June is Black Music Month!

President George W. Bush has proclaimed June as the Black Music Month and it is in recognition of the historical importance of African-American musicians in the cultural development of the United States of America since Wallis Willis, the Choctaw freedman composed Swing Low, Sweet Chariot in the old Indian Territory, in 1862 and the American Negro spiritual was first recorded by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1909.

There are too many African-American musicians to mention and it is laudable for President George W. Bush to honour them by this national proclamation. The Library of Congress has the records of all the great compositions of African-American musicians from spiritual to jazz and R & B and from Rap to Hip-Hop.

To celebrate the Black Music Month, here is Kathleen Battle's classic performance of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.