>>10472922
father is Chuck Dunlap the musician
“Gonna rise up till we all stand free”
– Chuck Dunlap
sounds like a communist
>https://gtrnews.com/woodyfest-goes-virtual-protest-music-gets-real/
WoodyFest Goes Virtual; Protest Music Gets Real
2 months ago
“Gonna rise up till we all stand free”
– Chuck Dunlap
THIS MACHINE: Woody Guthrie, pictured here in 1941, will be honored at the annual WoodyFest celebration, which will be presented online this year. Visit woodyfest.com/watch for the full lineup, schedule, streaming options and more information.
Red Dirt pioneer Chuck Dunlap, now living in Washington state, is not the first Okie to implore the people to rise up.
As Woody Guthrie’s 108th birthday draws near, we are once again seeing the power music has in getting one’s voice heard. From songs articulating the need for solidarity and cooperation amidst a pandemic, to protest music serving as the soundtrack for the Black Lives Matter movement, we are all being reminded of the lesson Woody Guthrie taught us 70 years ago: This Machine kills fascists.
Each generation since then has learned that This Machine (Guthrie’s guitar, in case you’re unfamiliar) is quite versatile. Baby Boomers used it to end a war, advocate for civil rights and prevent the construction of nuclear reactors. Later generations have used it to voice environmental concerns, demand equality and fight injustice.
Donations will be accepted through a virtual tip jar with a portion donated to the Red Dirt Relief Fund and Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
Risin’ Up
I began this column with a quote, which provides a great example of how protest music transcends generations.
Risin’ Up is a new song from Oklahoma songwriter Chuck Dunlap (I know he lives in Washington, but he’s still ours!) which his granddaughter Bailey Dunlap edited with recent footage of the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. It’s a powerful video, and Dunlap, who told me in a 2018 interview that he was done, hanging it up as a songwriter after the release of his outstanding album Full Circle, clearly isn’t done writing great songs.
Go to YouTube and search Risin’ Up – Chuck Dunlap.
What we’ve lost
Giving a voice to people’s struggles is not unique to protest music. Sometimes it’s just to voice pain and the need to help each other, as was done so eloquently by Oklahoma-born songwriter M. Lockwood Porter with his song, What We’ve Lost. Porter, a native of Skiatook who now resides in Chico, California, released the song April 30, and donated all sales proceeds from the first two weeks to Feeding America.
“In order to stop the spread of the virus and address the cases that exist, we need to cooperate and think about how to protect and care for people we may not even know,” Porter writes. “The song is somewhat dark, but there’s also a sense of hope that we can get our act together. And I also get a similar sense of hope from seeing so many people’s desire to help in whatever way they can right now.”
What We’ve Lost is available on bandcamp.com. Visit mlockwoodporter.com/music and check out some of his other songs as well.