Written by Lauren Rosier
The Resistance Revival Chorus shares a new track titled “Ella’s Song,” a song that was written in celebration of Ella Baker on Juneteenth. Today, “Ella’s Song,” composed by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagan, is out now, and available on all DSP’s.
The RRC will donate 100% of the proceeds of the year to the Movement for Black Lives.
The music video consists of footage and photographs of recent protests over George Floyd’s death.
Says Abena Koomson-Davis of the importance of “Ella’s Song,” “I first heard Sweet Honey in the Rock perform ‘Ella’s Song’ as a teenager. I was galvanized by the power of collective singing to shift the focus of our hearts to justice, dignity, and oneness. The call and response have echoed in me ever since, and in many ways is the foundation of my work as a musician and educator. It demands that we honor Black lives, that we honor our children, that we honor womanhood, and remain steady in the fight for freedom. I do not take the anchoring phrase “we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes” as a dismissal of self-care or some capitalist grind philosophy. It is not “I cannot rest,” It is “WE.” It is akin to the tradition of West African dance, drumming, and song, where the “WE” generates continuous movement and music. While individuals and partners may take breaths between passages, our collective contributions keep the song of freedom playing. May WE boldly sound these efforts, ever toward LIBERATION.”
The Resistance Revival Chorus is a collective of over 60 women and non-binary singers, who come together to share joy and song into the resistance, and “to uplift and center women’s voices, especially the voices of black women and women of color.”
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