Double feature: Our story on go-go music, Washington D.C.'s homegrown funk, plus an audio interview with two of its rising stars.
In honor of Juneteenth and Black Music Month, take a tour through the history—and the sounds—of go-go, the musical culture that has been a cherished folkway in the capital region for decades.
Dear Friends,
This week, on the eve of Juneteenth weekend celebrations around the country (and midway through Black Music Month), we’re bringing back a rollicking double-feature on go-go, the musical genre that developed in our nation’s capital region decades ago—and has been a beloved folkway for its Black communities ever since.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading, “Washington, D.C.’s Homegrown Funk: Go-Go Music,” by music writer Alona Wartofsky. And don’t miss our Craftsmanship audio interview with Shorty Corleone and Roy Battle, which includes samples from several of the musicians highlighted in the story. (As with all of our audio pieces, you can listen to it directly on our site, or wherever you like to get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.)
Other news: We are continuing to develop our new offerings for paid subscribers here on Substack. While we build out these premium materials for paying readers, we humbly ask you, as one of our loyal followers, to become an early subscriber. Since our founding in 2015, we have regularly brought you original stories—many of which take months of reporting, writing, and careful editing—at no charge, and with no advertising. Most of those offerings, including our biggest new features, will remain available to all our subscribers—paid or unpaid. We now hope that our new extras, along with whatever goodwill we have accumulated over the years, will entice you to support us with a paid subscription at a very affordable rate.
As a thank you if you join early (and as an extra incentive for doing so), we are currently offering a reduced subscription rate of $5/month (or $50/year). Anyone who subscribes before July 15, 2023, will lock in this reduced rate in perpetuity, even when our subscription rates go up. Should you decide to unsubscribe—at any time, for whatever reason—you can always do so through your Substack settings. To become one of our early paid supporters, beloved forever, and to lock in the reduced rate, please subscribe today—with our heartfelt thanks.
Our Summer issue on “The Music Makers” will continue through mid-July. Each Friday until then, as is our custom, we will release a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast that relates to our mission—to “create a world built to last.” Along with stories that speak to each issue’s theme, we always have works on other topics, so please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship
Summer 2023: The Music Makers
There may be no other craft that lends itself to infinite experimentation more than music—an endeavor that has nursed human creativity ever since the earliest days of the Stone Age, on every continent and in every culture. This summer, as music festivals and concert tours return in full force, we offer you a fresh collection of stories highlighting some of our most interesting (and unusual) musicians, instrument makers, and other masters of music.