Off the Record: Conversations with African American and Brazilian Women Musicians
by LaShonda Katrice Barnett

In the context of interviews with diverse artists representing the blues, bossa nova and Brazilian popular music (BMP), classical, folk, jazz and soul traditions, OFF THE RECORD, offers critical, personal perspectives on the music-making process and careers of renowned 21st-century African American and Brazilian women artists, including Cassandra Wilson, Regina Carter, Tia Fuller, Alice Smith, Tracy Chapman, Ruthie Foster, Alexis P. Sutter, Gal Costa, Rossa Passos, Cesária Évora, Denyce Graves, Measha Bruggergosman, Lalah Hathaway, Maysa, and more. Focusing on musicians’ creative process, inspiration and experiences within the music industry, conversations address the historical and social contexts in which music is created. OFF THE RECORD places special emphasis on the impact of gender and genre choice on musicians’ careers; issues of performance and self-presentation; dynamics of race and class; and the contruction and circulation of women musicians’ images in today’s culture.