Women live in a world of double standards; inequality of pay in the workplace, a narrower window of opportunities in their professional careers, sexual harassment while simply walking down a street, and pretty much just being relegated to the position of the second-place citizen in a world dominated by men. Why the disparity? Well, it’s more or less solely based on just the difference of the number of X vs. Y chromosomes in our bodies (for those of you who managed to sleep their way through science class women have 23 pair of X chromosomes while men possess both X and Y chromosomes).
African recording artist Charity Ekeke has traveled the world and oh what tales she could tell you about what she’s seen out there. But she goes one better by setting to music what she and those around her have experienced in the day to day activities that make up our lives. The lyrics of her songs she bears as records that attest to the good, the bad, and the ugly of what it’s like to be alive and trying to survive on this big ball we fondly refer to as the planet Earth, particularly if you’re a woman. In fact “She Bears” is actually the last song on her album aptly titled “She”.
“She” is full of surprises from this singer and songwriter who originally hails from Nigeria. First off, she is no ingénue, nor does she pretend to be. Her bio puts it out there right from the get go that Ms. Ekeke has dedicated the last few decades of her life to raising a family as opposed to raising the roof on and off the spotlight lit stage where more than just the smell of the greasepaint waffs from behind and in front of the curtain. In my opinion it’s a tribute to the solidness of her work that some of the tunes she composed some 20 years ago are just as relevant and vital as they are today. Nothing may last forever, but true art should endure throughout the march of time.
Top of my list of showstoppers on Charity’s “She” is the one her label (Unity Gain Records) chose as the radio single, “If The Roles Were Reversed”. It juxtaposes the stereotypical gender roles with the resulting events that take place in our lives, then wisely ponders if we were really able to walk in one another’s shoes would we do the things we often so thoughtlessly do to each other. Not only is it a penetrating insight into the constant struggle between Venus and Mars but you’d have to be deaf not to hear the heartfelt pain Ekeke shares in her voice as she sings the words to this song. Also, a tip of the hat goes to Takeshi Akimotto for the searing guitar solo on this number.
In all “She” boasts 11 tracks. It’s a multi-genre compilation that leans mostly in the alternative rock direction but with a slight African inflection in its vocalization. My earlier statement about how true art remains relevant from one generation to the next is underscored in the cut called “These Times” where she sings “These times are rough, these times are tough, but they’re alright”. What Charity Ekeke references with her words are unfortunately just as true as they were yesterday, as they are today, and as they shall be tomorrow. And so it goes…
