(from a broader feature, copyright 2007 Michael F. Hopkins)
Give a listen to ESSENTIAL LANGSTON HUGHES, and encounter the straightforward voice, swingtrue spirit,and wondrous verse of a legendary African American innovator. Collected on a Spoken Word CD (an Audiobook, nowadays!) combing the archives of the renowned Caedmon recording label, the one-and-only Langston Hughes can be heard bearing witness to the rich resilience of his personal culture, and its universally time-honored humanity.
The commentaries on this Caedmon collection (under the general catalog
of HarperAudio) are exceptional in unveiling the roots of Hughes' unique conception of Poetry twined in Jazz (well-honed in the 1920s, long before Jack Kerouac hit the literary scene). The author's plainspoken homespun proves most astute in pinpointing the foibles of American culture in both the vested exploitation and brutal suppression of non-Western cultures within its midst, and around the word.
Gathered from talks with the BBC in 1962 and 1964, the album's selections cover a great deal of aesthetic ground, from the fleeting everyday to
the monumentally visionary. Featuring widely acclaimed epics such as
"The Negro Speaks Of Rivers" alongside lesser-known landmarks such
as the tempest forecast of "The Explanation Of Our Times" and the sly,
brilliantly satirical "Cultural Exchange", it takes little time for the author's canny folklore to gently reach heart and soul, as the mind is relentlessly engaged to consider all with a focused purpose. It has yet to be improved upon.
Subsequent collections, it is hoped, will present the author's readings of other classics such as "The Weary Blues" and the immortal "Harlem (Dream Deferred)", but there can be no doubt of this hour-length album's immeasurable worth. A poignant window into the insights and struggles of African Americans throughout the early and mid 20th Century, ESSENTIAL LANGSTON HUGHES is equally revealing in showcasing the human drama facing crossroads, confusion, and a challenge to live up to all that we are, here and now.
A powerful collection recommended to anyone with an interest in Poetry deep in reality and the right to imagine something better, the truth and beauty of Langston Hughes endures.
Roots spoken here.
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Essential Langston Hughes CD (Caedmon Essentials) Books In Print, Audio Books.