Exploring the history of the funk-inspired music genre, the new institution aims to celebrate Black culture and history while empowering the next generation
To anyone familiar with the District ’s deep chronicle with go - go music — a rhythmic , industrious subgenre of Casimir Funk — stepping metrical foot inside the museum is nothing light of nostalgic : black - and - blanched photos of music legend cover the walls , conversant beats rattle through speakers , and guest ’ frantic chattering fills the building ’s interior . But uninitiated visitor can expect to learn a ton here , too — not only about the medicine and artist , but about the local residential area ’s history with political and social advocacy too . Created byDon’t Mute D.C.founders Ronald Moten and Natalie Hopkinson , the trade name new Go - Go Museum & Cafe has been cited as the world ’s first archival art gallery of its sort .
Five years after Mayor Muriel Bowser signed theGo - Go Music of the District of Columbia Designation Act of 2019 , influenced in no small part byDon’t Mute D.C. , the museum opened its door in the historic Anacostia neighborhood back in February . The 8,000 - straight - invertebrate foot construction has been decked out with interactive exhibitions , a cafe , a recording studio apartment , an outside performance stage , and century of artifacts not bound to vintage concert posters and streetwear habiliment . There ’s also a coffee bar , with a menuby Afro - Latina chef andChoppedfinalistAngela Bethea , who also work as a personal chef as Angela Rose , that explores and celebrates street solid food across the Black diaspora .
What is go-go music?
Go - go euphony is famous for its conga - driven beatniks , call - and - response fundamental interaction with resilient audiences , and rhythmic nothingness , funk , hip - hop , R&B , and Afro - Hispanic melody . One of the most seeable artists who became be intimate as the godfather of go - go was Chuck Brown . While there is n’t a firm consensus on the accurate year go - go was created , historians and multiple published work cite the seventies as the panoptic timeframe during which the musical genre was created and move up to popularity . “ Go - go was infused with the finish of our ancestors , ” Moten state , remark that the call - and - response was “ something that our ascendent used to do . ”
Moten dubbed go - go music the " life line of the city " that " sparked the saving " in the seventies , during a catamenia of civil and economic fermentation " when no one want to be there , " while Hopkinson described the genre as " a portal site of delight , residential area , and connection " for D.C. ’s Black universe . Once it became a local staple , it help cement the city ’s cultural identity at the time , bringing together daring way choice from musicians and partygoers likewise , pioneer fresh musical fanfare , engaging audiences in new ways , and more . Since 2019 , efforts to commemorate this history have intensified .
What can you do at the Go-Go Museum?
span two history , the museum pays homage to the “ Godfather of Go - Go , ” bandleader and musicianChuck Brown , and the artists who also reach the foul-smelling , soulful subgenre liveliness , including bandsTrouble FunkandRare Essence . “ Most of the band were either formed in school or they learned to act euphony in the school , Moten said .
The exhibitions include an interactive touch screen with a sequencing timeline of go - go ’s progressing popularity that began in the 1970s and top out in the 1980s .
An audiovisual exhibition boast a catalog of original go - go tracks alongside taste tracks that visitors can heed to and compare to see how the genre informed the artist it preceded . Avid fans of the many music genre that contributed to this way of music , might be surprised to get a line that a handful of songs I grew up believing were independent compositions were intemperately go - go inspired , likeNelly ’s “ Hot In Herre . ”
Photo by Thomas Sayers Ellis
But the Go - Go Museum ’s exploration of the genre ’s ethnic impact does n’t arrest with speech sound . For style lover , a section showcases the local streetwear mark often sold at go - go concerts , like H.O.B.O. “ Those room decorator bug out selling apparel at the attractor shop out of the body of their cars at go - go [ concerts ] , and it bloom into a multimillion - dollar business .
Who are the founders?
Do n’t Mute D.C. was born in 2019 as a social crusade challenge gentrification and racismmore than 20,000 Black Washingtonians have been displaced .
This organizing effort also explored how house physician have long used go - go music and other art forms endangered by these outlet to document and process their communal battle . The movement ultimately led to policy changes that protect the genre ’s future . “ That movement , it gave Black people in DC a [ kind of ] victory that we have n’t had in a long time , ” Moten says . “ From that victory , policy come to empower bootleg mass . ”
“ Seize the instant of being able to form the statute law that made go - go the official music of DC , ” Hopkinson credit Moten for striking the iron while hot , making swift moves to solidify their launch architectural plan . In February 2020 , atelethon fundraiser for the museumfurther cemented the duo ’s decision to move forrader with the concept . Teaching at Howard University at the time , Hopkinson was ecstatic to see the telethon ’s successful sidetrack and overwhelming support . “ masses were excited , people were pulling over , hoi polloi were donating money … it just palpate like the idea got validate at a really important grade , ” she said . The museum also receive more than $ 2 million in city Duncan James Corrow Grant financial backing .
Smithsonian National Museum of American History ’s Music CuratorKrystal Klingenbergagrees that the Go - Go Museum & Cafe . “ There ’s something to be said for the music of Chocolate City , ” Klingenberg said . “ Go - go is the sound of the local folks , ” and “ [ it ’s ] such an important part of the soundtrack of Washington , D.C. , that it ’s super exciting that there ’s now a museum . ”
How do I go? What events are coming up?
For D.C. local anaesthetic , admission to the museum is free with a valid State Department ID , while non - residents can pay a $ 15 suggested donation .
At the beginning of the year , the museum launched a countdown to its forthcoming “ 50 class of Go - Go ” initiative , slat to kick off in January 2026 to lionise the genre ’s 50th day of remembrance . Throughout theyearlong countdown , the museum will host a series of pop - up exhibits and limited consequence .
The museum plans to host an approaching Afro - Latino melodic event to host a conversation about Afro - Latin ’s influence across literary genre . “ Chuck played for a Romance ring called Los Amigos before he started go - go , ” say Moten . “ That ’s why go - go is heavy influenced by Latin percussion , as well . ” The museum is also working on a Juneteenth celebration for 2025 .
After years of study go - go and laying the foundation for this museum , Hopkinson was most satisfied by the chance to make an ode to D.C. ’s autochthonic melodious form and “ seeing young the great unwashed interacting with and learning about go - go euphony , ” she said .
They trust the museum empowers the next generation of instrumentalist to keep go - go ’s ethnic and musical legacy going . “ We just had four schools over the last calendar week , and we have almost 150 schools that want to do enlistment , ” Moten tell .
Members of the DMV community have articulate they ’ve mat up especially thrilled with the museum ’s launch and the prospect to avail usher in a new earned run average for the genre . More than 50 Washingtonians have already offered to host group circuit , according to Moten . HuffPost lieutenant editor and Washington Association of Black Journalists presidentPhilip Lewisrecently hosted an event for WABJ phallus at the museum .
“ Having a museum that focus on go - go and D.C. culture is of import for the youth , specifically , ” Lewis said . “ [ It ] dispels the myth that the only thing deserving talk over in D.C. is what ’s happening on Capitol Hill . [ … ] I would encourage visitant to lend [ this cultural destination ] to their tilt of things to see in D.C. if they desire to feel the true life of the nation ’s majuscule . ”
