Sonny Sharrock “Black Woman” (1969)
Sinopsis
At the Super Disco (Super Record) sessions, invited guests bring a record of their choosing and take us on a guided tour down memory lane. How did they get involved in music? What is their relationship to it? What place does it occupy in their lives? Their personal stories and memories enrich the collective heritage of those who hold music close to their heart.
The statement Records are Culture, which was commonly repeated by many Brazilian record producers, was a simple one, and from it we can understand that not only the recordings of classical music or more erudite jazz were entitled to ascend to the category of Culture with a capital “C”. Indeed, any record is a cultural artefact, it has a history, represents an epoch and, through it, we have access to all kinds of other histories, just as many as the people who buy them.
With these sessions, we suggest to some people that they choose the vinyl records that they consider important and that they share in public what they know about them and what they feel about them when they listen to them. Without any restrictions in terms of genre. Also, quintessentially, the format that we associate with the word “record” (a CD has almost always been a CD), the vinyl album or single, brings with it more tangible meanings than any other support for music, whether because of the way that we handle the record itself, or because of the visual impact of the cover, or, as the unconditional enthusiasts maintain, because of the superiority of the sound compared with digital formats. We do, however, wish to stress the sheer emotional value and the charisma of a record, to trace a path for it in the hands of its owner, to keep alive the tradition of storytelling and, because it is essential, to show/listen to the music that people are talking about. In keeping with the spirit of the old-style literary gatherings, but free of any academic preciousness that may raise barriers, these sessions will take place with the format of a radio programme recorded live and broadcast on the Rádio Oxigénio station (102.6).
Super Disco was the title of some compilations of hit tunes in the 1970s and 1980s, a kind of record whose powers were reinforced by the most important songs in the sales’ lists. For what interests us here, Super Disco refers to any record that acquires special powers in the hands of those who defend its worth.