Subject: [Homestead] The power of a voice - Odetta
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 07:04:20 -0700
In a world where the word unique is misused and overused, Odetta was
unique. She seemed to deeply feel her music and when I watched and
listened to her I was entranced. I especially enjoyed her singing a
cappella.
Odetta arrived in San Francisco a few years before I got there. I
became friends in college with a guy who played classical guitar and
he introduced me to folk song. We took our girlfriends to the Hungry
i, the legendary City club that showcased an unending stream of
performers of note, from The Kingston Trio to and including the
introduction of Barbra Streisand, and it was there in that little
basement room that I felt the power of Odetta's voice and presence.
I still hear her voice when I occasionally sing "There's a hole in the
bucket . . . ," a circular song that illustrates how we pathetic men
need women for direction.
Odetta has died, but thanks to technology her music will last long
after we who remember her have also died.
[Homestead] The power of a voice - Odetta,
Gene GeRue, 12/04/2008