Linda Tillery to be honored as ‘Sister of Fire’

By Clifford L. Williams

Dubbed the “diva of the African Diaspora” by one writer, Linda Tillery helped start a musical movement in the early ’90s with her groundbreaking Cultural Heritage Choir. On Sunday, Oct. 28, she will receive another title, “Sister of Fire,” as part of an award sponsored by the Women of Color Resource Center (WCRC).
   With former Sister of Fire award recipient Angela Davis serving as guest emcee, WCRC will honor Tillery at the ninth annual Sisters of Fire Awards, “Igniting, Inspiring, Transforming,” at Oakland’s Scottish Rite Center, beginning at 11 a.m.
    An accomplished vocalist since the 1960s, Tillery was first introduced to field recordings of traditional African American music while singing for a play in 1992. Her subsequent ethnomusicological research uncovered a treasure trove of spirituals, work songs, field hollers and slave songs and formed the basis of her acclaimed Cultural Heritage Choir’s repertoire.
    Tillery will be recognized alongside the other 2007 Sisters of Fire recipients, Karen Bass, Ishle Park, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and the Service Women’s Action Network.
    The program will feature performances by Bay Area jazzfusion band Infinite Kin, brunch for 400 guests and speeches and/or performances by each of the honorees. Tickets cost $45- $75 on a sliding scale.
    This year’s ceremony will also celebrate the accomplishments of longtime executive director Linda Burnham as she moves on to other opportunities.
    Each year, WCRC celebrates the achievements of women who provide exemplary leadership in community organizing, political advocacy, the arts and social analysis. Past recipients include congresswomen Barbara Lee and Cynthia McKinney.