Go-go is the conga drumndash;inflected black popular music that emerged in Washington; D.C.; during the 1970s. The guitarist Chuck Brown; the "Godfather of Go-Go;" created the music by mixing sounds borrowed from church and the blues with the funk and flavor that he picked up playing for a local Latino band. Born in the inner city; amid the charred ruins of the 1968 race riots; go-go generated a distinct culture and an economy of independent; almost exclusively black-owned businesses that sold tickets to shows and recordings of live go-gos. At the peak of its popularity; in the 1980s; go-go could be heard around the capital every night of the week; on college campuses and in crumbling historic theaters; hole-in-the-wall nightclubs; backyards; and city parks.Go-Go Live is a social history of black Washington told through its go-go music and culture. Encompassing dance moves; nightclubs; and fashion; as well as the voices of artists; fans; business owners; and politicians; Natalie Hopkinsons Washington-based narrative reflects the broader history of race in urban America in the second half of the twentieth century and the early twenty-first. In the 1990s; the middle class that had left the city for the suburbs in the postwar years began to return. Gentrification drove up property values and pushed go-go into D.C.s suburbs. The Chocolate City is in decline; but its heart; D.C.s distinctive go-go musical culture; continues to beat. On any given night; theres live go-go in the D.C. metro area.
#1948192 in eBooks 2012-05-21 2012-05-21File Name: B00B9AQBVC
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Sharp analysisBy Lunchtime ThoughtsA great overview of the ways in which cities abilities to innovate are hampered by legal and tax structures dictated at the state or provincial level. Want to change things in cities? You need to have these constraints in mind.Slightly dated in places; but (un)fortunately; not much has changed since the book was written; so still very useful.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Its an important book; especially if you have an ...By JohnIts an important book; especially if you have an interest in local government law. But you can get the "point" of it just from its subtitle; that point being that state governments often prevent cities from doing beneficial things. I didnt know that before I read the book; admittedly; but I dont know if I needed 280 pages to tell me it.