A slew of musicians took to the stage this week in Chicago during the Democratic convention that crowned Kamala Harris as the US presidential candidate.
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A host of musicians took part this week, from Monday 19 to Thursday 22 August 2024, in the Democratic convention in Chicago, during which Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were nominated as candidates in the race for the American presidential election next November.
Stevie Wonder, Pink, John Legend and Sheila E, Lil Jon, Patti LaBelle and The Chicks were among those present for these four high-energy days in the Chicago Bulls arena.
On Tuesday, soul godmother Patti LaBelle sang You Are My Friend before concluding soberly at the microphone “God Bless America and Kamala Harris!”.
Later, rapper Common performed his new track Fortunate along with gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds, not without having predicted that Kamala Harris would “change the world for the better“, reports USA Today.
But on this day, it was rapper Lil Jon who caused a sensation. As a delegate from Georgia, he gave a surprise performance, briefly performing his global hit Turn Down for What and a political remix of Get Low, encouraging everyone to sing”We’re not going back”.
On Wednesday, the pope of soul Stevie Wonder, 74, performed his hit Higher Ground (1973), surrounded by a band and dancers in immaculate attire, after speaking, calling on Americans to vote and overcome divisions by choosing “courage rather than complacency“.
Then, still on Wednesday, John Legend, on piano, and Sheila E, on drums, played before the acceptance speech of Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s chosen vice president. The duo of artists paid tribute to Prince, a musical icon from Minnesota where Tim Walz is governor, with a wild version of Let’s Go Crazy.
On Thursday, the last night of the Democratic convention, when many were hoping for Beyoncé to appear, it was the singer Pink, currently on a world tour with her Summer Carnival Tour, who put on the show, performing, with a guitar, backup singers and her own daughter Willow, 13, a moving version of her 2017 single. What About Us.
Country music, often associated with Republicans, has not been forgotten. Since Beyoncé and Lil Nas X successfully reclaimed the genre, there is no question of leaving the monopoly to conservatives.
So, on Monday, the first evening of the Democratic convention, Democratic delegates, activists and volunteers had already applauded All American country singer Mickey Guyton, the first black solo singer nominated in the country category at the Grammys (in 2020), and Something More Than Free country songwriter Jason Isbell, both of whom came on stage.
Then, a few hours before Kamala Harris’ speech on Thursday, it was the country stars The Chicks, three ultra-popular Texans known for having criticized President George W. Bush and the invasion of Iraq in 2003, who came to sing the national anthem a cappella, while the crowd waved American flags.
In addition to the singers and musicians who came to give their support in person, other songs resonated in the arena, such as Tupac’s huge hit California Loveon which the governor of California (Kamala Harris’ state) Gavin Newsom spoke and especially Freedom by Beyoncé, which, as the official song of Kamala Harris’ campaign, was played every night of the convention.
Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, the music-loving governor of Minnesota, walked off stage Wednesday to the sounds of Rockin’ in the Free World by Neil Young. According to Varietythe Canadian musician had “personally” approved the use of this piece taken from his album Freedom (1989) for Kamala Harris’ campaign, especially since it is one of Tim Walz’s favorite songs. Neil Young, however, sued Republican candidate Donald Trump in 2020 for the repeated use of this title without his consent during his campaign.
In conclusion of this grand mass, which sometimes took on the appearance of a music festival, Kamala Harris’ first words in her acceptance speech Thursday evening were devoted to her childhood memories, “in a house filled with laughter and music“, with the soul of Aretha Franklin and the jazz of John Coltrane and Miles Davis featuring prominently.