I saw Abbey Lincoln perform at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts years after I had become a fan. (The juxtaposition of the names Abbey Lincoln and the Lincoln Center caused me to question myself for a second.)
Abbey Lincoln courtesy of thegrio.com
She was wiry and dynamic. I can still hear her voice, strong and smoky, as she came on stage. In my mind, I sang along to some of my favorites but soaked in every second of her nuanced performance.
Born Anna Marie Wooldridge in Chicago (1930), Abbey Lincoln was a songwriter, activist and actress. She was married to drummer, Max Roach. Abbey Lincoln was 80 years old when she died last year in New York.
I’ve been an Aretha Franklin fan for a long time. I thought I had heard every song she’s sung.
Aretha Franklin - photo courtesy of clashmusic.com
One morning, I heard a DJ mention an Aretha song that, in his estimation, was one of her best. But, he added, wasn’t as well known as her others. He played the song and I had to agree. It was Ain’t No Way.
I went out that same day and bought the cassette tape (yeah, it was that long ago. I still have it!), played it over and over in the car on the way home and for months later. It captured my imagination.
Ain’t No Way
Ain’t no way for me to love you,
if you won’t let me.
It ain’t no way for me to give you all you need,
if you won’t let me give all of me.
I know that a woman’s duty is to help and love a man,
and that’s the way it was planned.
Oh, but how can I, how can I, how can I
give you all the things I can,
if you’re tying both of my hands?
Oh, it ain’t no way (ain’t no way).
It ain’t no way (ain’t no way).
It just ain’t no way, baby (ain’t no way).
Ain’t no way baby (ain’t no way).
It ain’t no way for me to love you,
if you won’t let me.
Stop trying to be someone you’re not.
How cold and cruel is a man
who pay too much for what he got?
And if you need me to love you, say, say you do.
Oh, then baby, baby, baby don’t you know that
I need you.
Oh, Oh, it ain’t no way.
I’ll tell you that it ain’t no way,
It ain’t no way.
It ain’t no way, baby, no.
It just ain’t no way.
It sure ain’t no way
It ain’t no way for me to love you,
if you won’t let me…
Aretha will be performing in July at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Babylon, NY. I would love to see her again but I doubt I’ll be able to. If I had my choice, though, I’d see her in a more intimate setting.
My buddy, Hakea, blogged recently about this amazing musician, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu in a series she calls, Awesome Aussies.
After I listened to his music, I just couldn’t get his voice out of my head and did a bit more research on YouTube. A Yolngu, Yunupingu was born blind. He plays drums, keyboards and didgeridoo, a wind instrument created by the indigenous people of Australia. Yunupingu has won numerous awards for his music.
This song hits home for me as it’s got a little reggae beat. Listen and tell me what you think.
Enjoy!
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Susana, of Afro-Peruvian descent, was born in Chorillos. According to Wikipedia, she has been a prominent figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music within Peru.
Once I heard her music, I knew I had to get a CD. Here’s De los Amores from her CD, Eco de Sombras.
Today marks 30 years since the death of reggae icon, Bob Marley. I remember how shocked I was when I heard the news. I had no idea he had even been sick.
I saw Bob perform once, in Montreal. My boyfriend at the time and I drove from Ottawa for the mid-week concert.
I don’t remember who the opening act was but when Bob finally came onstage, the crowd went wild. Around midnight, we decided to leave. My boyfriend had to work the next morning and we had a two hour drive ahead. (I would never had done that now!) I never got another chance to see Bob perform and always wondered how the show ended. Within a year or so after that show, Bob was dead.
As with some celebrities, Bob has become bigger and more popular in death than in life. More than anything else however, he was instrumental in putting reggae music and Jamaica on the map internationally.
In 1977, when I lived in Barcelona, I went to the student office on some matter that I now can’t recall. I handed over my passport to the gentleman at the office. He looked at it, looked at me and said, Bob Marley. But his English accent was so Spanglified, I didn’t understand. He must have seen the confusion on my face and said it again. Finally, I got it: Bob Marley! We had a good laugh and talked for a good while, in Spanish, about Bob. He even hummed some of his favorite songs.
It was then that I realized that Bob was not just ours, he was also the world’s.
I have many favorite songs but this one, Could You Be loved, has been playing in my head since I woke up this morning so I thought it would be the one to share.
Enjoy!
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What’s your favorite Bob Marley song?
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This song, Poetry Man, reminds me of my days at university, sitting in the backyard in late spring/early summer drinking wine and having lazy conversations.
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Phoebe’s voice is languid and unbelievably rich.
Enjoy!
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I discovered Charles Aznavour when I was at university and have loved listening to him ever since.
Aznavour’s songs are profoundly romantic, his voice passionate and seductive. He sets a certain mood that’s perfect for a Sunday afternoon (or anytime!).
I’ve never seen Sade in concert but a good friend of mine has. From what I hear, she never disappoints.
More than her music, I like Sade as a woman and as a performer. Her smoky voice oozes romance. If you’re in love, you want to be more in love and if you’re not, you sure want to be.
She’s on tour this year. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch her in concert in the New York area.
Sade has so many songs I like, it was difficult to pick one.
All the music in my collection have a personal backstory. Sting‘s Ten Summoner’s Tales CD has special resonance for me as it is the music that helped me through a stressful transition.
I knew about Sting from his days with The Police but something about that particular CD made me really take notice. Each track spoke to me in different ways. It accompanied me on the way to and from work. If it had been in the days of vinyl, I would have worn a groove into all its tracks.
I played it so often, I knew all the lyrics and could identify key guitar licks. Of course, as far as I was concerned, Sting was singing only to me. You couldn’t convince me otherwise.
So, take a listen to Sting’s Shape of My Heart. I love this version – it’s so spare, so clean, so Sting.
Enjoy!
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I’m listening to one of my favorite singers, Cape Verdean, Cesária Évora. The 69 year old Évora, who has been compared to Billie Holliday, made her first recording in 1988. She has 20 studio albums, compilations and live albums to her credit.
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In this video, Évora sings Angola.
Enjoy!
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