Dr. Paul T. Kwami, longtime music director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, passed away this weekend. He was 70. Under his direction, the group garnered a Grammy, a Dove Award and the National Medal of Arts. The group was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and performed at The Apollo, Carnegie Hall and the White House among other venues.
Kwami also took the ensemble to Ghana, where he grew up. While there, the singers recorded at Elmina Castle, once a key location in the transatlantic slave trade.
On today’s episode, we talk with current and former singers to reflect on his life and legacy, and listen back to some of the music performed under his tutelage.
We start the hour with our weekly @ Us segment, responding to your feedback.
Guests:
- Jada Spight, Fisk Jubilee Singer
- Kendall Speaks, Fisk Jubilee Singer
- Dr. G. Preston Wilson, assistant professor of music education at Rider University and former Fisk Jubilee Singer
- Dr. MarQo Patton, assistant professor of music business at Belmont University and former Fisk Jubilee Singer
More:
150 Years of the Fisk Jubilee Singers
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