June is Black Music Month, and The Current will feature a new weekly program, Good Times: the Evolution of Black Music, throughout the month of June, spotlighting the many genres and artists that make up the Black music experience.

Good Times is hosted by guest host Andre "Debonaire" McNeal, an entrepreneur, music promoter and the CEO of Bachelor Boy Entertainment. Along with his work creating, arranging and promoting entertainment and events in the Twin Cities, McNeal is a social activist who operates a nonprofit organization, Den Brothers and the Doorstep Foundation, which provide a mentoring program for young African American men in Minneapolis by developing leadership skills and promoting academic success.

And "Good Times" is not just the name of this show; it's the song being used as background music. It was released by Chic in 1979, and it incorporates Disco, Rock, Funk, R&B and Jazz, and it became the music behind "Rapper's Delight," one of the first Hip Hop songs in history. Plus, the song also makes you feel good. This song encompasses multiple layers of the Black music experience and is a testament of how one song can propel the creativity of a new generation of artists.

"We'll celebrate Black Music Month and its contributions to America's musical landscape," Debonaire says. "From jazz, Blues and Rock and Roll, to Soul, Funk and Hip Hop — take a journey with me and let's explore Black music together."

Here's what you'll find on the program:

June 7 - the Minneapolis Sound
June 14 - Jazz, Blues, R&B
June 21 - Soul, Motown, Funk
June 28 - Contemporary R&B and Hip Hop

Black Music Month was started by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, and commemorated by President Barack Obama in 2016, who said that "African-American music and musicians have helped the country 'to dance, to express our faith through song, to march against injustice, and to defend our country's enduring promise of freedom and opportunity for all.' "

Be sure to tune in for Good Times: The Evolution of Black Music each Monday night in June at 10, only on The Current.

External Link

Celebrating Black Music Month - National Museum of African American History and Culture • Smithsonian