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.

 

 

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

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

Busboys and Poets Books Review: My Guantanamo Diary

Busboys and Poets Books Review: My Guantanamo Diary

Have you set a goal or a resolution for the New Year? As I’m reading My Guantanamo Diary (PublicAffairs $14.99), by Mahvish Rukhsana Khan for an upcoming literary club with a dramatic twist (details to follow), I’d like to encourage you to consider participation in the arts as a worthy goal for 2018. Artists, writers … Continued