"Forgotten Voices - Unearthing the Roots of American Music"

Skylight Music Theatre Presents

Forgotten Voices — Unearthing the Roots of American Music

Celebrating the Contribution of Black Artists

Recorded Live in the Cabot Theatre

Free Streaming Juneteenth Day, June 19 through July 18, 2021

Milwaukee, Wis. — In celebration of the contribution of Black artists, Skylight Music Theatre presents Forgotten Voices — Unearthing the Roots of American Music, June 19 – July 18, 2021. Directed and written by Sheri Williams Pannell and music directed and curated by Christie Chiles Twillie, the show honors the often-unknown artists whose work deeply influenced others who gained far more notoriety.

In a musical and theatrical journey, Forgotten Voices highlights how musical roots encompass harmonies and rhythms of West Africa, which then became Freedom Songs, Spirituals and Blues, and continued on through Ragtime, Dixieland, Country, Swing, BeBop, Jazz, Gospel, Rock n’ Roll and beyond.

Forgotten Voices will be performed and recorded on stage in Skylight’s Cabot Theatre in front of a small, invited audience following current safety protocols. It will be available online beginning Juneteenth Day, June 19 through July 18, 2021. Tickets are free, but registration is required and contributions are appreciated.

In Celebration of Juneteenth Day

“Forgotten Voices came from our passion, knowledge, and desire to correct misinformation, especially when it comes to the African American experience and music,” said Pannell. “This show is a gift we are offering to the community for Juneteenth,” referring to the national holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who were enslaved.

The seeds for the show were planted in a meeting with Pannell, Twillie and Skylight Artistic Director Michael Unger to discuss a Skylight concert highlighting contributions of African Americans to American music. The conversation inspired Twillie to create something that would musically dig much deeper than anything any of them had seen or considered before.

Roots of Music from 1619 until Today

“I knew we had to go back in time to when they drug us off the slave ships and put us here,” said Twillie. She created a timeline document that started in 1619 and continued until present day highlighting the development of music and Africa’s influence on American popular music.
Pannell wrote a ten-part poem to bring the timeline to life, interwoven with music and performances by an ensemble of five actors and three musicians.

“Audiences will experience the history of music from beautiful African village type songs to Freedom songs and Spirituals, to classical formal singing, into Blues, Swing, Rock and everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Heavy Metal and Disco. It will be clear that American music is Black music,” said Twillie.

To find historically accurate rhythms and songs, Twillie is working with Dr. Paschal Younge, an African music expert and master drummer. The music for Forgotten Voices will highlight how rock bands such AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, The Doors, Aerosmith, Metallica, Pearl Jam and Nirvana borrowed those rhythmic and melodic styles.

The Fisk Jubilee Singers to Jimi Hendrix

Some of the songs and artists represented in solos and medleys in Forgotten Voices include “Rags,” by Scott Joplin, “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” by Duke Ellington, “Strange Things are Happening Everyday,” by Sister Rosetta Tharp, “Johnny B. Good,” by Chuck Berry, as well as songs by Nina Simone, Etta James, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, The Supremes, The Temptations, Earth Wind & Fire and many more.

"So much of this music is whitewashed that I had to go back and listen to what was actually being played,” said Twillie. She then created her own music song charts to demonstrate the overlap of original forgotten voices and newer songs. Except for some basic western European elements, all the harmonies and rhythms came from Africa, she explained, adding, “This show is a way to celebrate and honor that.”

FORGOTTEN VOICES CREATIVE TEAM
Director - Sheri Williams Pannell
Music Director - Christie Chiles Twillie
FORGOTTEN VOICES CAST
Cecilia Davis, Shawn Holmes, Bill Jackson, Tasha McCoy, Kevin James Sievert