Remembering Go-Go’s Godfather


There aren’t many musical genres that can be traced back to one particular place or a singular artist, but there’s no disputing that D.C.’s Chuck Brown is the “godfather of Go-Go.”

“I’m not what you might call a lyric writer. I write hooks and try to make people work with the audience. And the funky tracks, that’s what you need,” said Mr. Brown in an interview with NPR.

D.C. rightfully has a street named in his honor: Chuck Brown Way, on a block of Seventh Street in Northwest, near the Howard Theater.

His works still resonate in the collective consciousness.  Nelly’s 2002 “Hot in Herre” wouldn’t have been as popular if it didn’t use a sample from Brown’s “Bustin Loose.” Moreover, Eve sampled “Blow Your Whistle” for her song “Tambourine.”

He told the Washington Post in 2006, “As long as I can walk on that stage, I want to make people happy. I want to make people dance.”

His music will surely keep us dancing for many years to come.  Our hearts, prayers and thoughts go to Mr. Brown’s family and friends.

 

 

The Making of Busboys and Poets

A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets

We’re proud to announce A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets, the new memoir from our CEO and Founder, which reveals the vision, challenges, and triumphs behind opening Busboys and Poets. Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, Andy Shallal’s memoir takes us on a “How I Built … Continued

PHOTO 2024 02 01 07 10 14

For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

PALESTINE WEEK 1920 x 1080 px 2

Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

CubaPic

1-2-3 ¡vamos! Busboys and Poets Trip To Havana 2024

Celebrating the 123rd Birthday of Langston Hughes REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS TRIP Join us for the Havana Jazz Festival and the unveiling of the Langston Hughes statue, sculpted by renowned Cuban artist Alberto Lescay and revealed by the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Alice Walker. The program will be filled with cultural encounters, meetings, colloquiums, … Continued

24e297aa 2a5d 41bf 8f23 2d0638db1d75 5606 0000019231768834 1 scaled

Everest Base Camp #8

Fasten yourself seatbelt it’s going to be a bumpy ride or There is literally nothing that duct tape can’t solve. Dawa picks me up at 5 am sharp and we make it to the airport by 5:15 for our 6:15 flight to you know where! There is no traffic to speak of. It is really … Continued

CubaPic

Cuba! Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange (July 2022)

Follow along for the Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange trip to Cuba (July 6-13, 2022) Wednesday, July 6, 2022 1. Heading to Cuba – The Charter Flight By Andy Shallal (@andyshallal CEO/Founder, Busboys and Poets) It is 5:30am. I am at the recently renovated National Airport. AKA Reagan. But for the name, this … Continued

574620 10151454239376538 776542629 n

Alice Walker in Conversation with Andy Shallal at National Museum of African American History and Culture

When: Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 7-9pm Details: Busboys and Poets and The National Museum of African American History and Culture present an evening with renowned author, Alice Walker.  An internationally celebrated writer, poet and activist whose works include short fiction, children’s books, volumes of essays and novels, among them The Color Purple for which she … Continued