Most great blues albums are born out of hardship and turbulence. Crown, the so-far career-best new record by Eric Gales, is no different. In the run-up to its release, both he and his wife and manager, LaDonna, were hospitalised with covid – a terrifying and lonely experience in which they said their last goodbyes, fearing the worst. The blues community rallied, sending support of a spiritual and financial nature, and mercifully the pair made it through. “I’ve never forgotten that prayers were being sent our way,” a healthy-looking – if tired from a day of interviews – Gales says today, sitting in a room in his North Carolina home stacked high with guitars, as his huge, handsome cat Blue looks on impassively. “Because it was tough.” Not everyone was so fortunate. The thank-you list on his new record speaks of loss, most recently of his father, and as Gales chats, a photograph of hi
WATCH: This Black Lives Matter-inspired gymnastics routine is going viral
By The Washington Post
Caroline Kitchener
Washington - Gymnastics routines don t have official titles. But UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis likes to name hers anyway.
Her latest creation is called The Culture, a tribute to the Black artists and musicians whose music she samples in the routine. The whole thing, literally everything, is Black culture, she says. Dennis selected snippets of songs from Missy Elliot, Kendrick Lamar and Tupac, stringing them into an almost two-minute tribute to Black Excellence.
The routine immediately went viral. I wanted it to be a celebration of everything [Black people] can do, everything we can overcome, said Dennis, a 21-year-old college senior. Amid all the adversity and oppression we ve been through, here we are.
Kerry Washington and several others shared their reactions to the popular routine.
Dennis said that her viral routine was inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that dominated much of the last year. The UCLA gymnast hoped to highlight Black culture and empower those around her. The Black Lives Matter protests were pretty much the foundation. This summer, I had shoulder surgery so I wasn’t going out. I was trying to heal, trying to prepare for the season. But I was definitely out there in spirit, she told The subject of Black Likes Matter is so heavy. It is difficult for people to talk about and sometimes you have to meet people where they’re at, with a celebration. Every single song is a major Black artist, musician, from different time periods. They had a huge impact on Black culture, which has also had a huge impact on me. So I’m just literally celebrating what they’ve done and having the time of my life.