Curtis Lee Mayfield, né le 3 juin 1942 à Chicago et mort le 26 décembre 1999, est un chanteur, auteur et compositeur de soul, de funk, de rhythm and blues, notamment connu pour la bande originale du film de blaxploitation Superfly.
Il fait tout d'abord partie du groupe The Impressions puis il se lance avec succès dans une carrière solo. Il devient probablement le premier de la nouvelle vague de chanteurs afro-américains à introduire des commentaires à caractère social dans ses chansons. Cette musique engagée devient très populaire pendant cette période de difficultés sociales des années 1960 et 1970.
Wikipedia
“Our purpose is to educate as well as to entertain.”
As quoted in The Sociology of Rock (1978) by Simon Frith
Contexte: Our purpose is to educate as well as to entertain. Painless preaching is as good a term as any for what we do. If you're going to come away from a party singing the lyrics of a song, it is better that you sing of self-pride like 'We're a Winner' instead of 'Do the Boo-ga-loo!
Homeless, from Take It To The Streets (1990).
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Freddie's Dead.
Song lyrics, Super Fly (1972)
Do Do Wap is Strong in Here, from Short Eyes (1977).
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People Get Ready, performed by The Impressions, from People Get Ready (1965).
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Let's Do It Again, performed by Staple Singers, from Let's Do It Again (1975).
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(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, from Curtis (1970).
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He Will Break Your Heart, written with Jerry Butler and Calvin Carter, originally performed by Jerry Butler (1960).
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Back to Living Again, from New World Order (1996).
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Underground, from Roots (1971).
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Freddie's Dead.
Song lyrics, Super Fly (1972)
Something He Can Feel, performed by Aretha Franklin, from Sparkle (1976).
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