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Do You Wanna Funk?

REVIEW BY ROLAND F.
PALMER

"There ’s a new breed of
children who don ’t even know
who you are... the one who
revealed the way simply by
walking without any shame...
when its over, baby, when its
said and done, they’ll write
your name across the sky. You
will be the one. ”

The one is legendary disco
diva Sylvester. The CD is
Mighty Real.‘ A Tribute to
Sylvester. This is a musical"
experience not to be missed, so
get out the polyester and join
me on the floor under the mir-
rored ball as we flash back to
the nightclub scene that was
the ‘70s.

Sylvester was publicly,
flamboyantly out as a gay
black entertainer who died in
1988 at the age of 41 from
complications related to AIDS.
He once told Joan Rivers
“Honey, I am not a drag queen.
I am Sylvester!” He paved the
way for future gender-bender
pop stars such as Boy George
and RuPaul, and introduced the
world to the “It’s Raining

Men” Weather Girls, who had
once been back-up singers for
him.

“Now a few of us feel your
voice was a gift from above;
you were an angel who opened
your mouth to serve up the
gospel of love. ”

Of course, Sylvester the

  
 

man may or may not be
remembered outside the gay
community, but anyone who
remembers disco will easily
recognize the music.

Djola Branner’s “You Will
Be The One,” at the end of this
CD, is actually the song that
defines the whole project. Both

mom reassess

October 2000 I Out in the Mountains [33

I\/\iht Real: A Tribute to Slvester

lnnovo Recordings 0 www.composersforum.org

the musical style and lyrics of
Branner’s song help summa-
rize what this historical musi-
cal experience is all about.
Branner can still remember the
person who gave him his first
Sylvester album and recalls, “I
had waited all my life to hear a
man rock like Aretha, shriek
like Chaka, and testify
like Patti.” Mighty
Real is Branner’s way
of celebrating a life he
felt needed to be wit-
nessed and remem-
bered; his outstanding
falsetto recreates and
redefines 10 of
Sy1vester’s greatest
hits

The songs Branner
chose to highlight on
this CD really show
the range of musical
background and influ-
ences Sylvester drew
upon. From the tam-
bourine-infused gospel
feel of “Changes” and
“You Make Me Feel
(Mighty Real),” which
will have you clapping
and stomping your feet
(can I have a witness?),
to the jazzy torch

‘-=a&e=——

   

songs “I Tried To Forget You”
and “You Are My Friend,” this
compilation displays amazing
diversity on the parts of both
Sylvester and
However, it was disco that
brought Sylvester into the
mainstream with songs such as
“Stars” and “Do You Wanna
Funk” (you do, I know you do).

Mighty Real is actually a
multimedia theater production
that Branner opened in
Minneapolis in June 2000. I
enjoyed the CD so much, I may
just try to catch the show when
it pulls into Boston at the “Out
on the Edge” 2000 Festival.
But if you can’t catch the show
live, definitely pick up the
CD—and don’t be afraid to
Funk!

Roland Palmer lives in
Hinesburg.V

Branner. ,

 

Lambda Rising

NH is First Gay (9 Lesbian Film Festival
October 11-14, 2000

Continuing a long-standing tradition ofoflering challenging and inspiring films,

The Colonial Theatre is pleased to present
"Lambda Rising, "New Hampshire's FIRST Gay <5’ Lesbian Film Festival:

"The lviglzt Larry Kramer Kissed Me "

714st One Time"

g "The Man Who Drove with Mandela"

“Benjamin Smolee"

Check for updates: vvww.thecolonia|.org

LAL

C OL

 

The Colonial Theatre 0 95 Main St., Keene, NH 0 Box Office 603 352-2033

 

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