Portland observer., November 02, 2011, Special edition coverage, Page 12, Image 12

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Page 12
N o ve m b e r 2, 2011
ENTERTAINMENT
—
One Year Anniversary Kravitz on Black and White America
Tackles race
with new album
Showdogs is a full service salon. We do
baths, all over hair cuts, tooth brushing ,
nail trims, soft claws, flea treatments, mud
baths, and ear cleaning. We also have
health care and grooming products to
keep your pet clean in between visits.
Show Dogs
Grooming Salon & Boutique
926 N. Lombard
Portland, OR 97217
503-283-1177
Ttiesday-Saturday 9am-7pm
Monday 10am-4pm
Yo dawg is gonna look like a show dawg
and your kitty will be pretty.
Advertise with diversity in
Tllc Portland Observer
Cal I 503-288-0033 ads@portlandob server.com
Passi n A r t
(A P ) — L e n n y K ra v itz , w ho
w as b o rn to a b la c k m o th e r and
w h ite fath er, d id n 't re c o g n iz e skin
c o lo r in his o w n h o m e as a
ch ild .
“ I g rew up in a h o u se
full o f e v e ry c o lo r,” he re ­
c alls.
T h in g s c h a n g e d w hen
h e w e n t to e le m e n ta ry
sc h o o l.
“ I d id n 't k n o w a n y th in g
a b o u t p ro b le m s u n til I
w en t to first g ra d e an d it
w as b ro u g h t to m y a tte n ­
tio n ," th e ro c k s in g e r and
g u ita ris t said . "I k n e w m y
f a th e r lo o k e d d if f e r e n t
th a n m y m o th e r, b u t I
d i d n 't k n o w t h a t th a t
m e a n t a n y th in g . ... I had
no id e a th a t it w as an is ­
s u e .”
O n h is la te s t a lb u m ,
“ B la c k
and
W h ite
A m e r ic a ,” 4 7 - y e a r - o ld
K ra v itz ta c k le s th a t “ is ­
su e ” as w ell as w h a t his
p a re n ts e x p e rie n c e d as an
in te rra c ia l c o u p le in 1960s N ew
Y ork. ( K ra v itz 's m o th e r starre d as
H elen W illis in th e h it te le v isio n
sh o w “ T h e J e f f e r s o n s ” in th e
1970s an d ‘80 s.)
T he G ra m m y w in n e r's n in th a l­
b u m , w h ich d e b u te d at N o. 17 on
the B illb o ard 2 00 alb u m s ch art last
m o n th , w as re c o rd e d o v e r a tw o -
y e a r p e rio d in th e B ah a m a s and
Paris.
T h e A sso c ia te d P ress: W h at
pfpsents
By Pear, C le s g e
Directed By Ken Dembo
Stamng Wnck Jones. Roztyn Reynolds. S Renee Mflche« and Jerry Foster
October 13 • November 5,2011
Ethos at IFCC 5340 N. Interstate
Tickets AvaUtte at Reflections Coflee and Talung Drums Books.
Kiflingsworth Street.(5O3) 288-4070 or onflne at www passanart org
Discount Tickets Now Avadatte
T)aftaduion«a
>W*******
fro m y o u r p a re n ts?
K ravitz: T hey w ould w alk dow n
the stre e t (a n d ) p e o p le w o u ld sp it
on th em . M y fa th e r w o u ld tak e m y
m o th e r to a h o tel on h o lid a y an d
th ey w o u ld say , "N o p ro s titu te s
a llo w e d at the h o te l" — v ery d is ­
g u s tin g th in g s. M y fa th e r lo st h is
sid e o f the fa m ily 'til I w as b o rn . It
to o k th e m a m in u te to g et it to ­
g e th er. B ut in e s s e n c e ... n o n e o f
th a t b o th e re d th em . T h e y w ere in
lo v e an d th ey w a n te d to be to ­
g e th e r a n d th a t w as th at.
A P : T a lk a b o u t th e title tra c k on
th is a lb u m .
L en n y : It's a very special song to
m e and it's obviously got a lot to do
with w ho 1 am. It's my story. It's every­
thing I knew grow ing up. It's my par­
ents' story — being an interracial
couple grow ing up in the tim e o f the
civil rights m ovem ent. A nd it’s the
story o f today — w hat w e're going
through, dealing with race and the
fact that w e have an A frican-A m eri­
can president.
A P : H o w d o y o u th in k B a ra c k
O b a m a is d o in g as o u r p re s id e n t?
K ra v itz: It's a to u g h g ig . I th in k
h e 's d o n e a lot o f g re a t th in g s and
I th in k th a t so m e th in g s are c h a l­
le n g in g an d d iffic u lt fo r him . B ut I
d o n 't k n o w h o w it w o rk s. I k n o w
h o w I th in k it w o rk s, b u t w e d o n 't
k n o w h o w it re a lly w o rk s. A n d so,
y o u k n o w , w h en I'm ta lk in g a b o u t
h im an d I'm id e n tify in g w ith all
th is, it has a lo t to d o w ith so rt o f
th e social asp ect o f the w hole thing,
n o t ju s t p o litic a l.
A P : W h at w as it lik e re c o rd in g
in th e B a h a m a s?
K ra v itz: I liv e in an o ld air-
stre a m tra ile r o n the b e a c h an d I
liv e v ery sim p ly th ere. I w a n te d to
g e t a w ay . I w a n te d to be a w ay
fro m e v e ry b o d y an d e v e ry th in g
— te c h n o lo g y , I ju s t w a n ted to be
in th e n a tu re . I w a n ted to
h e a r w h a t w as in sid e o f
m e, an d I n e e d e d tim e to
re fle c t a n d feel m y sp irit
an d it w as a g re a t tim e for
m e as a h u m a n b e in g as
w ell as an artist.
A P : D ra k e is fe a tu re d
on th is a lb u m . H ow did
th at c o lla b o ra tio n c o m e
a b o u t?
K ravitz: W hen I was do­
ing "Sunflow er" and it got
to the m iddle section, I knew
that it w asn't going to be a
g u itar solo o r som ething,
so I ju st listened and I heard
(D rake's) voice. A nd sam e
th in g w ith J a y - Z on
"B oongie D rop" — it's like
I don't call som ebody be­
c au se I th in k , "O h that
w o u ld be th e m o v e to
m a k e." It's b e c a u se the
m usic is telling m e and I
hear the tones.
A P : "B o o n g ie D rop" so u n d s
lik e a m o n s te r h it.
K r a v itz : T h a n k y o u . S ay it
lo u d e r. T e ll e v e ry b o d y .
A P : S o th a t so n g is a b o u t fu ll-
fig u re d w o m e n , rig h t?
K ravitz: Y ou have all these full-
fig u red , B ah am ian w om en co m in g
in to th e c lu b d a n c in g v e ry p ro ­
v o c a tiv e ly a n d th e y 're d re s s e d
v e ry , v e ry sex y , an d th e ir sh o rts
are su p e r sh o rt, th e ir to p s a re very
re v e a lin g an d th e y 're w e a rin g all
th e se b rig h t c o lo rs. A nd w h a t I
to o k fro m th a t, w h a t I re a lly lik e d
w as th e fa c t th a t th e y 're n o t b o th ­
e re d by th e s te r e o ty p e o f w h a t
s o c ie ty , w h a t m e d ia say s is b e a u ­
tif u l. T h e y k n o w th e y 'r e b e a u ti­
fu l a n d th e y a re b e a u tif u l, a n d
th e y a re n o t w o r r ie d a b o u t f i t ­
tin g in to th a t im a g e , a n d I
th o u g h t th a t w as re a lly b e a u tifu l
to see b e c a u se p e o p le h e re are
k illin g th e m s e lv e s to lo o k a c e r­
ta in w ay an d a re n 't p ro u d o f how
th e y w e re c re a te d .
A P : H ow d o y o u th in k y o u 'v e
g ro w n sin ce y o u r d e b u t w as re ­
le ase d in 1989?
K r a v itz : I've le a rn e d to c alm
d o w n a little b it. I ju s t th in k th a t
h a p p e n s th e lo n g e r y o u d o it, the
m o re m a tu re y ou g et. M ay b e I'm
sta rtin g to m a tu re a little b it. A
little bit.