Black Music Sunday: Celebrating Muslim jazz musicians as Ramadan begins
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins Monday in the United States. It’s a monthlong time of prayer, fasting, and introspection for Muslims around the world. It’s only fitting to highlight some stellar Muslim jazz musicians in this week’s “Black Music Sunday”—both their history and their music, which have been a blessing to listeners (of any faith or no faith) for many decades.
Many of the Black American musicians who developed bebop as a genre were converts to Islam, or were in bands heavily influenced by converts.
Join me for an exploration and celebration of Black Muslims’ contributions to both bebop and the wider world of jazz.
”Black Music Sunday” is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over 200 stories covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.