World Music Day: Celebrating a Legendary Queen

By -

 Written by Utibeabasi Bassey 

Music is integral to human beings in the world today. The role of music cannot be overemphasised in a world where daily pressures increase substantially. Without music, many persons would be unable to deal with their conflicting emotions. 

Photo Credit: Parade


Music is integral to human beings in the world today. The role of music cannot be overemphasised in a world where daily pressures increase substantially. Without music, many persons would be unable to deal with their conflicting emotions. 


All over the world, several young and old persons celebrate on the 21st of June, a day set aside to celebrate the musical craft. World Music Day is a day that speaks volumes to several persons.


World Music Day would never be complete without celebrating some persons who made marks in musical history. While there are many persons in this category, of utmost importance at this moment is the female legend: Whitney Houston. 

Photo Credit: NBC News


Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on the 9th of August,1963. She has two siblings, named Gary Garland and Michael Houston. She was married to Bobby Brown from 1992 till 2017. Unfortunately, Whitney passed away on the 11th of February, 2012. 


Despite it being nearly eleven years since her death, Whitney Houston remains a force to be reckoned with. She remains one of the best selling artists of all time, having over 200 million records sold worldwide. She was named the second greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stones in 2023.


Pop Smarts records that Whitney Houston was a mezzo soprano singer, although some vocalists advocated that she be classified as a spinto soprano. Whitney also had an impressive vocal range of three octaves and a major second, expanding from G#5 to D#6. Her longest note was recorded to last for 16 seconds. Pop Smarts descriptively analyses her vocals thus:


A defining, classic voice, and one of the most highly regarded vocalists of the 20th century. Incredible breath support, showing no signs of fatigue, and carrying extensive legato passages with ease. Incredible utilization of dynamics, using all volumes from fortissimo to pianissimo and everything in between to craft incredible phrases. Though she didn’t lean heavily on her melismatic prowess, she was more than capable of using the technique and used it carefully. Because of her natural sense of rhythm, she would also play with rhythmic figures to create cadences and other musical effects with her voice. Houston also had great control of her passagio; all of these qualities made her’s an incredibly balanced instrument.


Her hit song, "I Will Always Love You" continues to resonate in the minds of fans. More songs like "I Look to You", "When You Believe", "Wanna Dance With Somebody" etc, continue to provide the much needed comfort to several persons, young and old.

Photo Credit: Vulture 


Even after death, Whitney Houston remains legendary. World Music Day can be celebrated today, knowing people like her paved the way for good music in the world today.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DENIAL

By -
Image
BY JESAM IBIANG Life often presents us with circumstances that challenge our core, moments where the ground beneath us seems to crumble. It is in these instances of profound hurt, overwhelming challenge, or urgent need for help that we frequently encounter denial. Denial is not merely ignoring a problem; it’s a profound, internal choice to cling to “what is not,” even when we know, deep down, the stark reality of “what is.” The truth is, there is no shame in acknowledging vulnerability or fear. Denial is a form of fear and it is often difficult to acknowledge fear. Denial, blurs the truth, offering a distorted lens through which to view our circumstances. I am not saying that denial is altogether a terrible thing. Denial is not inherently malicious. It serves a primal, protective function. Imagine the immediate aftermath of a sharp cut—a knife or a machete. For a few crucial seconds, there’s a numbness, a strange void before your brain registers the trauma and sends in the searing pain...
Read more

ANOTHER CAUTIONARY TALE

By -
Image
BY KAMSI MAFO Her head rests on his lap. His hand runs through her hair. She looks at him, a smile on her face. He seems not to notice, his brow furrowed with thought. She reaches up and touches his cheek lightly and his face lightens. "What smart thing are you thinking now?" she asks. He laughs gently, his baritone voice causing a vibration at the back of her neck that makes her tongue tingle. "Bits and pieces, here and there… nothing much," he responds. She looks at him funnily. "A funny anecdote or a paradox? Perhaps it's another story about another mad man," she says, laughing too. There’s a bit of quiet, and the only sound they hear is the night. "Tell me one of them," she says. "One of your stories." He smiles and tells her that it's not as easy as she thinks. "It comes and goes… like a whisper in the wind," he tells her. "There's a lot of breeze about," she responds. "Listen—perhaps it'll ...
Read more

LOSING HUMANITY

By -
Image
 BY TREASURE EKANEM “I think I’m losing faith in humanity.”  I get too engrossed in the things I do sometimes, and my roommates and friends have gotten used to repeating statements before I get to hear them. So, when I looked up at Sandy, the look on her let me know that she had made that statement to me more than once. I was piqued cause Sandy is one of the few friends I have that wholeheartedly lets me be the talker. She doesn’t voice out her thoughts and issues words sparingly. I knew whatever made her come all the way to my bed to say this must have burdened her a lot. So, I put my PC down, and asked, “Why do you think so?” No one truly loves any more. No one truly cares any more. No one gives selflessly anymore. No one trusts wholeheartedly anymore. We hate ourselves and we let it show in everything we do. We have become so self absorbed that as far as a concern doesn’t directly affect us, we wouldn’t care if it all goes to hell. We are so consumed in our own interests th...
Read more