Shoga Speaks

At the turn of the 20th century, African American artists faced a fundamental question: how could they prove their citizenship and claim their place in American culture? Historian and musician David Gilbert traces how the first generation of African American performers to crack Broadway effected this transformation.  Ernest Hogan named himself “the unbleached American.” Bert Williams and George Wa...

In 1896, Ernest Hogan's "All Coons Look Alike to Me" became the first song to sell a million copies in America, making him a star and setting off the "coon song craze"—an era in which African American performers and composers achieved unprecedented professional success while trafficking in the very stereotypes designed to undermine their citizenship. David Gilbert, a histo...

This episode explores the life and legacy of actor John Garfield (born Julius Garfinkel), focusing on how his Jewish roots shaped his identity, artistic choices, and political stance. Journalist Robert Nott, author of He Ran All the Way: The Life of John Garfield , recounts Garfield’s upbringing on New York’s Lower East Side, among Jewish immigrant poverty, and strict religious expectations. Rejec...

In this episode, Dr. Robert Philipson interviews Mona Smith, Canada Lee's biographer,  about the rise, political assassination, and virtual erasure of this African American hero. From 1934 to 1951, Canada Lee was the most famous and revered Black actor of his day, associated -- and frequently starring -- with every landmark African American Broadway production. He broke barriers again and aga...

In this episode of Shoga Speaks , Dr. Robert Philipson interviews author Doug Century about his biography Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter , exploring the extraordinary life of Barney Ross—a Jewish boxing champion, World War II hero, and outspoken recovering addict. Born Dov-Ber Rosofsky in an Orthodox household, Ross rose from Chicago’s Jewish ghetto to become a national sports icon in t...

This episode of Shoga Speaks dives into the life and legacy of legendary blues singer Alberta Hunter through a rich conversation with playwright and activist Jewelle Gomez , whose play Leaving the Blues reimagines Hunter’s journey as a closeted Black lesbian performer in early 20th-century America. Host Dr. Robert Philipson and Gomez explore Hunter’s fierce independence, prolific songwriting, civi...

Dave Drexler of the San Diego's Jazz88.3 FM  conducted an interview with Dr. Robert Philipson when his documentary, "Body and Soul: An American Bridge" was selected as the closing night offering of the San Diego Jewish Film Festival and was watched by over 1000 people. Philipson discusses the composition of the song "Body and Soul" by Jewish composer Johnny Green in 1930....

In 2019, the Netflix adaptation of the August Wilson play, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, spread her fame to tens of thousands of Americans. The film starred Viola Davis as the bisexual blues diva and enshrined Chadwick Boseman's final performance before his untimely death to cancer. In a blog post I wrote about the film at the time, I  prophesied that Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman would b...

Shoga Founder Dr. Robert Philipson discusses the question, "Can Classical Music Be Black" with African American composer Ozie Cargile. Does there need to be something recognizably “Black” in classical music compositions by Black composers? Indeed is there anything “Black” about the classical music tradition or is it, as Dr. Philipson contends, a white preserve fiercely defended as such b...

Shoga Founder Dr. Robert Philipson holds a dialogue with African American composer Ozie Cargile about the possibilities of Black classical music. Find out what an orchestra "hit" is. Website : www.shogafilms.com; Instagram : shogafilms; Facebook : facebook.com/shogafilms; Twitter : twitter.com/shogafilms

Website : www.shogafilms.com; Instagram : shogafilms; Facebook : facebook.com/shogafilms; Twitter : twitter.com/shogafilms