, change is hard to come by, but some strides ARE being made. Large scale thinking can sometimes be really daunting though, so I think it's apt to ask ourselves the question that Orgone asks in the last tune of the mix: "When all is said and done, are we still loving each other?"



And I will sign off with this quote from Donny Hathaway:

"Take it from me, someday, we'll all be free."

Peace, unity, love & having fun,
Chris aka DJ Blue Funk

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