Tracy Chapman

When I was young, my dad love listening to music outside while he repaired his good ol’ Renault car in our old make shift garage. The car spent more time being repaired than on the road. I guess being under the hood gave him some peace or something. 

He would come into the house all gooey and reeking oil and stuff. I remember one time he removed the whole engine and placed it smack into the middle of living room and mama almost had a heart attack. So every time someone went to hit the light switch they dug their foot into the thingy and the pain hurt like a mofo. Being children with a short attention span we always forgot it was there and it was not unusual to hear someone shrieking like a banshee when they woke up in the middle in the night to drink water or something.

Now the music he listened to included Charlie pride, ABBA, Nina Masqueri(hope am spelling this right), Percy sledge, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Don Williams, Tracy Chapman, Kenny Rogers, Kylie Minogue, Madonna etc. Out of all the musicians it was Tracy Chapman who really struck a chord in my heart and I suspect she cast the same spell on good ol’ dad too. We would wake up to Tracy Chapman before going to school to a point that I knew all her songs by heart. Although am pretty sure some of words as I knew them then were way off the mark. I used to wonder whether she was male or female seeing as the Cassette tapes cover had unflattering pictures of her. And her voice was kind of masculine like mine so it was hard to tell the difference.

Many musicians have “come into” my life and gone the same way they came in but Tracy Chapman is here to stay forever. I really get annoyed when people won’t just let her keep her private life private. Some of the discussions and attacks about her being gay are just cruel; with some bloggers writing that she dated American writer Alice Walker. I don’t really care what people say, all I know that she rocks and I hope my child(ren) will one day love her music too.

Her songs are so deep and poetic that sometimes I go to easylyrics.org just to read the words and get uplifted.  Her music is categorized mostly as of the alternative rock genre. It is through her music that I even became aware of instruments such as the cello, organ, ukulele, electric banjo, acoustic guitar and tambourine plus others that she has incorporated into her songs. Thanks to my brother who is a guitar player in our church I have learned to differentiate between guitars. He has tried to teach me how to play but my huge sausage fingers and impatience won’t let me concentrate.

It really sad that most people and local radio stations only know about FAST CAR, TALKIN’ BOUT REVOLUTION, BABY CAN I HOLD YOU, CROSS ROADS, GIVE ME ONE REASON and TELLING STORIES. While there are so much more awesome songs like BE CAREFUL OF MY HEART, I DID IT ALL, YOU’RE THE ONE, OPEN ARMS, ALMOST, TINMAN, SING FOR YOU, THIS POINT IN MY LIFE, BRIDGES, SMOKE AND ASHES, FOR MY LOVER, THIS TIME and MOUNTAIN O THINGS, SING FOR YOU, IF NOT NOW..., FOR YOU, FOR MY LOVER, FREEDOM NOW, SUBCITY, ALL THAT YOU HAVE IS YOUR SOUL, among others which are worth listening to. It is rare to find a musician whose songs in one album are all awesome hence my fascination with this beautiful woman.

She is considered as a politically and socially active singer/song writer seen by how she speaks so much about injustices and issues affecting people in America and the rest of the world. She holds a B.A. Degree in Anthropology and African studies which I believe has helped her not only in critical thinking but also to be able to write eloquently on issues affecting people. This is why I think everyone should go go to school even if they pursue careers in entertainment as there are some skills that you get there that you won’t get anywhere else.

By the way do you know that she also did a couple of duets? The strangest combination, I think, was with Pavarotti for BABY CAN I HOLD YOU TONIGHT, check it out of YouTube and tell me what you think. Personally I enjoyed it immensely especially since I have never pictured her genre could mesh well with classical music.

A friend of mine recently asked me if am still in “Tracy Chapman phase” and my answer is, it’s not a phase but a genuine love, respect and appreciation for the music and contribution she has made.

Please listen to one of my favourite love songs above and tell me what you think!