Being an American rocks.
Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in today as the first black President of the US. This calls for some serious celebration.
Did you notice how big a role music played in the Inauguration in DC? There were a few interspersed musical acts that helped set an uplifting and patriotic tone for this revolutionary event. The ceremony opened with performances by the US Marine Band, the San Francisco Boys Chorus, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Legendary Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was appropriately chosen to sing "My Country, 'Tis Of Thee" before Vice President Joe Biden's swearing-in. Afterward, a cheery piece composed by John Williams was performed by a diverse group of famed musicians: Israeli violinist Itzhak Perlman, a jovial Yo-Yo Ma on cello, the Venezuelan Gabriela Montero on piano, and black Chicago-native Anthony McGill on clarinet. Once Obama was officially sworn-in, the "Sea Chanters" (US Navy Band) closed the ceremony with the national anthem.
Among the audience of about 2 million were many celebrities, including hip hop tycoon P. Diddy, with his family, and dynamic duo Jay-Z and Beyonce.
Beyonce was among dozens who performed at the "We Are One" concert for Sunday's opening celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. All different kinds of musicians came together to sing out in anticipation of Obama, including Bono, Sheryl Crow, Garth Brooks, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, Shakira, and Stevie Wonder.
The many Inaugural balls beckoned tons of musical artists of all races, ages, and musical genres to DC this MLK weekend, and they just keep on coming. The "Hey America Feels Kinda Cool Again" ball, featuring the Beastie Boys, took place last night. Russel Simmons, TI, and LL Cool J hosted a bash for the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, with general admission tickets selling at 1 grand. MTV's hyped up "Be The Change" ball is going on tonight and features Kanye West and Fall Out Boy. It airs tomorrow at 9pm on MTV ONE.
Check out the Obama-rama song craze:
Ratatat's "Shempi" mashed with some words of wisdom from Obama: http://www.pampelmoose.com/mspeaks/mp3s?func=alpha&key=O
Click the play button next to Obamatat. Pampelmoose rocks.
"History" by Jay-Z, performed at the Neighborhood Ball
"Black President" by Nas
No comments:
Post a Comment