‘If there were no record labels
No radios or tvs
No magazines,
No MTV,
No Channel E to see,
Would I even tell my story,
Would I even sing my song,
If nobody sang along…
Would I take the time to write it,
Would I say what’s on my mind,
If nobody sang along….”
Chrisette Michele – “If Nobody Sang Along”
So many times we are obsessed with saying things. Today I pledge to spend more time paying attention to what I say.
What is a voice? If I became famous today and had a million dollars to spend, what would I spend it on? I had a conversation with a really good friend once and our conclusion was that money and wealth aren’t of any use to you when you’re dead, but while you’re alive, wouldn’t it be nice if you could change a life?
I don’t think I was placed on earth to live my life, eat my food, drink my water, sleep my sleep and then just die. I have dreams, hopes and plans. But I think that if God gives, it’s only for me to be able to do a little something more for the next person who can’t do for themselves.
I heard somebody speak about something he was trying to create. He is a self-taught expert at what he does and his idea was to teach someone what he knows so that they could in turn teach someone else, like a chain of knowledge and art and creativity. I thought to myself, what a cool way to give back.
Too many times we concentrate solely on what WE want, what WE need, and forget all the other people out there who can’t even afford to dream, they barely get enough sleep in real time. Then I saw people posting about the new minimum wage law that was passed the other day, it amused me to think that the people shouting the loudest, so to speak, probably come from the very homes where maids get peanuts.
What is a voice? A channel or a route by which messages are sent. What messages am I sending? What am I really saying? And who is really listening? What good is anything I say if it is meaningless? I’m a firm believer in, “do unto others” and that’s all well and good when I’m doing good things but what about sacrifice? What about putting others first and giving up the selfish things we so often place so much importance on in favour of things that will mean something to the man on the street?
I’m an artist and often I have to create things that involve other people’s input. When I go up on stage the work in the background involves a list of talented people who do their best to make it easier for me to do my best; my hairdresser, my make-up artist, the lovely people who make my dresses, the band that plays behind me, the awesome guy in the booth who controls the lights and the reverb on my microphone, suffice to say I am not a one-woman show but how do I say thank you?
I want to place a little seed of thought in your mind, make you think about everything that’s ever been done for you, what did you ever do for anybody else? If you died today, what legacy would you leave? Not to sound morbid but the thought often crosses my mind. Lately, I strive to become somebody worth remembering, somebody who will leave a song in people’s hearts and lives when I’m gone, someone who used the voice I was given wisely, someone who paid attention to what I said.
Contributor Scarlet is an up and coming Zambian singer but she also has a passion for blogging/writing. Her latest album “Unforgettably Yours” has been quite popular amongst the Zambian crowd. And is available on iTunes – click here
Facebook: Scarlet MwanaOK
Chaud: The Magazine 