''Straight Up Go-Go'' is a 1992

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

directed by Shuaib Muhammed Kedar and Shuaib Mitchell. The documentary was first broadcast on March 11, 1992, on

WHUT-TV WHUT-TV (channel 32) is the secondary PBS member television station in Washington, D.C. The station is owned by Howard University, a historically Black college, and is sister station, sister to commercial broadcasting, commercial urban contempora ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

member

public television Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...

, owned and operated by

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

Synopsis

The directors analyze and theorize about the roots and historical impacts that influenced the development of go-go music. The documentary captures footage of go-go bands performing at various musical festival throughout the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washing ...

(such as the "Georgia Avenue Festival", "F Street Festival", and music festivals at

Anacostia Park Anacostia Park is operated by the United States National Park Service. It is one of Washington, D.C.'s largest and most important recreation areas, with over 1200 acres (4.9 km2) at multiple sites. Included in Anacostia Park are Kenilwort ...

and Wilmer's Park) and compares the rhythmic similarities to those found in

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

n music. It also traces many of the musical influences of

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

, and

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...

have added to the development of go-go culture. Many of the prominent go-go bands and musical artist of the time period also provided their personal analysis and insight to the influences of go-go music and its culture.

Contributors

* Pleasure Band * The Junkyard Band * The Uptown Crew *

Rare Essence Rare Essence is a Washington, D.C.–based go-go band formed in 1976. Rare Essence has been amongst the most prominent musicians of the D.C. music scene, producing numerous hit songs in the local D.C. market and several hits nationwide, incl ...

* Leroy Fleming *

Nelson George Nelson George (born September 1, 1957) is an American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker. He has been nominated twice for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Biography George attended St. John's Universit ...

* Richard Harrington *

Cathy Hughes Catherine Liggins Hughes (born Catherine Elizabeth Woods; April 22, 1947) is an American entrepreneur, radio and television personality and business executive. She has been listed as the second-richest Black woman in the United States, after Opr ...

* Maxx Kidd *

Jill Nelson Jill Nelson (born June 14, 1952) is an African-American journalist and novelist. She has written several books, including the autobiographical ''Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience'', which won an American Book Award. She was Profess ...

* Mamadi Nyasuma *

Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (sometimes stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa) is an American hip-hop, hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (rapper), Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (rapper), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). ...

* Charles Stephenson *

Experience Unlimited Experience Unlimited (also known as simply E.U.) is a Washington, D.C.–based go-go/funk band that enjoyed its height of popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Fronted by lead singer/bassist Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliot, the group has had a ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Straight Up Go-Go 1992 films 1992 television films 1992 documentary films American independent films Go-go Culture of Washington, D.C. Documentary films about African Americans American musical documentary films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films English-language documentary films

Synopsis

Contributors

See also

References

External links