A Bard’s Tale for Dreamers and Doers

Ronald J. Fontenot’s Black American Bard (released February 21, 2025), featuring EDM singer Tim Moyo, lands you in an enchanted realm from the first note. This 12-track concept album isn’t just a listen—it’s a stage play in sound, weaving medieval magic with modern edges. For Music Authentic, it’s a rare find: a songwriter’s fearless leap into a world few dare to craft, and we’re here for every step.

It kicks off with “Fairytales,” a flowing spell of easy harmonies and magical sound design—Fontenot’s bardic chronicle pulls kids and dreamers alike into vivid scenes. “Lord of the Rings” follows, a catchy ‘60s-style ballad stripped to its Tolkien core, simple yet true. Then “Michael Jackson Tribute” shifts the mood—an intimate fireside ode to a king, tender and ambitious, pulling you into the room. “Peter Pan” dances next, a sprightly medieval tune for young hearts, priming the sails for “Raise the Sails”—a heavyweight that glides on Irish flutes and ethereal swells, grand enough to score a film. “Renaissance Fair” keeps the old-world pulse, its higher notes a jolt after the sail, while “Robin Hood” flips everything—a pop banger with earworm hooks, vivid and mainstream-ready. “Storyland” balances modern beats with classic tones, closing with a haunting musical phrase that lingers. “The Fox and Bear” charms with dreamy layers, a kid’s tale for adults too, and “The Frog Prince” plays out like a quick stage scene—light, fun, and full of flair. “Sword in the Stone” swings back to medieval vibes, tossing in a modern chorus that takes guts, wrapping up like a theater exit. “The Young Forest Man” seals it—a waltzing, mature closer with a modern sheen, reflective and grown.

“From ‘Raise the Sails’ flutes to ‘Robin Hood’ hooks, this album’s got range—it’s a bard’s trip worth taking.”

Fontenot, a composer who teaches on Udemy, writes through Lulu, and scores via YouTube, brings a decade of indie grit to this. His DIY hustle—honed across platforms—fuels Black American Bard’s scope, a vision too bold for most to touch. Tim Moyo’s voice is the spark—emotional in “Fairytales,” soft and close in “MJ Tribute,” popping in “Robin Hood,” thick with layers in “The Fox and Bear.” His EDM roots don’t just sit atop Fontenot’s medieval frame—they meld into it, shifting shades with remarkable delivery, making this a true duo effort. This album’s more than tracks—it’s a time out from the world. You step off the treadmill, away from the grind, and into a bard’s dreamscape where time bends and stories fly. Fontenot spins a chronicle that spans centuries, from Arthur’s courts to Jackson’s reign, and Moyo’s vocals carry you through. It’s an escape, a place to breathe, and that’s no small feat in today’s noise. Black American Bard is a continuation of Ronald J. Fontenot’s Fantastic Fantasy Album (2020) with a big step up.

A few skits or prose could stitch its theatrical threads closer—Fontenot’s got a playhouse in his head begging for it. Even so, “Raise the Sails” fits soundtracks like a glove, and a live take could bring this bard to life—his risks deserve that stage.

Black American Bard sidesteps populism, taking risks that pay off in a theatrical break from reality. Could it polish more? Maybe—it hints at skits it doesn’t deliver. But as a songwriter’s album worth owning, it climbs mountains others won’t touch. Few dare craft something this niche, this unapologetic, blending bardic tales with beats that stick. Fontenot and Moyo made a gamble that pays in spades, and Music Authentic stands by that kind of nerve every time—it’s why we’re hooked on these twelve tracks.

“Black American Bard doesn’t play it safe—Fontenot and Moyo built a niche beast, and Music Authentic’s all over it.”