Chicago’s Michael Damani Debuts With “White City, Black World”

Written by Shelby Kluver on August 7, 2020

Primarily known for playing lead guitar for Wyatt Waddell and the Original Chicago Blues All-Stars, Michael Damani is now forging his own path.

After years of touring (taking him to places like Paris, Australia, Brazil, Toronto and more) and honing his own songwriting, Chicago’s prodigious guitar player is striking out on his own. Michael Damani’s debut single “White City, Black World,” is finally here and it has us breathless for more.

“White City, Black World,” harnesses the full range of Damani’s musical prowess in a song that bounces between the relaxed and the emphatic. Flavors of Blues, Soul, R&B and Jazz are interwoven into a conversation surrounding our nation’s racial reckoning.

In a press statement, Damani said:

“‘White City, Black World’ was written in honor of the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park, and Chicago’s Black community.”

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Released through the local label Rosebud Allday, this single is colored, textured and unapologetic. Damani’s famed guitar playing feels like a physical extension of his rapping – dipping and building with his own emotions. He asks the listener to turn away from the television and actually take a look at what’s happening outside of their window. To stop being comfortable with the discomfort of others and recognize the unjust world we live in.

“White City, Black World” is raw and unfiltered in the best way. It’s also a glimpse into a world of music we can expect from an artist branching out, yet honing in.

Listen to Damani’s debut single here: