Kamala Harris and her musical tastes
On track to secure the official Democratic nomination for the next US presidential election after Joe Biden’s withdrawal, the Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris Over time he has shown that he has musical knowledge and his own tastes.
Meanwhile, the music world has also given its support to Harris’ electoral campaign, starting with Beyonce which allowed the use of his hit “Freedom” at campaign events.
Now, of course, the new Republican candidate is under scrutiny, including her tastes and musical knowledge. A few days ago, as the French website of the magazine Les Inrockuptibles recalls, a video from May 3, 2023 reappeared on social networks, showing the former Attorney General of California (then Vice President and now presidential candidate) leaving Home Rule (HR) Records, a record store in Washington DC specializing in jazz, soul, reggae and other genres from the African continent.
“I was impressed,” said Charvis Campbell, the store’s owner, who also said that when he recommended a Coltrane, Kamala replied that she was more of a Mingus type. It would seem that she prefers the upright bass to the sax.
Kamala Harris in the video posted on Instagram, takes her purchases out of a bag and shows them to the camera. She had just bought: “Let My Children Hear Music” by Charlie Mingus (1972), “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” signed Roy Ayers Ubiquity (1976), which he declared to be his all-time favorite, and the classic “Porgy And Bess” (1959), by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
The three vinyls chosen by Kamala Harris to enrich her record collection are perfect, classics, three consecrated, recognized, appreciated and loved works, cornerstones of the production of sacred monsters of jazz.
But on another occasion she gave a very different demonstration of her musical preferences. Also last year, after a trip to Africa to promote American investments and innovation on the continent, with stops in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, the new candidate for the office of 47th President of the United States shared a playlist of 25 songs, for almost an hour and a half, with African artists, thus going beyond the classic institutional photos.
On this occasion, Harris has changed register. The playlist obviously focuses on the musical production of the African countries visited, choosing (certainly helped) however exclusively recent songs, mostly unknown to the general public, but appreciated by her. She therefore has the ability to know how to range between the great classics and the novelties of the market. It would be a good thing to apply this criterion also in politics.
