‘Disco in Its Essence Is Social Protest:’ Producer Shianne Brown Charts the Music’s Legacy in New PBS Docuseries

With Pride Month and Black Music Month in full swing, PBS on June 18 shines a light on the popular disco music genre of the 1970s in a new documentary series, Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution.

The three-part documentary showcases disco from its origins in New York City basement bars of the early 1970s to the peak of the genre on the global charts, violent attempts to end the genre, and its influence on today’s musical artists, according to PBS. In addition, the series looks at the disco's legacy of providing an outlet to marginalized communities whose voices were not heard by mainstream audiences, according to series producer Shianne Brown (PBS’s Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World ; Nat Geo's Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color. )

“Art is often created within marginalized communities and people who are oppressed,” she said. “That’s what’s remarkable about disco … you had black, brown, and LGBTQ+ communities wanting to feel safe and create a safe space where they could express themselves and have true freedom.”

Click below to hear more of the interview with Brown on the latest episode of the  “ Content Spotlight ” podcast.