Respect Festival presents: Rough authentic gospel from southern kitchen

The Staple Singers were to gospel what Robert Johnson became to the blues. Their raw, authentic delivery inspired the formation of Staples Jr. Singers a half-century ago. It was founded by the Brown siblings, two generations younger, between the ages of 14 and 16. Like the original Staple Singers, they came from black communities in the southern United States. Their debut and only album to date, aptly titled When Do We Get Paid, has become a collector's item. It was reissued this year by Luaka Bop, the label founded by David Byrne. The fusion of black temperament with Christian spirituality has been the starting inspiration for a number of soul and rock and roll greats, including Aretha Franklin and Little Richard, and is much closer to African trance music than to white church chants.

The band's career together lasted less than ten years. In the American South, although segregation was ended by law at the time, it often continued in practice, and Staples Jr. Singers were never sure what kind of welcome they would receive. „Gospel for us was something we wanted to glorify the Lord with, not some show business.“ Then when the youngest of the siblings, Annie, started a family, she went on to start her own group with her daughters. The rest of the original lineup sang with the church choirs during Sunday services and went to work on weekdays. To track down the original members of the Staples Jr. Singers was not easy, but the result exceeded expectations. In 2022, the group performed outside the United States for the first time, at the London Jazz Festival. The oldest of the siblings, Edward, turns 65 this year, sister Annie is 63 and the other brother is 64. Their voices have matured like wine, yet they have lost none of their edge or feel.