His name was Shiraj. He traveled to Chicago from London England. I asked him why he was here in Chicago, and his reply was “for this!” The excitement that came from this twenty-four year old made me want to ask a couple more questions.
Like what makes a 24 year old kid from London, get into the Blues artist’s that date back to the 1930’s and 40’s. “The internet” Shiraj replied, “I found out about the old Blues guys from the internet.”
Shiraj who plays the guitar himself, continued by saying “that Jazz and Rock and Roll all stem from the Blues.” Shiraj agreed that it wasn’t common to find someone so young interested in the Blues but noted that once you are into it, it’s not hard to find clubs playing Blues Music around the world. “All around the world they have Blues bars, even if it’s just one; they have them in the most random places like Bosnia and Ukraine and they are all playing these guys. They are playing Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters ‘Oochie Coochie Man’”
My homie Kevin said I should end my articles with a question at the end. So I want to know, are you guys going to Willie Dixon Blues Heaven Foundation?
If so I put the address and website below. So ya’ll check it out; learn the history, learn some more and then pass it on. Special Thanks to Kevin and the Foundation, and to Shiraj, keep rocking my man.
This Article First Appeared in The Black Truth News Volume 2 Issue 10 October 2011