For our fixed stimulus piece we have been set a painting of slaves on there way to Brazil called the ‘Negres a fond de calle’ by Johahn Moritz Rugendas, a German painter.
In the picture the slaves are all black, they are wearing barely any clothes and being fed through a hole in the ceiling. There are two white men below in expensive looking clothes clearly seperate from the slaves. They are holding a lamp, which almost feels like a metaphor for them enjoying the light while the slaves are trapped below in the dark. The slaves all have very strong muscles, and the way the white people are looking at them makes it look as if they are examining animals to put to work.
The painting clearly depicts racial inequality between mixed race/black and white people. This is a major theme that will need to reflected in the song.
Other songs that have themes of racial seperation are ‘What a wonderful world’ , numerous Bob Marley songs and many motwon singers. These are possible ways the song could sound like.
Lyrics would need to include the pain, suffering, anger and desperation of the slaves. They will need to be brutal, harsh and honest.
I like the idea of singing the song from a black man or womans point of view and talking about ‘white men’. I also like the thought of doing a motown style of song, or a soul song almost in the style of Ray Charles works.
In this time of slavery many black wives and husbands were seperated from each other, black women were raped and both men and women subject to physical abuse and gruelling manual labour.
Nat King Coles peace speech played a major part in putting an end to racial separation.
Music BTEC Log 