Posted on 05/05/2008 12:34 PM
When approaching Black Lily, I didn’t really know what to expect. You see the musical lineup, the distinguished panelists and the venues and think it’s going to be pretty dope. But underlying the entertainment is a strong theme of female solidarity, which can be downright whiny and lame. Turns out for the Black Lily crowd, as opposed to the Lilith Fair crowd, female empowerment doesn’t mean folk songs, lesbians and Birkenstocks (at least not exclusively - there were plenty from each category well represented).

Jumping in on the weekend, I first caught the Narrative Shorts film program Saturday afternoon. One standout was the Polish film, “A Few Simple Words,” about a churchgoing, aspiring singer at odds with her loose, hustler of a mother. The expectations and disappointments each held for the other, though never explicitly spoken, were powerfully portrayed.

Next was the Black Lily Concert & Honors, which was a veritable who’s who in the hip-hop and soul underground, including Waheed (Gov’t Cheaze), Zaki Ibrahim, Emoni Fela, hostess and performer Amanda Diva, Lizz Wright and Toshi Reagon, Slick & Rose, Muhsinah, performer and honoree Bahamadia, Ladybug Mecca, Ms. Jaguar Wright (whose entrance with drink in hand evoked jazz divas of old) and J*DaVeY. Hard-rocking Waheed kicked things off with only a select few in the crowd seeming to know who they were. After the first song, more people started to gather out of curiosity and by the time they did a sick cover of “Scenario,” the floor had some heat to it. I thought using that fan favorite, whether you liked their hardcore version or just reminisced on how much you liked the original, to close their set was a wise decision, though I was surprised they only did three songs. Then I realized, a dozen different acts, one stage and let’s assume World Café Live would prefer not to be open ‘til breakfast time, then yes, three and out was a good system. Some acts like Zaki Ibrahim only did two songs. With hints of Sade, her vibe was much-appreciated, but definitely a change in the frantic energy Waheed brought. Ladybug Mecca’s later performance matched a similar vibe from an emcee standpoint, showing that she still had the same intellectual, verbal attack, just from an unbelievably chill perspective. Teenage punk emcee Emonifela followed Ibrahim, allergies and all, and did a couple songs. Her introduction compared her to B.I.G., which is a burden no young emcee should have to live up to before you even hear their work. Combined with some technical difficulties, she didn’t quite live up to the hype, but at the end, some pent up hypeness lifted her overall performance.

After being the glue between performers and honorees, the hostess with the mostest Amanda Diva had her moment in the spotlight as she rocked her first single “SupaWoman,” a poem about not getting ahead by selling T&A and “Windows Over Harlem.” Since MTV Networks and its acolytes haven’t been on my radar in a minute, I staunchly ignored the buzz surrounding her, but she was so chill with it. Throughout the night, she put it all on the table, a little poetry, a little singing, a little freestyle, she even lead the crowd in a fit of the holy spirit before Jaguar Wright came onstage, and kept the show rolling with her great timing and wit.

Lizz Wright and Toshi Reagon’s set provided the only real point of contention for the night. As an admittedly ignorant audience member, I was just curious to hear all the fuss in action. I mean, there were women screeching in my ears like Hannah Montana fans just at the sight of Wright and Reagon. Fine, you’re excited, I guess I can let that slide, but it persisted throughout the first couple songs, which just made me want to choke them. If they’re that dope, let me figure it out on my own please. Then, Toshi had a little regulating of her own to do. Just a few lines into “Hey Mann,” she stopped strumming her guitar, catching Lizz by surprise as well, and addressed the loud chatter from the restaurant/bar area of World Café Live. Toshi asked them to respect the artists, the fans who are trying to listen and the song her mama wrote and step outside if they’re convo is that deep. The crowd applauded, but you could still hear the noisemakers persist as they proceeded with the song. The crowd took matters into their own hands and the most annoying, yet effective, sound to hear from adult mouths quieted them, “Shh!” Their set was astounding, yet the power both of these women’s smooth, rumbling voices evoke just made me miss Tracy Chapman a little.

Despite true emcee moments from Artistic Achievement honoree Bahamadia, a typical electro-fit from J*Davey (including a ‘Carlton dance’ on “Lazy Daze”) and a killer ‘built from the ground up’ set by Jaguar Wright, the most impressive act of the night was Atlanta’s Slick & Rose. Strutting onstage to the beat of their song “Breakdown,” these chicks rocked an unbreakable funkface throughout their all too short set. If you made the mistake of catching eyes with campy Slick, staring back at you was a mean mug patented by the likes of George Jefferson, only in a tight skirt. Their over-the-top attitude was spot on hilarious and only added to the legitimate funk and rock spilling from the speakers.

The next day, archivist, film historian and Black Lily Living Legend honoree, Pearl Bowser said the show was her first hip-hop concert and that being there was like “cosmic glue” to everything she’d worked on. But I think the best summary of the night goes to Drunk Dude on Walnut. While waiting for a cab a few blocks from World Café after the show, an argumentative couple closely passed by me. The boyfriend paused and looked back at me, saying, “If you were at the Black Lily, you are the sh*t!” So true, Drunk Dude, so true.

 

- Candace L. 

 

*Thanks to Bill Hebert for the wonderful photos.  For more, peep BHPhotos.net .