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about
“Harlem Sweeties” by Dorothy Rudd Moore (1940–2022) is from the
1990 song cycle Flowers of Darkness. Touching the boundaries of jazz, boogie-woogie, and doo-wop, her setting evokes the metaphorical delights and temptations of Harlem’s elite neighborhood, Sugar Hill.
lyrics
Harlem Sweeties
(Langston Hughes)
Have you dug the spill
Of Sugar Hill?
Cast your gims
On this sepia thrill:
Brown sugar lassie,
Caramel treat,
Honey-gold baby
Sweet enough to eat.
Peach-skinned girlie,
Coffee and cream,
Chocolate darling
Out of a dream.
Walnut tinted
Or cocoa brown,
Pomegranate-lipped
Pride of the town.
Rich cream-colored
To plum-tinted black,
Feminine sweetness
In Harlem’s no lack.
Glow of the quince
To blush of the rose.
Persimmon bronze
To cinnamon toes.
Blackberry cordial,
Virginia Dare wine—
All those sweet colors
Flavor Harlem of mine!
Walnut or cocoa,
Let me repeat:
Caramel, brown sugar,
A chocolate treat.
Molasses taffy,
Coffee and cream,
Licorice, clove, cinnamon
To a honey-brown dream.
Ginger, wine-gold,
Persimmon, blackberry,
All through the spectrum
Harlem girls vary—
So if you want to know beauty’s
Rainbow-sweet thrill,
Stroll down luscious,
Delicious, fine Sugar Hill.
supported by 4 fans who also own “Harlem Sweeties”
I love these women. the voices mesh together perfectly; also the world music is exceptional. I have all of their albums and they're all excellent. Give them a listen. Steve Lake
More genre-hopping folk experiments from the Toronto artist, utilizing lap steel guitars, tongue drums, found instruments, and more. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 25, 2021
Bedroom pop with gentle electronic accents from Josh Thorpe, who paints sweetly intimate portraits of everyday love. Bandcamp New & Notable May 9, 2023
supported by 4 fans who also own “Harlem Sweeties”
I didn’t even know I was looking for this record, and then it found me. Holy cow, it’s so great. Drum machine and a variety of keyboards, the occasional overdubbed layers of understated vocals, and little skeletons of songs that sound terrific just the way they are. A minimalist odyssey for sure. Markly Morrison