Archive | September, 2007

NetRadio: The Day the Music Died, Maybe

by Boothism on 29. Sep, 2007 in Media, Music, Social Justice, Technology

The Day the Music Died, Maybe
By Kwan Booth
July 15 could mark the end of the web as we hear it. That is the day new royalty rates take effect for Internet radio stations based in the United States. Opponents say the new fees, which will increase the yearly amount paid by Internet broadcasters by 300 to 1200 percent over the next five years, will effectively wipe out the industry.

On March 2, alarms sounded throughout the music community when the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) ruled that Internet radio stations will now be charged based on the number of listeners. The CRB is the government organization charged with overseeing sound recording royalties paid by Internet radio services. Previously, stations paid a percentage of their revenue. (more…)

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Remembering Journalist Chauncey Bailey

by Boothism on 29. Sep, 2007 in Media

This is Bailey…

Remembering Chauncey Bailey, newspaper editor, mentor and friend.

By Kwan Booth (August 3, 2007-Novometro.com)

Deadline nights in the newspaper business are sacred. Nothing compares to that last minute rush of writing, editing and designing, trying to squeeze in that last crucial detail before going to press. When I heard that Chauncey Bailey, editor of the Oakland Post, was killed yesterday morning, “deadline night” was the first thing that came to mind.

For the last 2 ½ years I’ve been a writer and editor at the Post and Chauncey and I worked together on several occasions. Some of my best memories are from Tuesdays in the production room at 2am: huddled around a computer screen-shirt sleeves rolled up, bags under everyone’s eyes, cups of stale coffee littering every counter top. I remember some nights looking over at Chauncey and seeing the fatigue on his face. But more than that there was the joy-the man was addicted to the news and the business associated with it. These were the times he relished. (more…)

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PeaceOut HomoHop Festival

by Boothism on 29. Sep, 2007 in Music

PeaceOut Festival Brings Homo Hop to the world

By Kwan Booth (September 22, 2007-Bay Area Reporter)

In the 7 years since its inception, the PeaceOut Festival has come a long way. When the small group of LGBT hip hop performers and fans gathered together in Oakland’s DeFremery Park in 2001, no one knew that it would be the start of a global movement.

But that’s exactly what happened. When the annual PeaceOut World Homo Hop Festival touches down at Oakland’s 21 Grand this Saturday night, the event promises to showcase a more mature scene, one with a steady and expanding worldwide audience.

“It’s important as a symbol” says Juba Kalamka, the festival’s director, reflecting on the importance of the event. “There needs to be a safe space for out queer performance.” (more…)

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The Blue Door to History

by Boothism on 29. Sep, 2007 in Life

The Blue Door to History

-Kwan Booth

Lineage can be a tricky thing. The need to understand where you come from sometimes contradicts the desire to fit in and be a part of the larger world. This can be especially true for black people, with our complicated relationship with this country. Some choose to ignore the legacy of slavery and sharecropping while others wear the shared experience like a badge of honor, making sure you never forget.

“I’m proud to be descended of slaves” says Tonya Barfield, writer of “The Blue Door,” a new play at the Berkeley Rep which deals with history and family, and one’s acceptance or denial of them.

The play, directed by respected actor and Oakland resident Delroy Lindo, follows Lewis (David Fonteno), a middle aged African American mathematician and philosophy professor, though a night of visions, flashbacks and revelations. (more…)

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Hurston's "Spunk" Still Sings

by Boothism on 29. Sep, 2007 in Life

Spunk Still Sings: Hurston’s blues tales shape performance

By Kwan Booth

Fiction writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston was one of the most celebrated and controversial black cultural figures of the 20th century. Her feminist stance and dedication to traditional black dialect and mythology won her praise and condemnation up until her death in 1960. In “Spunk, Three Tales by Zora Neale Hurston” which runs through June 3 at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Hurston’s gift for language and ability to evoke a scene shine through.

The play, named after Hurston’s 1925 short story, is a stage adaptation of three additional stories- “Sweat”, “Story in Harlem Slang”, and “The Gilded Six Bits” which play out in the deep south and Harlem streets after the turn of the century. Through a series of character changes, running commentary and bawdy tunes, the cast of Kim Nalley, C. Kelly Wright, Donald Lacy Jr., Hosea L. Simmons Jr., and Reginald White conjure up the blues feeling found in Hurston’s best work. (more…)

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