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July 15 & 16 at 8 pm | Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater


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A new series spotlights D.C.s trademark genre: go-go


In the beginning, there was the beat. Thats what go-go, Washingtons distinctive brand of syncopated funk, was called in its early days, recalls Charles Stephenson Jr. The go-go was the physical location of the dance. They took that from Smokey Robinsons Going to a Go-Go. Kids would say, Were going to the go-go. That term became attached to the music later on. Stephenson and Kip Lornell, a George Washington University professor, are co-authors of The Beat! Go-Go Music From Washington, D.C., first released in 2001 and now in its second edition. They will discuss the book Saturday as part of the Anacostia Community Museums ongoing series of programs about go-go and its cultural significance. The event will also include a performance by local go-go group Faycez U Know. Go-go developed in the 1970s, Lornell explains, as a unique form of music that you are not going to hear outside the WashingAuthors Charles Stephenson ton metropolitan area. Jr., left, and Kip Lornell Its characterized by nonstop performances that can go on for three to six hours; the use of an extended live percussion section, including congas and timbales; and extensive call-and-response between the performers and the audience. Go-go came calling for Stephenson in the early 70s when, soon after he moved to D.C. from New York, he heard a band rehearsing across the hall in his apartment building. That band would become Experience Unlimited, also known as EU. He soon became manager of the group, now one of D.C.s longest-running and best-loved go-go bands headed by scene fixture Gregory Sugar Bear Elliot, who will also speak on Saturdays panel. Stephenson began documenting the go-go scene throughout the 80s and 90s, and joined forces with Lornell in 1997 to begin work on the book, which Stephenson says traces the history of our city as much as its music. Its almost like African music, where the griot is the storyteller, he says. Go-go musicians are the storytellers of Washington, D.C. Youll find whats going on in Washington by going to a go-go. MARK JENKINS
Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE; Sat., 1 p.m., free; 202-633-4820, Anacostia.si.edu. A 34-year go-go veteran, singer-bassist Gregory Sugar Bear Elliot, shown, fronts EU, which had a national hit with Da Butt in 1988. Its definitely party music, Elliot says of the genre his band still performs three nights a week. Its better to see go-go live than to hear it on wax. Elliott laments that many bands today have ditched horns and original tunes. I can play cover tunes night and day, but my strength is my original songs, he says. And he doesnt worry that go-gos groove could become a rut: I reinvent myself and just keep on moving. Go-go was once a boys club, but groups such as Pleasure (which became Salt-N-Pepas touring backup group) and Mambo Sauce have shifted the balance. Led by vocalists Alfred Black Boo Duncan, far left, and Joi J.C. Carter, second from left, the Sauce updates its style with hip-hop, smooth funk and some pop-rock. One of the few contemporary go-go acts to focus on recording it released The Recipe in 2009 Mambo doesnt work the local clubs as hard as some other go-go acts. But the sextets roots are showing on its best-known tune, Welcome to D.C.

To get a feel fo r hometown sou D.C.s nd, check out these local artists.

Go-gos appeal has long been crossgenerational, so its fitting that the genres top dog is 74 years old. Singer-guitarist Chuck Brown, left, is often credited with creating go-gos distinctive sound by adding syncopated Latin beats to big-band funk, keeping the percussion percolating between songs so that the beat never stopped. He also scored go-gos first national hit, Bustin Loose, in 1979. Brown is one of the styles most eclectic performers, steeped in jazz ballads, soul and funk. And he can still keep a go-go crowd moving all night long.

With its mix of rapping and singing, and its reliance on keyboards, Backyard exemplifies go-gos newer approach. The 10-piece group began by adding a syncopated rhythm to rap hits, and hiphop remains integral to its music. While the band doesnt have as extensive an instrumental lineup as old-school go-go outfits, it does feature live drums and guitars. Since the group began in 1991, leader Ralph Anwan Big G Glover, left, has reached a national audience as an actor on The Wire. But Backyard remains rooted in D.C., the city that spawned its sound.

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