“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots,” said civil rights leader Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a thought that could just as easily apply to the history (or lack thereof) of music.
Look at the iconization of Elvis Presley, which rarely mentions the influence of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, or chart-topping Bruno Mars who learned how to bust a move from soul forefathers like James Brown. For Tyrone Jefferson and Toni Tupponce, A Sign of the Times’ legacy is to share these oft-forgotten stories of black history through music, dance and spoken word.
"It’s a great experience, to have an 80-year-old and an 18-year-old on the dance floor."– Tyrone Jefferson, band leader of A Sign of the Times
Interview Highlights:
Toni Tupponce on the realization of the segregated world she grew up in:
It really hit me when I was about seven. Someone wanted to bring a Girl Scout troop to the school, and the only stipulation was that I could not join. And so, I told Tyrone, when I write my memoir it’s going to be, “Too Black to be a Brownie.”
Tyrone Jefferson on what makes their performances unique, and fun:
We try to make sure we provide a historical context — depending on the gig — to make it interesting. [It’s] on dance, music and the spoken word so we’re covering all aspects.
Toni Tupponce on teaching the next generation:
I think you do it, unfortunately, one conversation at a time.
Tyrone Jefferson on the Charlotte music scene:
I find Charlotte — well, when I got here [or] got back — to be sort of a music desert. Everybody had their own. It’s very myopic. I do this, and I play these little clubs and this hotel four nights a week and that’s it.
On what they want their legacy to be:
Tyrone Jefferson: That we made a difference.
Toni Tupponce: [That] A Sign of the Times, and Tyrone Jefferson or Toni Tupponce, came into the conversation of something that was foundational for them and inspirational for them to move it forward.
Music featured in this #WFAEAmplifier chat:
Tyrone Jefferson and Abiodun Oyeole - “Connections”
James Brown - “The Payback”
A Sign of the Times (Live)
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