Blues Mamas and Broadway Belters: Black Women, Voice, and the Musical Stage

Tony-nominated songwriter, dramatist, and theater professor Asare delves into the history of Black women singers in American musical theater between 1900 and 1970 (“musical theater” here refers to all types of singing performances, not only musical plays) and assesses the sheer variety of vocal styles established in vaudeville, at nightclubs, and on Broadway. The book covers the likes of Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Juanita Hall, Diahann Carroll, Leslie Uggams, and Eartha Kitt: their lives, how their careers were impacted by racism, and the ways in which they developed their craft. A primary focus of the book is analyzing the artists’ singing techniques and delivery, and Asare offers vocal exercises inspired by her subjects, encouraging readers to engage with their legacies by learning from their artistry. Asare also challenges and dispels the myth that Black singers are untrained and that their performing voices are purely natural, as opposed to stylized and practiced.