Artist: Ben Harper
Hometown: Claremont, California
Song: “Black Beauty” (from the 2020 film, Black Boys)
Release Date: January 12, 2021
Label: ANTI- Records
In Their Words: “It was an honor to have been asked to write a song for this culturally vital documentary,” Harper said. “After watching Black Boys and discussing it in depth with [director] Sonia Lowman, I went immediately to work on composing ‘Black Beauty.’ I am old-school and still love getting players in a room together, so a production of this scale during a pandemic was challenging, with quarantine. I was fortunate that the incredible musicians in my circle have taken it upon themselves to become circumstantial recording engineers, and thanks to modern recording technology and some FaceTime sessions, I was able to work by sending tracks back and forth over the internet.” — Ben Harper
Photo credit: Jacob Boll
