2 Responses to “History of Women in the Blues”

1. posted by brenda p at April 22, 2008 4:28 pm :
   

   More info from the SR folks:

   Adegbalola (pronounced Ah-Deg-Bah-Lo-La) will present video and audio clips to showcase the History of Women in the Blues, and will follow the presentation with a concert featuring music from The History of Women in the Blues. Roddy Barnes, a composer and performer already a veteran of the Sycamore Rouge stage, will accompany her concert performance.
    
   Adegbalola’s passion for the History of Blues’ Women’s music is rooted in the stories of the songs themselves. “The classic Blues Women of the 1920s provide the only documented history of black working class women. They were the first to chronicle topics like prostitution, domestic abuse, alcoholism, infidelity, homosexuality, gender politics, prisons, racism- the list goes on,” Adegbalola explains. “This part history -of black women’s history- has been erased everywhere but in this music.”

   We’ve been waiting for over a year to bring Gaye to the Sycamore Rouge stage! Don’t miss this phenomenal presentation & performance by the Upitty Blues Woman herself - Gaye Adegbalola!

2. posted by Akin S at April 27, 2008 10:48 am :
   

   Gaye Adegbalola was able to create and present a one woman performance last night at Sycamore Rouge that kept her audience glued to every word and video clip.

   Her passion kept the flow of the night’s presentation interestingly relevant. Going back to the 1920’s and bringing the audience to present day was no small feat.

   With a little help from her partner on the computer, and from composer and Rouge Veteran Roddy Barnes on piano, Adegbalola was able to capture the essence of a brief history of women in the blues.

   She shared her sheroes in a captivating, near mesmerizing staging of clips and live performance of blues hits ranging from Mamie Smith to “Ma Rainey” to the current Matriarch of the Blues, Etta James.

   The show could not have been better, unless you tried the chicken egg rolls and battered string beans that highlighted a new direction of Rouge menu items.

   The Sycamore Rouge continues to lead the Petersburg area and surrounding region as the place to go for fine dining and entertainment.

   Artistic Director, KB Saine was delighted to finally bring this show to fruition and has great expectations for future events at Sycamore Rouge.

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