The Compass Friday, March 8, 1996 11
It
Entertainment
Music with meaninp: Shai’s new album
resonates with a deep spiritual quality
by Tamika Spruill
If you're tired of meaningless, sex-
filled music, you might want to try
listening to Shai's promising new
sophomore release Blackface.
Blackface offers a whole new realm of
what Shai has always been about—
making music with meaning. You will
not find any "booty call" music on this
album. What you will find, however,
are songs that deal with feelings, rela
tionships and the problems people en
counter in life.
Of the 11 tracks on Blackface three
shine and have the potential to be
bonafide hits. These three include the
first release "Come With Me," "During
the Storm," and "The Place Where U
Belong."
Blackface's first release, "Come With
Me," is about a young man who has a
job opportunity and asks the love of
Book Review
^ I
Long’s book debunks
myths of black women
Love Awaits
by Courtney Long • Bantam Books, 1995
by Jean Samuel
In Love Awaits, Courtney Long, a
yovmg African-American filmmaker
and writer, interviews African-Ameri
can women to find out what's going
wrong with relationships between the
sexes.
Each "storyteller" is unrestrained
about her own views and observations
on issues such as sex, drugs, and the
destruction of the black community.
This explosive work is characterized
by searing realism and honesty. In clear,
precise language, the book expresses
some of the hopelessness and melan
choly that women of color feel toward
men, rape, black-on-black crime and
violence, and seeing black men date
outside of their race. These are just a
few of the topics discussed by various
women in the book.
The natural, captivating passion of
these women is striking because some
of their views are not generally associ
ated with women of color. Some com
mon myths are discussed and proven
false by the women in this book—for
example the idea that every woman of
color Ukes the book Waiting to Exhale,
by Terry McMillan.
Kyra, one of the young women in
terviewed had this to say about
McMillan's bestselling novel:
"The writing is not hard to figure
out. It's not at all too abstruse for any
one to follow. It's simplistic. I dare say
it's for the majority of the simple-
noinded people we are. You can under
stand her if you're eight years old. You
don't have to exercise thought, just go
'yeah, girl, unh-huh, I hear ya.' Well, I
say enough of that BULL."
Kyra asks what has McMillan done
to make changes in the destructive pat
terns of behavior that women so often
find themselves trapped in. "What does
Terry McMillan do to stir our creative
soul to inspire change?"
Viewed in this context. Waiting To
Exhale seems ineffective, with women
seeing the problems, but not trying to
come up with solutions to solve the
problem.
Assata is another women in the book
who seeks to understand the relation
ships between black men and women.
In general, Assata expresses her views
on how African-Americans have be
come desensitized to sex and intimacy
in the world around them.
"Do we want to wake up and realize
our lust and desires have been ex
ploited and taken advantage of?" she
asks. "That we've been neutralized to
the point of being ineffective and pow
erless, or do we want to take back con
trol of ourselves?"
Kyra's voice is "not about male-bash
ing. It is about wanting to be needed
and cared about by black men."
Reading this book is a voyage of self-
discovery where you are the captain.
Readers can choose a course and read
until they have arrived at their own
conclusions. Courtney Long has re
searched and written a fine, thought
ful work that packs a powerful emo
tional punch.
Awaits' message is clear, precise, and
meaningful; her book sheds much-
needed light on the complex issue of
relationships between black women
and men in America today.
his life to come with him. The lyrics
are deep and meaningful in way that
Jodeci's "Love U 4 Life" and Boyz II
Men's "On Bended Knee" wish to be.
Consider, for instance, the sweet,
genuine quality of the following:
"I'm turning to you/ Because you
always seem to know what to do/
when times like these arrive/ I call on
my only true friend in the world/ my
girl."
This is an example of the personal
touch that Shai adds to songs. Darnell
Van Rensalier's crystal pure notes and
Garfield Bright's sultry soulfulness en
hance the song's power. Both singers'
voices are hauntingly beautiful on this
piece. The group's harmonies are so
strong they overshadow the need for
musical accompaniment.
The dedicated track "During The
Storm" is another example of Shai's
talent. The song shows a young man
telling his girlfriend that he will guide
her through the storms of Ufe. Shai adds
his own personal touch to the song
with his lyrics:
"As the days go by/ I'll stay by your
side/ your love by me/ just carmot be
denied."
The song is poetry set in motion.
Once again Darnell's crystal clear voice
makes this song ring true. The music
adds depth to the song and makes it
stand out.
Although the single "The Place
Where You Belong" was released on
the Beverly Hills Cops III soundtrack,
listening to it on Blackface is like hear
ing it for the first time. Garfield Bright
showcases his sexy, sultry voice in this
song; Darnell's performance is excel
lent as usual. The two sing with such
intense feeling a listener might won
der how any female could leave either
of these guys.
As usual the lyrics are poignant, too:
"Never knew that love was such a
lonely place/ Damn I need your lovin
just to fill this space." And Shai sings
them just as beautifully. The music in
this song flows with each singer's voice
and with the harmony of the group.
In Blackface four distinctive person
alities are merged into one distinct
sound, and this soimd is filled with
beautiful music, harmonies, and lyr
ics. Blackface also has a very positive
and deep spiritual quality.
Even though BlackFace doesn't hit as
hard as If 1 Ever Fall in Love, it does
establish Shai as a serious group that
makes serious music. And in these times
of musical catastrophes, making serious
music is something for which Damell,
Carl, Garfield and Marc deserve a bow.
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