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Many of the greats tend to go for single name titles, Pele, Renaldo Maradona and Odetta is no different. She is often referred to as the Queen of blues but she is well renowned for her role in the folk movement of the 1950s and 60s. The spirituality and soulfulness of her live performances have captivated audiences for generations. She has inspired artists as diverse as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman and Joan Armatrading. When racial segregation was at its peak Oddetta was helping to break down barriers by borrowing from both white and black musical tradition. She is definitely a rootsmusic artist worth investigating.
Odetta was born in 1930 in Birmingham Alabama. The family moved to Los Angeles when Odetta was six, by the time she was 10 years old her singing voice had been discovered. She was encouraged to develop her voice by her mother who scrapped what money she could together for lessons. When hardship made this no longer possible Odetta came under the wing of one of many mentors who would help her develop her career, this was the puppeteer Harry Burnette who paid for her lessons.
Although Odetta has a natural gift for music, she has always worked hard and trained to take her talents to the highest possible peaks. After graduating Odetta worked to pay for her own lessons. She developed an interests in classical music . She enrolled into the City College and studied classical music and vocal Technique. Its this dedication that at 19 landed her a place in the musical Finians Rainbow and support slots with the great Paul Robeson. In 1949 she also performed in the musical Guys and Dolls in San Francisco.
In 1953 Odetta decided to pursue her career by travelling to New York, where she came to the attention of Pete Seeger and Harry Balfonte. Her debut album The Tin Angel was released in 1954. This was the start of a great recording career where Odetta amassed over 15 albums in 16 years. She steadily grew in popularity as her live and recorded music won over audiences across the world. Although Odetta plays acoustic guitar in a delicate country blues style she as always referred to her voice as her ''instrument''. Many of her fans talk of the almost spiritual feeling they get from seeing Odetta play live. What certainly comes through is that for her music is a way of life and not just a craft or an occupation, she says;
"There have been times that I have had the flu or a cold, have been just sick as a dog and would do a concert and on the way back to the hotel had to remember that I had been sick. The music heals''.
Odetta www.radiancemagazine.com 1999.
Odetta was presented with the National Endowment for the arts in by President Bill Clinton 1999, a truly fitting tribute to a truly great artists.
Further Reading
Jool's Holland interviews Odetta http:www.bbc.co.uk/later/artists/s15/4/biog_odetta.shtml
Recommended Listening
The Tradition Masters - Tradition 2002
The Essential Odetta Live - Vanguard 1998
Sings Ballads and Blues - Tradition Records 1998
At The gate of Gate of Horn [LIVE] Tradition1998
To Ella [Live] Cordova Label May 2003
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