"Baduizm" è il magnifico esordio dell'altrettanto meravigliosa Erykah Badu. E lo dico subito che è stupendo questo disco, così a nessuno possono sorgere dubbi.
Quanta gente continua con la cazzata che il più grande decennio musicale sono stati gli anni '70 (o i sixties)? Troppa. Bene, questo disco è la conferma che sempre possono uscire album capolavori e che l'epoca moderna non ha nulla da invidiare al cosiddetto ventennio d'oro della musica leggera. Nel 1971 era uscito "What's Goin' On" di Marvin Gaye e penso che chiunque sia al corrente del valore storico e soprattutto della sua bellezza. Nel '97 è uscito "Baduizm" e la ventiseienne Erykah dimostra al mondo intero di non avere assolutamente nulla da invidiare all'ormai assunto in cielo (e che cazzo direi che è proprio ora di farlo santo!!) Marvin.
Se il disco di "What's Goin' On" ha un sound organico e pieno, quello di "Baduizm" è molto più scarno ed essenziale pur non perdendo proprio niente della sua morbidezza e soavità: si capisce sin dall'intro che il soul di Erykah è una fusione di sonorità proprie del periodo della blaxploitation, del contemporaneo hip-hop più raffinato e meno commerciale (l'alone dei Roots veleggia sul disco tutto) e anche del jazz più ancestrale e sofferto (sarà anche per la voce ma uno dei primi nomi che salta in mente è quello di Billie Holiday). Ma i paragoni sono inutili e fuorvianti: perché la Badu è tutte le donne del soul ed anche quelle che verranno, è l'esemplare più perfetto ed irraggiungibile della cantante black... La sua voce possiede un qualcosa di ancestrale con quel timbro leggermente nasale, quelle sfumature argentee e la sublime vena lirica che lo pervade.
Già l'intro dell'album (Rimshot, poi riproposta pure come outro) ci introduce nei meandri espressivi di Erykah: un incedere morbido e jazzato che ben presto lascia il posto alla famosissima ed ancor più fantastica On & On, forse uno dei più bei pezzi di sempre nel quale i campi di cotone ed il cemento che scotta sotto il sole nelle metropoli diventano tutt'uno. La band che accompagna la nostra in quest'avventura dell'anima è guidata da un pulitissimo ed efficacissimo Guestlove dei Roots, che per l'occasione architetta ritmi forse meno sudati di quelli della band originale ma molto molto più suadenti... Otherside Of The Game si affida al controcanto di una tromba strozzata che tanto ricorda Miles Davis per immergerlo in atmosfere notturne e calde, mentre Next Lifetime è il più bel r'n'b moderno (Alicia Keys o Kelis farebbero di tutto pur di averlo in un loro disco). Afro è un giochetto nel quale Erykah mostra tutto il potere della sua voce nuda, uno scherzo di quelli con cui ognuno vorrebbe essere svegliato la mattina... Certainly è una delle mie tracci preferite, uno standard jazz-soul sorretto da un basso chiaro su cui saltella e balla la voce della Badu.
Per tutto il disco sembra di viaggiare nei luoghi sacri della cultura afroamericana: le piantagioni della Virginia, i club jazz di New York, le spiagge delle West Coast (e salta in mente pure San Francisco durante il periodo psichedelico), le strade di Detroit e di nuovo i club della Grande Mela però questa volta ballando sotto le bordate ritmiche dell'hip-hop... Questo album non può mancare nella vostra collezione: come potete dormire tranquilli senza aver mai sentito No Love e la paradisiaca interpretazione vocale di Erykah?
In un'epoca triste e povera (economicamente, culturalmente e moralmente) come la nostra un album del genere è semplicemente imperdibile come lo è qualsiasi nota partorita dalla gola della nostra: se vi è un motivo per cui il genere principe della black prende il nome di "musica dell'anima" questo è uno dei modi migliori per scoprirlo. "Baduizm" è un disco imperdibile, immanente e trascendente allo stesso tempo, strapieno di grazia e magico lirismo...
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Rimshot (intro) (01:57)
1- I wanna my rim shot, hey, digi, digi
A rim shot, hey, c'mon
I wanna my rim shot, hey, digi, digi
A rim shot, hey, c'mon
I wanna my rim shot, hey, digi, digi
A rim shot, hey, c'mon
I wanna my rim shot, hey, digi, digi
A rim shot, hey, c'mon
I came to hear the band today
I ain't thinking about you
I came to hear my drummer play
Boom-klat-boom-klat
I am in love with you
Cause of the things you do to me
When you boom-klat-boom-klat
Repeat 1
Give it to me, give it to me....
boom-klat-boom-klat....
Get your stick up against that drum
I wanna hear it
I want my rim shot
03 Appletree (04:25)
I'd like to dedicate this to all the children
I have some food in my bag for you
Not the edible food the food you eat no
Perhaps some food for thought
Since knowledge is infinite
It has infinitely fell on me so um...
It was a stormy night you know the kind where the lightnin' strike
And I was hangin' out with some my yatzhee friends
ooh wee ooh wee ooh wee
The night was long the night went on people coolin' out until the
break of dawn
Incense was burnin' so I'm feelin' right, aight
See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
My Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I don't waste my time trying to get what you got
I work at pleasin' me
Cause I can't please you and that's why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
doo wee doo wee doo wee
And if you don't want to be down with me, then you don't want to pick
from my
apple tree x3
And if you don't want to be down, you just don't want to be down
I have a hoe
And I take it everywhere I go
Cause I'm plantin' seeds so I reaps what I sow, ya know, ya know
On and on, and on and on my cypher keep's movin' like a rollin' stone
I can't control the soul flowin' in me
ooh wee ooh wee
See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
My Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I don't waste my time trying to get what ya got
I work at pleasin' me
Cause I can't please you and that's why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
doo wee doo wee doo wee
And if you don't want to be down with me, you don't want to pick from
my apple tree x3
And if you don't want to be down with me, you just don't want to be
down
Oh my my my my, oh my my my my, oh my my my my my my my
I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
My Ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I don't waste my time trying to get what you got
I work at pleasin' me
Cause I can't please you, and thats why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
doo wee doo wee doo wee
And if you don't want to be down with me, you don't want to pick from
my apple tree
And if you don't want to be down with me, dum dum diddy
And if you don't want to be down with me, you don't want to pick from
my apple tree
And if you don't want to be down with me, you just don't want to be
down
You just don't want to be down,
You just don't want to be down
Fade
06 Next Lifetime (06:26)
1-Now what am I supposed to do
When I want you in my world
How can I want you for myself
When I'm already someone's girl? (2 times)
First time that I saw you boy
It was a warm and sunny day
All I know is I wanted you
I really hoped you look my way
Then you smiled at me
So warm and sweet
I could not speak
You make me feel like a little bitty girl
What do you do to me
Repeat 1-(2 times)
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
No hard feelings
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
I'm gonna be there
You're energy
Feels so damn good to me
It picks me up don't wanna come down
You got me spinning all around
Yeah
You need to know
I've got somebody
You're beautiful
But still it ain't that type of party
Repeat 1 (2 times)
Well I guess I'll see you next lifetime
Maybe we'll be butterflies
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
That sounds so divine
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
I guess I will now
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
Wait
Wait a little while
See it ain't nothing wrong with dreaming
Boy don't get me wrong
Cause every time (every time) I see you (every single time)
It lets me know just how strong (every single time)
That my love is for my baby
But emotions just don't lie
Well I know I'm a lot of woman
But not enough to divide the pie
Repeat 1 (1 time)
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
You know I want to stay around
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
I'm so confused now
Repeat 1 (1 time)
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
Already
I'm going to be there
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
I'm going to look for you
Repeat 1 (1 time)
I guess I'll see you next lifetime
Oh
Oh baby
I'm gonna be there
I'm gonna be there
07 Afro (Freestyle skit) (02:04)
Excuse us ladies and gentleman
One, two
You need to pick your afro daddy
Because it's flat on one side
You need to pick your afro daddy
Because it's flat on one side
What are you waiting on
Well if you don't pick your afro
You gonna have one side high, ha, ha
Well, you said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
So I braided my hair, well, yes you did
You said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
So I braided my hair, yes I did, cornroll and everything baby
Well, you changed your mind and said we wasn't going
But my momma saw you there
Yes she did, check this out, one time
Well I be blowing up your pager daddy
But you never called me back
Well I be putting in 9-1-1 baby
But you never called me back, no, no
See if you don't know how to use that pager daddy
I'm gonna take that hoe back, yes I will
08 Certainly (04:43)
who gave u permission to rearrange me
certainly not me
who told you that it was alright to love me
certainly not me
I was not looking for no love affair
and now you wanna fix me
I was not looking for no love affair
and now you want to mold me
Was not looking for no love affair
now you wanna kiss me
Was not looking for no love affair
and now you wanna control me
hold me
You're really trying to get creative with me love
and that's alright, but
you tried to get a little tricky turned my back
and then you slipped me a mickey.
Certainly, certainly, certainly not me
The world is mine
When I wake up
I don't need nobody telling me the time
Who told you that it was alright to love me
certainly not me
Who gave u permission to rearrange me
certainly not me
I was not looking for no love affair
and now you wanna fix me
I was not looking for no love affair
and now you want to mold me
Was not looking for no love affair
now you wanna kiss me
Was not looking for no love affair
and now you wanna control me
hold me
You're really trying to get creative with me love
and that's alright, but
you tried to get a little tricky turned my back
and then you slipped me a mickey.
Certainly, certainly, certainly not me
11 Drama (06:02)
"Drama"
The world is so dramatic.....
I can't believe
that we're still livin'
oh in this crazy crazy world
that I'm still livin'
with all the problems of the day
how can we go on
so tired of hearing people say how can we go on
fantasy people
make believe people
how can you go on
but you're still livin'
race relations, segregation, no occupation
world inflation, demonstration, miseducation
no celebration to celebrate your lives
listen people listen
lift up your hearts to GOD
lift up your soul
teach your children Wisdom
Reality today... so they can live tomorrow
I can't believe
that we're still livin'
oh in this crazy crazy world
that I'm still livin'
with all the problems of the day
how can we go on
so tired of hearing people say
how can I go on
fantasy people
make believe people
how can you go on
but you're still livin'
listen people listen
lift up your hearts to GOD
teach your children Wisdom
Reality today...
12 Sometimes... (04:10)
"Sometimes"
Ye yo ye yo ye yo ye yo
Sometimes...
I don't love you anymore
I'm in love with you
I think that I'm going mad
I do
well
Meanwhile...
You been runnin' through my dome
Won't leave me alone
Ooh chile
Why it got to be this way
gone on!
Can you tell me where, oh where
Oh where, oh where,
WHERE DID THE LOVE GO?
Sometimes...
I think that you're draining me
I want you at home
I feel like forgiving you
I don't
Meanwhile...
I cannot blame you, my love
I'm sitting here alone
Ooh chile
This love affair ain't what it was
gone on
Can you tell me where, oh where
Oh where, where,
WHERE DID THE LOVE GO?
Ye yo ye yo ye yo ye yo ye yo
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