Are you into country music? Did you know an enslaved Black man invented the Banjo? Did you know the original cowboys were Black, Mexican, and Native American? Did you know the Hollywood Country Western movie era resulted from aesthetic copying and Jim Crow laws? Well, have we got a show for you.
In this episode, we decided to take an educational and experimental approach to our discussion. This was inspired by Beyonce’s new album Cowboy Carter and our own experience growing up in Texas. We gave ourselves a homework assignment to explore the origins of Country music, Country Western culture, the Rodeo, and modern discrepancies in these industries.
Let us know what you think of the episode.
Here are the links to the information we mentioned in this episode:
Cowboy Carter album symbolism: https://x.com/donovanreyno1ds/status/1777088748150194588
Black cowgirl culture:
https://laist.com/news/they-tried-to-erase-us-taking-up-space-as-a-black-cowgirl-in-la
Cowboy Carter genre-bending:
https://time.com/6961067/beyonce-outlaw-cowboy-carter-essay/
Houston Rodeo culture
https://houston.eater.com/2024/3/15/24101251/houston-rodeo-beyonce-black-cowboy-culture
Guide to Black Country Music:
https://www.shatterthestandards.com/p/a-guide-to-black-country-music
https://www.wjct.org/jme/2022/06/the-black-origins-of-country-music/
Lil Nas X excluded from Country Music: https://www.vinylmeplease.com/blogs/magazine/black-artists-continue-be-excluded-country-music-genre-they-created
Dagny’s Country Music playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2aa36gwY8iDq5LfLGQngR5?si=7dc042ab09e44e9a
Dagny Zenovia 
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