100 YEARS OF BLACK HISTORY, A LIFETIME OF MUSICAL INFLUENCE

by SAVNT

So much has changed since 1926, and with this year marking 100 years of celebrating Black History in the United States, I find myself more reflective than ever.

Without the creativity and tenacity of Charlie Pride and Big Mama Thornton, I wouldn’t be able to stand where I am today. We owe so much to the pioneers who charted a new course in music and laid the foundation for each of us to follow. I believe that by standing unapologetically in our truths, and pushing the limits of what we can do as musicians, we honor their legacies.

Their music shows just how far our voices can reach; from radios in the west indies to stadiums and concert halls throughout the world, every artist across all genres is carrying a piece of their history. As a singer and songwriter, I can never take for granted the sacrifices of those who came before me and the trailblazers that are still standing firm in their authenticity today. It is their shoulders that I stand on and as a first generation Guyanese American, my love of our community runs deep. It is a privilege to build from the legacies of so many phenomenal artists.

Growing up, my parents had a very eclectic taste in music – we listened to everything from soul, to rock, to soca, to country, and everything in between, and that is something that I will always carry with me. When your musical lexicon is extremely diverse it can be hard to pinpoint a singular artist or band that encompasses everything you love about music. But as I continue to grow and expand as an artist, there are three people I always cycle back to: Sam Cooke, Sade, and Seal.

Vocally, Sam Cooke is arguably one of my biggest sources of inspiration. His tone and execution make my heart sing and the smooth texture of his voice is unlike any other. Sam made me want to sing from my soul; I know his body of work from top to bottom. From Sam Cooke And The Soul Stirrers to The Best of Sam Cooke there are no skips for me, I know every song and can sing each album in order. His songs have been prevalent in every phase of my life. When I was 6 years old I sang Chain Gang around the house, in high school I performed “A Change Is Gonna Come” and now I sing “Mona Lisa” and “Nothing Can Change This Love” to my wife whenever I can. I credit Sam with shaping my voice and in my eyes he is soul personified.

As a songwriter and frontwoman, Sade encouraged me to tell my stories in a vulnerable and emboldened way. She writes about her world, love, loss and everything in between in a way that is both poetic and alluring. I fell in love with storytelling through her words. Her voice and writing paired together feels like a fog that cascades over the ocean; it’s haunting and enchanting. Sade dominates the soundtrack of my life and I strive to make music that engulfs you the way hers does. She showed me how the marriage of word and melody can captivate a listener and that this harmony is what brings the story to life.

Seal shows me that I am limitless and that my artistry can sit outside of the confines of any genre. When I was a teenager, diving through my parents’ tapes, I found his cassette titled SEAL and hid it so I could keep it for myself. As a dark-skinned boy who felt like he didn’t fit neatly into any box, his presence gave me the permission to be confident and comfortable in my skin. I saw not just my own reflection but a world of possibilities in that one cover and diving into his music made me feel seen. I am forever grateful to Seal for opening my eyes and being my first example of a cross-genre artist who is both soulful and anthemic. I remember hearing “Kiss From A Rose” on every single radio station, proving that music is bigger than the labels we put on it. He challenged people in his music with lyrics like “in a world full of people, only some want to fly; isn’t that crazy.”

I say all of this to shine a light on the people who made it possible for me to soar today.

In a time where we are all searching for something real it feels good to know that the space I go back to, the songs that inspired me and the artists that paved the way are time and time again embodying what it truly means to be an artist. In my own way, I aspire to leave a legacy that is soulful like Sam, captivating like Sade and anthemic like Seal.

Happy Black History Month to anyone who took the time to read this and here’s to showing Black artists love 365 days a year. – SAVNT