I have lived in the Washington, DC area for nearly a decade and one of the most interesting things I have discovered about this city is go-go music. A few months ago, I overheard a conversation in which the terms gospel and go-go were used… together. What I know of go-go is that it is a largely popular and local form of funk which has had some mainstream success. However, over the decades, the indigenous art form has been marred by a reputation for violence. Even still, go-go remains the epitome of artistic expression for many Black people in Washington, DC and the surrounding areas. The thought of a marriage between go-go (with its beleaguered past) and gospel, the music of “church folks,” piqued my interest.
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