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By Frederick I. Douglass The ‘show ‘at Painters Mill on Saturday night has caused a major ‘con ‘troversy between opposing factions which are arguing whether or not Letta Mbula outlang Minnie Ri perton! The star-studded show at Painters Mill featured vo calists Minnie Riperton and Letta Mbulu along with B-More’s own star guitarist O'Donell Levy. Levy, who has recorded several albums, kicked off the show playing stratos opherically paced jams like “Panama Red” and “Song from my Window,” amply displaying the fluidity and clarity of his articulation on the guitar. Next Letta Mbulu, graced the stage with her stunn , sultry presence, croon peg tunes ,llike “Music ‘Man” and “There's Music in the Air,” echoing the primitively “sophisticated sounds of her native home land of South Africa which brother Andrew Young bet ter check out. She sang songs which reverberated the plaintive cries of her anguished homeland in racist South Africa where blacks are under tyrannious dictatorship. Then came Minnie Ri- Perton who is’ also a beau tiful black woman, em bracing the’ audience with songs like ‘Stay in Love,” “*Young, Willing and able,” “Could it be I’m in’ Love” and “Stick To gether,” which Riperton co-authored with Stevie Wonder. She sang songs which echoed the plaintive cries and love songs of her native America where blacks are becoming in creasingly less a part of the democratic process. But the controversy sur rounding the show dealt, not with ideology related to, the timely uprising of third world nations: it dealt with the talent and showmanship of the artists in, the pro vocative terms...of . Janis. Cotton and stdors’ “Ham pton, two sexy ‘and Bultry more females,who ‘had some outspoken viewpoints on the quality of the ‘shows that ‘were presented “by Minnie Riperton’and Letta’ Mbulu. According to Isadora Hampton, a beaucoup ,at tractive and intelligent em ploye of McCormick. *...Both Minnie ‘and Mbulu were excellent, but I preferred Minnie Riper ton’s act because of her total professionalism and her control of the timbre and dynamics of her voice.. But I was also suprised to see her come out of her usual little girl image and express her womanhood...I’m __ really ‘Gimated to see Minnie ex pressing ‘herself as a fully mature woman who is needful and desirous” of a man. . .Really ee no way to compare’ us because each artist was spectacular and Letta Mbulu made me feel at though I was really in Af rea” . . However, Janice Cotton, the big smile at A/D Booking Agency, the man agers of the Softones. Vel ‘vet Fire ant, other grams, saw the show differently widh stete.. “Lette Mbola was far more entertaining, than Minnie Rinerton. . I mean Letta had the au dience with her, all the way, she has more’ show manship and igrantiv Aaren to ‘earth.. Its ke this. I would never go to see Min nie Rinerton again if she were by herself . Minnie would have to bring some other neenle with her to prod up her weak act.” The writer of this column requests comments from others who saw this show or who have another opin ion of an experience we both may have observed. Ernest Borgnine (right) as Cleaver, and John Amos, (left) as Bundy, are veteran cops and part ners, who are joined by a third partner, Officer Haven, (Michael Shannon), who looks like any other rookie, but is actually a computerized an droid, in the ABC Television Network comedy/ drama series, “Future Cop.”
Newspaper Details
Baltimore Afro American
Baltimore, Maryland, US
Sat, Apr 30, 1977
Page 19
Full Page
Clipped by
Dawne Y.
USA 15 Jun 2026
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