PASADENA, Calif. — In the heart of Black Music Month, Washington, D.C. native Charis Reese is making waves on the West Coast by bringing the vibrant sounds of go-go music to Los Angeles. Following in the footsteps of legendary artists like Chuck Brown, Reese is determined to keep the go-go legacy alive and well.
A recent graduate of the Los Angeles College of Music (LACM), Charis Reese’s passion for music runs deep.
“I feel like when I was in the operating room, my mom was definitely listening to Chuck Brown before I came out. So it’s been in my veins since I was born,” she said.
With a rich upbringing in the nation’s capital, Reese embraces go-go as the cornerstone of her budding career.
Describing go-go as a blend of African drums, R&B, jazz, and pure party vibes, Reese is spearheading the West Coast go-go movement by establishing one of the first and only go-go bands in Los Angeles.
“Go-go is now the official sound of D.C.,” she proudly proclaimed. “Black people are everywhere. We just want to celebrate them, give them something to cook out to, something to ride to wherever they go,” she said.
Charis Reese’s efforts to spread go-go music far and wide recently gained a significant boost when renowned actress Angela Bassett attended one of her concerts. The viral moment that ensued furthered Reese’s mission to share go-go with the world.
Reese also owes much of her growth in music to the Los Angeles College of Music where Black music culture is being embraced.
Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter, Jameel Roberts, emphasizes its influence on American popular music as a whole.
“Much of almost all American popular music is rooted in the Black American experience or just Black music in general,” Roberts explained.
He highlights rhythmic elements like the tresillo rhythm, which can be found in various genres, including contemporary pop music.
This summer, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop LACM announced a partnership with the Subvers!ve Music Foundation (SMF) to provide a round of full and partial scholarships to those with financial need for the upcoming popular Summer at LACM course “Rap & Hip Hop Change the World.”
Taught by Roberts, the course is designed to inspire the next generation of Hip Hop and Rap artists and musicians and to give them hands-on experience for a leg up on the competition.
Charis Reese believes that go-go has the potential to make a lasting mark on pop culture, just as Black music has done for generations.
“Go-go is being played in Japan. It’s being played in Jamaica and many different places worldwide,” Reese expressed. “We just want to keep it moving, keep the culture going forward.”