Audience 1 (A1): Could you tell us about the representation of specific groups?
JO:In Daphne [A.] Brooks’ article, she talks about the specific people that she [Amy] drew upon. It starts with Mimi Smith, whose record is actually the first African American blues recording from the 1920s. And she has a kind of gravelly voice, really doesn’t enunciate her words, that's something that's really similar to Amy Winehouse.
That’sBillie Holiday. . . here'sThe Supremes.I get theChantelsand theShirellesconfused, but those are them. The Supremes again. TheRonettes.Nina Simone. I didn’t really listen to this music before, but it’s so good! I only can, from editing the video and this, I know 30 seconds of every song really really well. (laughs).
Daphne [A.] Brooks—who'sspeaking at Berkeley soon, check their website, it’s going to be good—she talks about the specific things that she [Amy Winehouse] chose and how she made the music sound so amazing to our ears—because she’s taking the best parts of the musical history, and it has nostalgia and has the beat—it’s like candy to our ears. It’s familiar but the way it’s put together in this postmodern way is interesting enough that it just keep us wanting to hear more. Nostalgia is huge. So she [Amy Winehouse] has the benefit of drawing upon history by these women. And a lot of them, especially Nina Simone, were pretty political about the rights of African American women and she’s taking that and she has the benefit of being a white girl, and not really having to deal with any of the issues that these women had to face.
Audience 2(A2): I think—sorry to interrupt—I think it’s slightly unfair considering that Amy Winehouse is Jewish. I mean her family has had to go through hardships, I’m sure. And I think it’s interesting, the song choice ofYou Know I’m No Good;to me a lot of the melody in that song sounds very Jewish. Not to say she didn’t heavily appropriate or was heavily influenced by African American music or black music in general. But I think it’s very challenging in general in music to not take influence from not just African American music but all kinds of music now, especially being able to hear music from all parts of the world nowadays.
JO:So you feel like… I just want to make sure I have your opinion.
A2:I’m saying that I think this is taking a very aggressive view on an artist's appropriation to the point that it’s straight copying and stealing instead of that it’s more influential.
JO:But like I said, that line is very fine. And there’s the way you talk about it, and she made some big mistakes about that I think made it a lot worse for her.
Audience 3 (A3): Like what?
JO:She was recorded singing that racist song—I won’t sing it but that made a lot of people angry… when she’s being influenced by this culture and then to speak about it with racial slurs. It didn’t go over well. And there’s a history of this, it’s not just her. The reason I did hers is because it’s the show—but there’s a crazy history of it. Like Elvis, exactly, who was like, “This is great, let’s get a white guy to record it.”
Audience 4 (A4):The same thing could be said about The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, if you really go and study—
JO:Right, well that's exactly the problem. It's just been happening and happening.
A4:—all musicians are influenced by the musicians who came before them.
A2:But, I don't know if it's aproblem.
JO:Well if you’re white, if you’re The Rolling Stones, it’s not a problem. If you’re James Brown, it’s a problem. This music is based on African American history, it’s based on things they were doing as slaves, it goes back so far. And then when white musicians go and take that thing without that history or even knowing what they’re copying… Like I said, I love The Beatles, I love The Rolling Stones, but I think it needs to be acknowledged and I think it needs to be talked about.
I actually feel like Amy Winehouse—what I’ve read about it and what I’ve learned about her—would love this. From what people say, she loved an argument; so I think that she would love to open this up and to have this conversation. And, there's no denying that her music is great.
