I somehow stumbled upon this Bobby Caldwell video of his infamous and timeless hit, What You Won’t Do For Love… oh my god. Though the video quality is questionable, this song is brilliant!
I remember listening to this as a kid, and just loved it. Still do – except the arrangement in this video is just phenomenal. Why bring this up?
I’ve heard, and read many times that most people think Mr. Caldwell is African American. And once they see him, are quite surprised that he isn’t. “Caldwell ‘sounds’ a certain way, or his music is ‘soulful’.” That’s all well and good, but people with naturally high levels of melanin haven’t exactly cornered the market on great storytelling via music, emotional connection and passion.
Those attributes belong to anyone, they belong to everyone... under the right circumstances. I myself -- when coaxed to emerge from my natural reserve, can carry a tune. Quite nicely I might add. Am I ready to audition for the X Factor? Um, no, but if put to the test I wouldn’t completely embarrass myself or my family.
As we head into 2012, let’s see if we can put aside our biases or preconceived notions of who we think people are -- based on very little empirical data, and just have that emotional reaction to whatever it is that we responded to in the first place.
It might even put a smile on your face – sorta like the one I’m wearing right now listening to this song, fingers snapping! Happy New Year.
Filed under: Entertainment
Tags: Bobby Caldwell, preconceived notions, What You Won't Do For Love, Winter Soulster, X Factor
