Sounds of Blackness is more than a band or gospel choir; it's a cultural institution. That, says the group's longtime director, Gary Hines, was the mission given to them by a mentor at Macalester College in St. Paul, where the Grammy-winning group was founded more than 50 years ago.
American Public Media special correspondent Lee Hawkins recently spoke with Hines about the early days of Sounds of Blackness and its role in the larger Black consciousness movement.
Hines talked about how Sounds of Blackness has stuck to its mission, which has at times put it at odds with music industry leaders. A native of Yonkers, N.Y., Hines also describes what it was like for him to move to Minneapolis in the mid-60s and he spoke about his relationships with some of the other pioneers of the “Minneapolis Sound.”
Click the audio player above to listen to their conversation.
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