Gaye Adegbalola

Gaye Adegbalola

Gaye Adegbalola is not your stereotypical musician. She’s also more than a musician. Adegbalola is a teacher, lecturer, activist, and a photographer.

“I went on the road [playing music] when I was 44 years old.  That’s unheard of,” Adegbalola told me from her home in Fredericksburg, VA.

Adegbalola pretty much always lived in Fredericksburg since she was born there in 1944.

“My mom is 95. I’m an only child. That’s why I’m still here,” she explained.

Adegbalola’s mother, Gladys Todd was one of the first Civil Rights Movement organizers in that area. Her father, Clarence Todd, was the first Black school board member. He was also a jazz musician and later founded Souls of Shade, a performing arts group for Black youth, now known as Harambee360.  Gladys frequently brought old jazz records home for Adegbalola from the Youth Canteen where she worked. 

By the time Adegbalola graduated from high school as valedictorian in 1961, she was already involved in the Civil Rights Movement.  She participated in many picket lines and sit-in style protests.  Adegbalola earned a B.A. in biology from Boston University and worked in a variety of occupations in that field including as a bacteriologist at Harlem Hospital.

While there, she continued her activism by serving as the local union representative. Adegbalola was also part of the Black Power Movement for several years in New York where she met and married her husband. 

In 1968, a Yoruba priest gave her the surname of Adegbalola, meaning ‘I am reclaiming my royalty.’ Adegbalola is proud of her Black heritage and uses the African name to show it.  On her Web site, Adegbalola has a pronunciation aid so visitors can hear her name, as it should be said.

“I did that in part to de-mystify African words. Most are pronounced just the way they look…sometimes it’s a matter of a long or short vowel but you’ll come close if you sound it out,” she told me.

When she divorced her husband in 1970, she returned to Fredericksburg and became a teacher in the local schools.  Adegbalola also helped her father direct the Harambee Theatre until his death in 1977.  At this time, she began to learn the guitar.

“In high school, I did flute and piccolo…I was in the All-State Band…if that counts, I’ve been doing music for 50 years,” Adegbalola told me as we talked about her music career.

Almost 25 years ago, Gaye Adegbalola, with her guitar teacher and fellow blues musician Ann Rabson, started Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women.  The duo later became a trio with the addition of Andra Faye.  They recorded their first album, Middle Age Blues, in 1987.  And a year later, Adegbalola became a full-time blues performer. Twenty years later she is still on the road playing music and she loves it.

“We’ve made a living doing what we love…what more can you ask for. We still have our own identities and projects,” she said.

For one of Adegbalola’s projects, she will be performing at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville this month as part of the WNC Jazz Society’s jazz series.   It’s not so much a solo performance as it is one separate from her Saffire shows.  Adegbalola will be performing with Roddy Barnes and Bob Margolin in a performance entitled Gaye Adegbalola & Friends that will feature what Adegbalola called “neo-classical blues.”

“I’ll be focused on blues from the ‘20s…Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey,” she explained.

Although her Asheville show will be more in the style of classic blues, Adegbalola has recently released a new CD, which will be available at her show.  The title of this new recording is a play on words.  Gaye Without Shame is a reference to Adegbalola herself as a person without shame and being a proud member of the LGBTQ community. Adegbalola told me what her goal is with this CD.

“It’s twofold. One is to take gay and lesbian issues to the blues community. And two, to take blues and sub genres of the blues to the gay community.”

She went on to describe the collection of songs, originals and covers, on Gaye Without Shame. 

“There’s a song that deals with transgender…one that deals with the church’s hypocrisy…one that deals with dying, of AIDS or otherwise.  There’s even a song about safe sex.  Some of it is quite in your face,” Adegbalola said with pride and a smile, though I couldn’t see that over the phone.

A bonus track on the CD is her speech, Civil Rights vs. Queer Rights.  Adegbalola speaks frequently on this topic.  Recently she spoke at University of Virginia during a diversity seminar.  Her topic then and on Gaye Without Shame is about the differences and similarities between the gay rights and Black civil rights.

Adegbalola pointed out to me, “They used the same thing to oppress Black people that the use to oppress gay people, the Bible.”

As if a solo CD and tour weren’t enough to keep this woman busy, Adegbalola and the other Uppity Blues Women of Saffire just finished creating a documentary, Hot Flash, chronicling the history of the trio and they have been rehearsing and recording a new Saffire CD that should come out in February of 2009.  Adegbalola, Rabson, and Faye aren’t just uppity; they’re unstoppable.

At the same time, Adegbalola’s interest in social justice and activism is as strong as ever.  This year she is working to encourage folks to register to vote and go to the polls.  And the thrust of her efforts with this year’s election will be for the Obama/Biden campaign.

“I firmly believe that the world is becoming one big country.  We can be represented by another pompous rich…man or we can be represented by someone more in touch with all the people,” explained Adegbalola before inquiring if I was registered to vote and if I had decided whom to vote for.

If you’re experiencing a case of election season blues; if you like good old-fashioned blues or are a fan of Saffire or just want to hear some amazing music, go to Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville on Sunday, October 26 to hear Gaye Adegbalola & Friends.  You will not be disappointed.

Tickets: $21 for WNC Jazz Society members; $29 for non-members; $10 for students with ID under age 25. To purchase tickets, call the Diana Wortham Theater box office (828) 257-4530. For more information about WNC Jazz Society, go to www.wncjazzsociety.org.  For more information about Gaye Adegbalola and to sample her music, please visit, www.adegbalola.com.