By Ray Robinson
Attention all Funkateers. Pay very close attention to the red light that is blinking just beyond the reaches of your internal musical metronome called your mood control.
The alarm has been sounded around the globe to bring great awareness and attention to a literary masterpiece penned by a member of thee most creative band ever assembled.“Dawn Silva-Funk Queen “is a piece of history that has never been told in this manner. Until now.
Silva, a member of George Clinton’s family of funky thangs to play with, and the lead singer for “The Brides of Funkenstein”, takes her readers on a ride inside of the massive mothership with this prize. Her pen glides so effortlessly through dates, places, tours, parties, people,drugs, disagreements and darkness in this colorful piece of work. Many scholars, writers and fans are calling her art “the Funk Bible”. It is undoubtedly the quintessential guide though time, spaces and all places associated with the P. And other bands too.
Fasten your safety belt as this ride does experience a bit of turbulence from time to funk time. Darkness, lights, spaceships, doctors, clones and maggots actually come to life and Dawn places you right there as the stories unfold. Each epic chapter surrounds you as you wiggle and squirm for a closer encounter with each yarn that she serves up.
Even as a child, Silva kept pen to paper as though she were a chosen keeper of all things to be remembered. She journaled. Journaled. Then then journaled some more.
Welcome to the most prolific and definitely the best “behind the scenes peek” into the realms of music ever to be written.
Silva pulls back the curtain and shares some of the most intimate secrets about the music industry. Both good and bad. Be certain to pick this one up as It’s sure to keep you entertained with 528 pages of pure P spilled all over the place-it’s a must read.
As a core member of two of the most impressive bands ever to assemble, Sly and the Family and Parliament-Funkadelic ( well, that’s actually waaaay more than two) the author pulls you right onstage with her amid the fog, pyrotechnics, polyphonic vocals, augmentations and explosive arguments.
She drops sparkling gems explaining and exposing her time as frontman for “The Brides of Funkenstein”. The Brides, another one of George Clinton’s ingenious musical acts, made a huge noise on the funk trails landing them side-by-side with the top bands of the era.
Unfortunately, as their ship was hovering and gaining momentum close to warp speed, Clinton pulled the plug and began to seemingly undermine the girl’s efforts. Even though they were winning major awards and attention worldwide, the plugged got pulled on them by the very doctor who created them.
All in all the book is a banger and a sho nuff must read. Oh yeah, the book is chock full of excellently shot color pictures of Dawn and her cohorts throughout her days on and off stage.
Just recently, she released a skunky remake of Bootsy Collin’s, “I’d Rather Be With You” that has Funkateers back ferociously bobbing their heads to its infectious beat. She’s also completed an original ditty called, “As Long As It’s On the One” that can get you up and grooving. Both tracks are dripping with a nastiness preserved strictly for those who love to move.
Go to dawn Silva.com to order your copy of the book.