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In Praise of Ancestors Lisa Pertillar Brevard in praise of ancestors began as a series of songs and poems and reminiscences about my own parents. As I coped with their ascension/transition, I began to see universal principles at work: that their death was not really death, per se, but that they had been transformed from body/spirit into pure spirit. This collection of songs and poems addresses my understanding of the transformation process, and honors not just my parents but all those who came before, upon whose shoulders we stand, and whose guiding spirits "look over our shoulders" to make sure that we are giving our best selves to this life.*** "It Is Well With My Soul" is an opening hymn. *** "Fe" is the Spanish word for "faith"; "Fe" is the prefix for such words as "feminine"; and "Fe" is the atomic symbol for Iron. My poem, "Fe," celebrates the strength of my mother and women in general. *** The poem, "4 and 7" discusses the last words which I heard my Mother and Father give me -- messages given in four and seven syllables, respectively.*** "Soon I Will Be Done (Troubles of the World)" is my interpretation of the African-American spiritual made famous by Mahalia Jackson. *** "Son Day Blues" is a poem expressing the roots of the African-American blues tradition of "taking the bitter with the sweet" and articulating unfulfilled expectations, given through the voice of a newly-freed African-American former slave searching for her son. *** "Were I A Star," both poem and song, concerns the narrator's recognition that even within the limitations of the physical body -- our atomic structure -- we can be just as brilliant and recognizable as any star in the cosmos. "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and "Motherless Child" are my versions of the classic African-American spirituals. The song, "And Still," and its Spanish counterpart, "Y Ya,"pay homage to my father, who is as real to me today as he was the last time I saw him in this life. "Mother" and "Madre" are English and Spanish versions of the same song celebrating my mother's last birthday; but listeners often consider it to be a Mother's Day song. My rendition of the classic African-American spiritual, "I'll Fly Away," closes the set, while opening new vistas. -- Lisa Pertillar Brevard all songs published by Monarch Baby Publishing (ASCAP) E-mail: monarchbaby@blackbutterflyrecords.com |
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