from the guardian what are your opinions on Estelle vs blue-eyed soul??

 

Estelle attacks 'blindness to black talent'

Esther Addley and Alex Macpherson

Friday March 28, 2008

The Guardian

 

 

She is at number one in the singles charts and will shortly release what has been described as a must-have album, but the singer Estelle has hit out what she sees as blindness in the British media and music industry to black talent. In today's Film and Music, the 28-year-old, originally from west London, questions the promotion of an overwhelmingly white generation of young British singers, even those performing "black" soul music.

 

Singling out Adele and Duffy, who she knocked off the number one spot at the weekend, she says: "I'm not mad at them, but I'm wondering - how the hell is there not a single black person in the press singing soul? Adele ain't soul. She sounds like she heard some Aretha records once, and she's got a deeper voice - that don't mean she's soul. That don't mean nothing to me in the grand scheme of my life as a black person. As a songwriter, I get what they do. As a black person, I'm like: you're telling me this is my music? f*** that!"

Estelle had a breakthrough hit in 2004 with 1980, a gritty, inventive and acclaimed account of her upbringing. "There is a fashion for YWFs - young white females," said Paul McKenzie, editor of the urban music magazine Touch. "They are the ones who are given the money and the time, and most importantly, people are patient with them. Duffy, if she hadn't had this hit, would have been given a second chance, and a third. Estelle wasn't. The people who hold the purse strings are looking at trends rather than talent. If you're not a young white female - in other words if you're black - I can imagine that is incredibly depressing."

 

I suppose the Aretha mentioned is Aretha Franklin - one of the 'black' artists who ruined 'soul' in the 80s when it all went syrupy according to mojo's reviews

 

 

Why is she pulling the race card? :wacko:

Why is she pulling the race card? :wacko:

 

Yeah, I don't really like that she's pulling the race card, but I see where she is coming from. We do seem to have an obsession with white girls singing soul-ish stuff at the moment. But what Duffy is doing is more just retro...not necessarily like she's doing "black music", just throwing back to the era in general.

Black music has been a permanent (and much celebrated and documented) fixture in the mainstream, especially since the late 1980s. How she can pull the race card in 2008 however is just bare faced cheek and, quite frankly, this kind of banter won't do her any favors whatsoever.

 

To think I bought her album aswell!...

"They are the ones who are given the money and the time, and most importantly, people are patient with them. Duffy, if she hadn't had this hit, would have been given a second chance, and a third. Estelle wasn't. The people who hold the purse strings are looking at trends rather than talent. If you're not a young white female - in other words if you're black - I can imagine that is incredibly depressing."

What's she talking about? She got a second chance. Her first single from this latest album flopped and her second single stormed to #1.

 

She seems to have a point though, for example Beverley Knight is in the same boat as she was. Really talented, but don't have any real hits, especially not as big as Adele, Duffy, Amy Winehouse etc.

 

I don't really find Estelle or Beverley similar to Adele, Duffy or Amy Winehouse though, so I think this comparison is a bit random.

Beverley Knight has never really ignited. Being honest, she hasn't made a decent album since 'Prodigal Sister' which I think holds well as one of the best UK soul albums for a long time... just a shame she gave into major label pressures of making AOR rubbish for Radio 2 listeners (although I've heard her latest album is more of what she wants to do). She is a very talented and underrated individual however, and it would be nice if she enjoyed more success.

 

That aside, I think Estelle should really loosen up. She seems to be stuck in this 'fat white men in suits still decide what sells' zone, and that is simply NOT the case!

Edited April 4, 200817 yr by ScottyEm

Beverley Knight has never really ignited. Being honest, she hasn't made a decent album since 'Prodigal Sister' which I think holds well as one of the best UK soul albums for a long time... just a shame she gave into major label pressures of making AOR rubbish for Radio 2 listeners

 

exactly!!! and there is alway the problem that the black music output from america is such of the showy 'we're so good variety' that means if your not standing nect to k west, fiddy, tim etc you look like you should be at a butlins weekender with mark morrison and the real thing!!

 

 

Black music has been a permanent (and much celebrated and documented) fixture in the mainstream, especially since the late 1980s.

 

and with this point - bbc four are repeating their excellent soul britania series showcasing both black and white artists from next friday (i think)