Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race
by Maureen Mahon
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Book Summary Information
Author: Maureen MahonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-06-23
ISBN: 0822333171
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Duke University Press Books
Book Reviews of Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race
Book Review: Black Rock: What's It All About?
Summary: 2 Stars
Elvis is Black-or at least everything about his legacy is. Rock is not only black, but black rockers are also white; the problem of sales in the Black Rock industry is not the limited number of fans they have-the problem is the unwillingness of music executives to sign on Black Rock artists because of the lack of a fan base. These arguments are simply two of the many that are fired around by Maureen Mahon, the author of the book Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race. Mahon examines the Black Rock Coalition (BRC) and the way in which the "BRC members assert cultural ownership, stressing that African American innovators made central contributions to the development of rock" (19). The central argument of her book is focused around the history of Rock and how it ought to be embraced by black-Americans. According to her study, the history of rock lies in the heritage of African-Americans and thus should return to them. They should "reclaim" it.
And what is Black Rock? Mahon argues "white rock" is really Black as Black artists created this genre-she states that Elvis "borrowed his hip swivels and vocal delivery from black performers." (151) She also states that he succeeded because he "produced the appealing "Negro Sound and Negro Feel" while avoiding the baggage of actually being black" (150). And so Elvis played black music to white audiences and eventually this black music was associated with whites and has been associated with them ever since.
With the labeling of rock under white music, black rock groups have had difficulties in obtaining music contracts. The music industry doesn't want to sign Black rock bands, including black executives. Rock's identity has changed just as the Black identity has changed-Blacks used to be associated with rock, however their image evolved just like all identities. Mahon cannot "reclaim" rock for the black community because it does not represent the black community anymore; Mahon's inability to see things from the outside due to her involvement in the BRC has hindered her judgment.
Mahon fails to conclude what she iterates throughout the book-"black-identified "rock `n' roll" of the 1950s became white-identified "rock" in the 1960s" (204). This should have been her conclusion and not "No matter how marginalized from the center, African Americans have produced and imagined in ways that rock the world and it is vital for us to mark and claim this cultural inheritance" (266). Rock's history is identified with African Americans but its current status is identified with white musicians. Mahon has missed the point: you cannot force African Americans to become fans of Rock and you cannot "reclaim" something that has evolved into something else. Rock has moved on from what it was.
Get over it.
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