Blues Mamas and Broadway Belters

“In this revisionist history of the Broadway musical, Masi Asare finds that black women’s influence and agentic power are foundational to this uniquely American musical and vocal form. She counters the assumption that paying attention to only major Broadway productions would produce: that all black women sound the same. Moreover, Asare powerfully explains the absolutely central role of the black female voice in American culture and self-image. Helping us hear the creativity of black women singers, voice teachers, and listeners, this book shines.” - Nina Sun Eidsheim

“Listen closely. Masi Asare revolutionizes how we regard and interrogate the intimacies of singing practices in American theatre culture. She recuperates the oft-overlooked and undertheorized contributions of black women vocalists—as performers, pedagogues, and students of their own craft—in the making of that culture while, likewise, calling for more nuanced ways of theorizing long genealogies of influence, the tensions of interracial appropriation, and the captivating resonances Asare traces between a range of landmark artists’ repertoires. A brilliant meditation on intersectional singing traditions in modern American culture, Blues Mamas and Broadway Belters is the kind of ‘singing lesson’ designed to last.” - Daphne Brooks

"A deep dive offering a valuable perspective to readers interested in the history of Black women vocalists." - Kathleen McCallister, Library Journal

“The theatrical voice has become knotted with increasingly complex ideologies of race, ethnicity, and gender. And yet the pathways of various voices in musical theater voices have never been clearly traced. This is what Asare, ambitiously, admirably, and successfully does in Blues Mamas, highlighting and illuminating Black women’s intersectional voices with deeply insightful analysis."

"Essential. . . offers a compelling narrative that reclaims the artistry and legacy of Black women vocalists." - Kathaleen E. Amende, Journal of African American History

"Think of Blues Mamas and Broadway Belters as the musical score you’ve always wanted but never heard. . . . In a world where the phrase 'listen to Black women' is callously thrown around, Asare provides a new perspective on what might happen when you do." - Jordan Ealey, Theatre Survey

"Grounded in meticulous research coupled with music analysis reflecting [Asare's] professional knowledge. . . . A unique and important scholarly study." - Tammy L. Kernodle, Notes