We remember American Jazz Icon Dizzy Gillespie!
Dizzy Gillespie, born John Birks Gillespie, was a jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer known for his virtuosity and innovative style. He was one of the leading figures of the bebop movement, a style of jazz characterized by fast tempos, complex harmonies, and improvisation based on the structure of the music rather than its melody. Gillespie was known for his bent trumpet and his signature puffed cheeks while playing. He also popularized the use of "scat singing," in which a vocalist improvises nonsense syllables in place of lyrics. Gillespie had a long and successful career, collaborating with many other famous musicians and performing around the world.
The Real Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On this day that America loves to memorialize the great leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we at The Melanin Project would like to highlight the Man in his wholeness. From his philosophy of non-violent protest that America loves so much, to his self-revelation of leading us into “a burning house”. (United States of America) It is well documented that those around Dr. Martin Luther King were armed to the teeth and were more than prepared to protect the civil rights leader. Most known for his Dream Speech at the Capitol, there are many other speeches that detail the thought and radical approach to Dr. King’s aspirations for this country as well as his people. Most notable of those speeches was his talk of “The Other America”. The Capitol Riots in comparison to the Black Lives Matter riots just months earlier show case and point that there is very little difference from the 60’s to nearly 70 years later how America as a whole doesn’t see African Diaspora as equal culturally, monetarily, or legally.