What Happened to the R&B Band

With K-Ci and JoJo getting back together and working on a new album, Az Yet hitting the R&B ground running with their soon-to-be hit “Share Life,” and I don't know if you remember, but R&B Guru giving us the good news that EnVogue will grace us with a new album it got me to thinking. Just what ever happened to the R&B band?

I miss Toni Tony Tone. And sure you might be saying to yourself yea, but Mint Condition just dropped E-Life. Well that's one band compared to the hundreds of acts out there. In this day and age there seems to be a lack of interest in learning an instrument and reading music. I remember when it used to be cool to be in a band. There are so many places to place blame, let’s take a look.

Is it the video games? Is it the music classes being scratched from the budget in schools? Or is it that all the kids want to be like Mike and Jay-Z? Not every child will get an opportunity to play in the NBA or be one of the greatest rappers. There was a time when you would watch VH1 and see the commercial for “Let’s save the music.” Let’s not get it twisted, music saves lives especially in the inner cities. It gives a child a chance to explore their mind and creativity.

Somehow we have to get back to wanting to be one sound, one band. That wholeness of community, it was our African roots that taught us that a band was a community and everyone in that community had a voice and you could use your God given voice though song or by picking up an instrument. It didn't matter as long as everyone in the community participated. So for the sake of saving our children lets get in our communities and promote music education and maybe just maybe we can have a new generation of Earth Wind and Fire, all we need is a little Devotion.