Marva Wright
After the Levees Broke (AIM, 2007)
The blues sings about pain and there was much pain in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Marva Wright dedicates this album, recorded in New Orleans and Australia, to her hometown. Marva herself was affected by the tragedy. "When I say ‘I lost everything,’ I mean everything—every stick of furniture, every piece of clothing," says Marva Wright. "I don’t even have a photograph of my mother and father anymore. The reason After the Levees Broke is so important is first of all to show people that I’m back and still singing. Secondly, I want to draw attention to New Orleans and what happened here. Nobody can fully appreciate the devastation until they come here and see it for themselves."
Marva Wright is known as the blues Queen of New Orleans. Her style combines southern electric blues with jazzy pieces and spirited Gospel, backed by a real choir.
Wright was so affected by her loss that she couldn’t bring herself to write about the storm or any of the resulting tragedies. Her long-time bassist, Benny Turner stepped in to write both "The Levee is Breaking Down" and "Katrina Blues". The opening track sings a bitter first-hand account of the flood and the cries for help from the rooftops… "I’m standin’ here wavin’ but he passed right over me… I know he can see me!"
Beloved New Orleans musician/composer Allen Toussaint has a guest spot on piano.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
