denisesullivan

Keep On Pushing: Black Powered Music From Blues to Hip-Hop

Curtis Mayfield, Part Two

Amoeblog: There’s a lot of “Keep On Pushing” titled songs. Which one were you thinking of when you titled your book?

Denise Sullivan: I was thinking of the original song by the Impressions, written by Curtis Mayfield and the way “keep on pushing,” and “move up a little higher” reoccur in his other songs, like “We’re a Winner”and “Move on Up.” Mayfield isn’t talking about the ladder of success and financial status. He’s talking about raising consciousness and about transcendence–about moving above and beyond circumstances. Combine those themes that are of deep interest to me with the genius of his composition and you get a title that I hope conveys the potential for extreme unity, between message, music and people.

Filed under: Curtis Mayfield, Keep On Pushing, Soul, ,

Curtis Mayfield

Performing with the Impressions and with gospel music as his inspiration, Curtis Mayfield helped to set R&B in a powerful new direction in the ’60s. By the ’70s, he was contributing to the further politicization of soul music. “We Got To Have Peace” is from his 1971 solo album, Roots.

Filed under: Curtis Mayfield, Keep On Pushing, Soul

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