User:Lemonhun

Classical singer and author Raoul Abdul was born in Cleveland Ohio on November 7 1929 to Hamid Abdul of Calcutta, India and Beatrice Abdul nee Shreve, a mixed-race Black woman from Canada. , (Raoul Abdul (The HistoryMakers A2004.241), interviewed by Larry Crowe, November 30, 2004, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 2, story 2

Abdul specialized in German lieder, the tradition of setting Romantic poetry to music that became popular music genre in the 19th century. ("Deaths." New York Times (1923-), Feb 13, 2010.)

In pursuit of his passion, he studied at universities and conservatories in Ohio, New York, and Europe from the 1940s through the 1960s, including… at the New York College of Music with Alexander Kipnis ("Raoul Abdul Returns to City in Concert." Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1962), Mar 26, 1955. ) and the Vienna Acadamy of Music ("Will the Real Raoul Abdul Please Stand Up." New York Amsterdam News (1962-), Nov 25, 1967)

Ran Coffee Concerts in Harlem and grew close to Langston Hughes and worked as his literary assistant  ("Will the Real Raoul Abdul Please Stand Up." New York Amsterdam News (1962-), Nov 25, 1967).

He arranged a lieder-style recital program of poetry by Langston Hughes and others, together with African American spirituals and protest songs, entitled The Negro Speaks of Rivers ("Cleveland's Raoul Abdul Scores in Vienna." Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1962), Jun 17, 1961. )

The recital program toured the US from 1964-1967. (cite)

In addition to his musicianship, he was an accomplished writer and editor, publishing 3000 Years of Black Poetry together with ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax. Abdul is also the author of Blacks in Classical Music and Black Entertainers of Today and the editor of The Magic of Black Poetry ("Raoul Abdul, Author, Critic, to Get Ann'l Jackman Award." Call and Post (1962-1982), Jun 10, 1978, City edition.)

He wrote classical music criticism for the Associated Negro Press and New York Amsterdam News. ("Amsterdam Critic to Lecture in Atlanta." New York Amsterdam News (1962-), Jan 31, 1976.)

He was celebrated by organizations like the Harold Jackman Memorial Committee, ("Raoul Abdul, Author, Critic, to Get Ann'l Jackman Award." Call and Post (1962-1982), Jun 10, 1978, City edition. ) and he received the Lift Every Voice Legacy Award from the National Opera Association in 2005. ( https://www.noa.org/initiatives/legacy-project.html )

He died in New York in 2010. ("Deaths." New York Times (1923-), Feb 13, 2010. )