Randomness Music

Weird and KChie are essentially synonymous – at least family and friends make it seem so. As I surf the web and record my thoughts, I’m listening to my fave songs on random shuffle on my YP-T9, yet to fill up all 4GB I have available. What? No Ipod? Nope! I decided I wanted to go against the grain and not get the Ipod though in former life I was an Apple fanatic. I suppose now would be a good time to return to my senses,but that would mean a new computer, new MP3 player, new phone etc. Let’s not forget the accessories. But yeah, BUDGET. I live by one.

So here’s what just blasted through my ears. Yes – in the exact order.

1. Can’t Get You Out of My Head – Kylie Minogue
2. Poison – Alice Cooper
3. No Guns to Town – Natty King
4. Chomi Yabana – Mdu
5. It Feels so Good – Sonique
6. Malaika – Miriam Makeba
7. Yeppa Mama – Cheb Bilal & Leila Rami
8. Stand By My Woman – Lenny Kravitz
9. You Rock My World – Michael Jackson
10. In Memory Of – DJ Mbusa

11. Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

12. Adwe – K. K. Fosu
13. Be My Lover – La Bouche
14. Sagacite – Douk Saga
15. Let Me Blow Ya Mind – Eve & Gwen Stefani
16. Paralyzer – Finger Eleven
17. Imagine That – Styl Plus
18. Feeling Good – Nina Simone
19. Promiscuous Girl – Nelly Furtado & Timbaland

20. Shy Guy – Diana King

21. One Love – Kaysha

22. Jusqu’ au Bout – Jocelyne Labylle & Magic Systeme
23. Eleanor Rigby – Beatles
24. Never Leave you – Lumidee
25. Dude – Beenie Man

What a hodgepodge of music! And I love each one. I admit, I own very few albums – because most of the time I only like one or two songs. I prefer to buy mixes – like “The Best of Reggae 2007” or something like that. But this random sample of random songs on my MP3 player does show some things about my taste of music – beyond the clear lack of focus.

Point # 1: A good song has no expiration date!

Point # 2: The Beatles are the greatest band ever. If you were ever at a loss about what to gift me, ever, anything Beatles would suffice.

Point # 3: I love reggae, ragga, roots, dance-hall etc. I would vote to include seated dance as a dance form because it’s the only way I have any sort of rhythm. Get me on the dance floor and I lose coordination.

Point # 4: Zouk & Rai – These are recent loves of mine, although like many other Africans I have loved Cheb Khaled’s Aicha and his signature song Didi as if I was born with them ingrained in my soul.

Point # 5: Lenny Kravitz is hot. Swoon Oh yes, his songs are good too! Let Lenny Rule!

Point # 6: All the craziness aside, Michael Jackson is still the greatest.

Point # 7: So what if I’m black? There’s nothing wrong with rock music – be it classical, modern, or even a little metal or punk! Alice Cooper’s Poison? I can play that back to back a million times, limited only by neck pain! And Led Zeppelin? Oooooooh, they approach the status of The Beatles. And can I ask what on earth is “the pompatous of love” in Steve Miller’s “The Joker”? Love that song!

Point # 8: Also difficult for others to swallow is my appreciation for techno and house, likely derived from my time in Germany. This laid the foundation for kwaito and any good remix becoming like second skin to me. DJ Cleo, Bob Sinclar, oh, I’m sure I’m missing out on a lot of good music because Americans just don’t know what good music is and I’m limited by what they choose to play on their airways….which brings me to …

Point # 9: The lack of R&B and Hip-Hop/Rap in my random selection above. Of course there are certain songs in these genre I like and even love, but how can I gain an appreciation when they are on constant recycling every 12 minutes on the radio! tsk tsk!

Point #10: I love music! The beats, the rhythm. Sadly, I hardly listen to lyrics – hence the foul-languaged dance-hall and hip-hop songs I tend to bop to. Left out or minimally represented in the above selection is soukous, afrobeat, coupé decalé, zouglou, hip-life (which hasn’t fully grown on me), and dance. All these genres serve to further affirm my horrendous lack of dance skills. And let’s not forget funk, disco, and overall the golden oldies!