« »■'** Page 6, Portland Observer, February 3, 1988 ENTERTAINMENT aa Langston Hughes: The Dream Keeper Profiles One of America's Greatest Poets The late James Baldwin called Langston Hughes a gentle and gal­ lant man — a weary man too. It is appropriate that Hughes, consider ed the Black man's poet, is also a dream keeper of sorts. For it was Langston Hughes, poet, essayist, playwright, and author, who chose to give voice to working class Blacks. During February's Black History Month on public television, the new landmark series on American poet­ ry, "Voices & Visions", offers an intimate and moving look at the work, the influences, and the bonti- ful life of this great poet in "Lang­ ston Hughes: The Dream Keeper airing Tuesday, February 9, 1988, 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Check your local listing for times in your area. The film briefly sketches Hughes' early years in the Midwest, revealing through powerful readings and musical interpretations how the Negro folk blues of his childhood influenced Hughes to give birth to a What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? — Langston Hughes whole new and innovative form of poetry — the blues form — a form that is still popular today. In the 1920s, Harlem lured Hughes away from the Midwest. It was a young, vibrant place, a cul­ tural center for Black artistic activi­ ties. Hughes' rise paralleled the rise of the Harlem Renaissance. In June 1926 Hughes' literary manifesto, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," was publish­ ed in Nation magazine. In it he stated, "W e younger Negro artists now intend to express our indivi­ dual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame . . . We know we are beautiful. And ugly too . . . We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves." Through poetry, documentary clips, and personal interviews, the film retraces Hughes' life in Har­ lem, Paris, and Madrid as well as his travels to Russia and Africa. Hughes seemed to have two con­ stant companions in his journey through life - talent and luck. The film reveals the intriguing ways Hughes managed to continue w ri­ a a ting, and how he dealt with pat­ rons who wanted to control his work in return for their financial support. Critics of the right and the left took aim at Hughes during his life­ time. Early in his career, Hughes was criticized for writing about the Black working class, critics dubbed him the "w riter for the sewer dwel­ lers." During the McCarthy era, he was called before the notorious Subcommittee on Un American Activities. In the 1960s he was criticized by young Black poets for his lack of militancy. But Langston Hughes retained his own vision. He saw his role as that of a social poet and worked to give voice to his people. His death, at the age of 65, promp­ ted James Balwin to reflect, "I think in a sense that loneliness overtook him . . . And that is what makes you weary, that's when you close your eyes.' "Voice & • Visions" is closed- captioned for the hearing-impaired. Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers Curiosity about the upcoming album by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers is high. When Virgin Records threw a private listen­ ing session in L.A. for its staff, a host of well-known music insiders showed up as well. They included: Johnny Rotten, Warren Zevon, J D Souther, Paula Abdul (choreographer of Janet Jackson s video), Babyface LA (producer of the recent hit that brought The Whispers back to the pop charts) and producer Don Was (of the group Was Not Was). This is not the first time the Marley and the Melody Makers LP has attracted all-star attention. The album's producers are Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Tom Tom Club and the Talking Heads. And guest guitarist on one cut is Keith Richards. IT'S TINE FOR "ACTION NAME: NICKNAME: HOME: PROFESSION: EDUCATION: HOBBY: j ‘ V j ; * •. • r . • Jericho Jackson. "Action." Detroit. Cop. Harvard Law. Fighting Crime. WEAPON: You're looking at 'em . This special, 60-minute program to air on Monday, February 8, 1988, 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time (check lo­ cal listings for time in your area) on Public Television, charts the singing career of Cissy Houston, mother of singing sensation W hit­ ney Houston. At the age of five, Cissy Houston was belting out quar tet gospel with her family group, The Drinkard Singers. In the early 1960s, she "crossed over," and with her nieces Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, quickly rose to become one of the hottest session singers in New York. "Cissy Houston: Sweet Inspi-Î ration" embarks on a musical roller­ coaster from smoky nightclubs tdl gospel choir rehearsals to trace her inpact on both gospel and rhy-: thm and blues music. Interviews with The Drinkarct Singers, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, anct Whitney Houston, as well as an intriguing mosaic of archival foot­ age and stills from "The Golden Age of Gospel" and the "Soul Years" highlight this special program. e.- ? z ’*« ' •. t •■ - V A C; tA-ÿ '.X-- ÇÂRIWEATHERS is ; iT\».TÄ ; •••>:•'• 'T ' CKSON / •■ • '¿ W • ;«■ ‘ ■ ’ *•. ■ • r s ì /> - 7ì r a » •! . --Z- nines«- ■