The legacy of the Shangri-Las, and Palestinian band 47SOUL

Melbourne historian and musician Lisa MacKinney has written the first full-length history of 1960s New York pop group The Shangri-Las. They were responsible for hits like Leader of the Pack and Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand), teenage soap opera songs that sounded like nothing else on radio at the time.

MacKinney’s book Dressed In Black: The Shangri-Las and their Recorded Legacy flips a lot of the accepted narrative about the group on its head, and argues that their talent and musicality has been overlooked due to their age and gender, and that the emotional impact of their (relatively small) collection of songs is of lasting importance.

47SOUL are a band with members scattered between Jordan, London and the US, all sharing roots in Palestine. Responsible for pioneering the genre 'Shamstep', their music blends Dabke (Levantine folk dance) traditions with electronica, R&B and hip hop. Synthesiser player Ramzy Suleiman sat down with producer Ce Benedict to talk about how his synth can emulate the sounds of traditional instruments like the mijwiz (pipe), mijwad (bagpipes) and rebab (a bowed string instrument). He also reveals what it's like taking his group's music to the other side of the world, and why he wants people to listen, and to dance. 

47SOUL's new EP Dualism Pt. 1 is due 2 May.

Lisa MacKinney launches her book Dressed In Black: The Shangri-Las and their recorded legacy at Readings in Carlton, Melbourne on Friday 28 March.