While music differs in every culture, the relationship between music and culture is reciprocal. With all the diverse types of music that can be found in different cultures around the world, I have found that the common thread is that music is used to celebrate cultural traditions, connect people and plays a role in establishing identity. With all my travels, I have also found that music continues to cross the racial divide.
Country music singer, Charley Pride in 1975.
Country music had a big presence in my childhood home. My grandfather loved listening to Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers. Contrary to popular opinion, country music has had a place within the African-American community with early country music being infused with the blues.
The African-American influence on country music starts with the banjo; a descendant of West African lutes, made from gourds. Brought to America by enslaved Africans, banjos being appropriated and spread to white audiences through minstrel shows would lead to the instrument becoming a central part of Southern US culture.
While the US South remained deeply segregated in the ‘20s and ‘30s, black and white musicians frequently engaged in musical collaboration. With country music having roots in jazz and southern blues, the influence that blues has had on country music’s recorded history should not be underestimated.
Nashville, Tennessee has become a hub for country music. In the 1800’s, the first around-the-world tour by a musical act was by the Fisk Jubilee Singers from Nashville’s Fisk University (the oldest private HBCU in the US). Their efforts helped fund the school’s mission of educating people who were formerly enslaved after the Civil War – and also put Nashville on the map as a global music center. In 1925, the establishment of radio station WSM and its launch of the broadcast that would be called the Grand Ole Opry further secured Nashville’s reputation as a musical center and sparked its nickname of “Music City.”
I was excited about the opportunity to touch down in “Music City” and explore the vibe at the recently opened Graduate Hotel. I’ve been a fan of Dolly Parton since watching Coal Miner’s Daughter with my grandfather so many years ago and was looking forward to visiting the country star’s pink themed White Limozeen restaurant on the rooftop of the hotel.
The restaurant was named after Dolly’s 1989 album, which portrays a country girl who finds herself living an opulent, Hollywood lifestyle. I’ve always loved Dolly’s bigger than life spirit in interviews and couldn’t wait to check out the over-the-top restaurant drenched in my favorite color.
All of my pink filled fantasies came true, as I was surrounded by crushed-velvet chairs, blush hued, flowery textiles, crystal chandeliers, pink marble half-moon bar and all the fringe a girl could dream of! We danced the night away in our on semi-private nook, while sipping on pink cocktails and nibbling on homestyle renditions of French-inspired cuisine. Featuring 4 daybeds, 3 bench seats, 4 chairs and fuchsia umbrellas; all of White Limozeen’s menu items are also available while lounging by the restaurant’s pool.
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ROSEY NIGHT OUT AT HAMPTON SOCIAL
“Country music is the poetry of the American spirit.” - Steve Maraboli