Your Top 5 Greatest Black Singers?

[Mosiah]

I thought Historian was looking for a male list?!?

Makeba would have been considered by me. Although I love her to death, not sure she would have made a "singers" list for me, as wonderful as her "clicks" were!

The others - I know their names more than I know their music. Youssou N'Dour is a favourite of mine, but would not have made my list.

[Gamma]

We would have to know amour them first and then consider the issue of their greatness. Mariam makeba belongs up there for sure though

[MdmeX]

Nina Simone
Aretha Franklin
Roberta Flack

[MdmeX]

Paul Robeson
David Ruffin
Teddy P
Donnie Hathaway
Minnie Ripperton

Toots Hibbert

Gamma - have you ever listened to Lala Hathway - Donnie's daughter?

[Gamma]

i have. she did did some collaboration with black box years a back .... have not heard anything recent from her.

[Jangle]

Great singers:

Peebo Bryson
Martha Wash
Chakka Khan
Lou Rawls
Howard Hewett
Shannon
Larry Graham
Stacy Francis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYiyEqI0akQ)

[Gamma]

shannon????!! "let the music play" shannon???!!

[Jangle]

shannon????!! "let the music play" shannon???!!

She same one. Ok you caught me. I was just trying to squeeze in one of my favourite singers from the 80's. She is a good singer but not great. But I will raise you by adding Melba Moore and Donna Summers to my list.

[Mosiah]

And yuh a cuss mi bout John Legend?!?!

kmt!

[Peter R]

That question cannot be answered... there must be about a hundred at least in the top five!! if you get my drift. Let me add two names to the list: Concha Buika and Cesaria Evora. Both these ladies are brilliant, the former in the mould of Tina Turner ( and I hope she forgives me for pigeon-holing her that way, but so we can make some connections given cultural biases). Cesaria is like, for lack of a better, immediate comparison, a Cape Verdean Celia Cruz, but with a different style, totally different.

[myYout]

Das right, wicked singah.

[Assasin]

Not in order but
Stevie Wonder(pre late 90s)
David Ruffin
Sam Cooke
Minnie
Whitney are some of those that comes to mind right now.

While others are great I love singers that go places that many others can't go and are not afraid to lay it on the line

When it comes to yard
D Brown
Bunny Rugs
Sanchez (because of his ability to hold some wicked notes)

Note: Sanchez may not be of my favorites singers but I am talking ability here.

[Mosiah]

And that's why I said there are times when a singer does an outstanding job on a particular song, whereas otherwise he may may not rank highly on your list. Sanchez on Amazing Grace is absolutely sensational!

No Jamaican list is complete without Richie Stephens' name, btw.

[Assasin]

yeah Sanchez is great on Amazing Grace. You know he has a very good range when you hear that and some of his other songs but his content and ability as a writer sometimes let him down.

[Mosiah]

It have a ting name coc...why, look at the time!

Gots to run!