Win with Fairlady!
Win a shopping spree in chic Paris worth R100 000!
Book it!
Visit our bookclub for great reviews and must-have books!
 |
My elder sister, Bongi introduced me to Rhythm 'n Blues. Bongi was part of the Mary J. Blige fan-club. Her teen years were spent recording I'm going down onto video cassette from Channel O. She was a fan of Toni Braxton Let it flow and You're making me high. Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey... these were the ladies of sensual RnB.
One evening, Bongi and I walked in to the kitchen and found Mom and Dad slow-dancing. They held each other close as Randy Crawford knocked on heaven's door. I was twelve and thought their 80's nostalgia was quite sickening.
My dad was into Teddy Pendergrass and Marvin Gaye. He would tap the steering wheel lightly and frown whilst Marvin crooned "...Sexual Healing is something that's good for you".
By the age of fourteen, I knew the lyrics but had no idea what they meant.
A Woman's Voice
I recently discovered Aretha Franklin's Do Right Woman, Do Right Man. Picture her standing in a 60s blue-lit jazz bar:
"A woman's only human/ You should understand/ She's not just a plaything/ She's flesh and blood/ Just like her man"
In the chorus, Aretha pleads: "If you want a do right, all day woman/ You've gotta be a do-right all night man". Aretha's music has become my man-mantra.
Where did we go wrong?
Now we have the Yellow Girl's Brigade: Rihanna, Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger... all pretty yellow women with a team of media reps and millions invested behind their brands. I mean, talent. They're eager to sludge mud on their bodies and grind the floor. It's soft-core porn with a smile.
Whether these women can sing or not is irrelevant – in fact, some of them have wonderful voices. Unfortunately, what's become more important is whether P.Diddy or Jay Z can transform their sex appeal and market it to teens.
I'd rather savour the smoky feel of Judith Sephuma and Zamajobe Sithole. I'm more interested in the beats of Tumi & the Volume and Godessa. I don't want to shake my ass. I'd rather have music that I can relate to.
What kind of music are you into? Do you long for the soulfulness of yesteryear? Or are you into today's bump and grind? Tell us in the comment box below.
Ask an expert
Article Search
Get blogging
Get one now!
Read one now!
 |
 |
|
|
|
||
 |
 |
|
| I agree. The new music with all these half naked girls shaking all their stuff is only 'in' for a while and then these singers are forgotten. Todays music is not timeless like the music we grew up with! | ||
 |
||
| Sonia on 13 May at 14:48 |
||
| Using the term Yellow girl is pretty racist! | ||
 |
||
| concerned individual on 14 May at 10:03 |
||
| Oh man you had me there. But I unfortunately have to disagree with Sonia with regards to todays music becos that is exactly what my mom said about our music. I still listen to the music of my days and that time it was also called "todays" music. So it is a matter of each generation to their own. | ||
|
||
| Allona on 14 May at 10:56 |
||
| I do strongly agree. My dad is Luther V's fan and he enjoy dancing with my mom and remember they are in their 80's now. That music was and is still the kind of music one can enjoy.Today's Music really sucks Gal. | ||
|
||
| welcome mazibuko on 14 May at 11:27 |
||
| The writer is quite correct. Music nowadays is about sex and women showing unnecessary flesh. Music, particularly Rn'B, is deviod of strong lyrics and most importantly, it lacks soul. The likes of John Legend and Lemar are saving grace for the genre. Even talented crooner, Joe has been disappointing in his last two albums. The Joe, who mesmerized us with Good Girls, is now singing something different from the soulful Rn'B that endeared him to millions of Rn'B fiends, like me. | ||
|
||
| Teddy on 14 May at 11:28 |
||
| I CAN AGREE WITH YOU THAT OLDSCHOOL MUSCI IS THE BEST CAUSESOME OF YOUNGSTERS ENJOY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC WE LISTEN TO. IT IS MUSIC YOU CAN REALLY RELATE TO AND YOU CAN EVEN HEAR WHAT A PERSON IS SINGING ABOUT, UNLIKE THE HOP, SHIP AND JUMP OF THE MUSIC OF TO-DAY WHERE YOU CAN'T MAKE HEAD OR TAIL WHAT THE PERSON IS SINGING. | ||
|
||
| NAOMI STEVENS on 14 May at 11:30 |
||
| I hear what you're syaing.
I'm loving this article.
I'm one person who makes music and appreciates good music in his spare time..... one thing that I always complain about is how all the "musicians of today" just seem as if they were manufactured on some conveyor belt.
Music production and sales have somewhat been define about how the musician looks.
there are gr8 musicians who I think sell simply because they have the talent and CAN do without the
Mini skirts, make up and half naked men dancing in the rain on their videos.
Jill Scott would be a perfect example of how far your talent can take you....she doesn't really fit the "yellow girls" image but she is one phenominal songstress. there are many others like her. Musicians that armed with a their voices rather than hordes of media reps trying to sell them as the next best thing after sliced bread!!! I guess at the end of the day, its just a business. we all have to get paid.... how we go about doing is what counts. |
||
|
||
| Shaun on 14 May at 11:43 |
||
| What I like about music from back in day was that it made you want to fall in love, it touched your heart , your mind and your soul and it is timeless. if there is one thing though that annoys the hell out of me , it would have to be these johnny come lately's who remix these classics and then proudly announce that they are dj's aaarrgghh. | ||
|
||
| Antonette on 14 May at 11:45 |
||
| like the artical Kelebetseng, while reading your artical, it took me back in the days when we use to dance to freddy Jackson (rock with me to night) or Regina Bell (come to me) the things your father listen to Teddy P...love T.K.O now those were the days when we hanging out afternoon disco or at a stockvel. I can even recall the mood of the evening at the chees and wine party...you just wanted to listen to music that calmed the sould, you know that put you in a relaxed and loving atmosphere. people were less agressive and use to tolerate each other cuase we all had something in common...slow jams. The only thing you could see from the women those days was her neck, ankles and maybe on a warm day her knees...funny how sexy they looked. Two of my children are just as caught up in the slow jams as myself and my wife still is and it brings to to the understanding of what they are expose to. We listent to these old school music and my kids know we having braai or all jumping in to springclean with Withney in the back round. | ||
|
||
| Neville on 14 May at 11:55 |
||
| well...what a topic...the music of yesteryear..Al Jarreau, George Benson,Fourplay etc, etc.its just one of a kind..i still used it in my day to day life, | ||
|
||
| steve on 14 May at 12:31 |
||
|
Who's blogging?
|
|
Preferred Spelling
|
