Javier’s English Corner

I’m happy to announce this is the first request I’ve received on this blog. Our newly made friend, Nán, suggested this American band in her last comment. I remember back in the 90s, a good student of mine recommended this band I knew very little about, and I must say I immediately liked their sound. They have plenty of good songs, but Don’t Speak was their first major hit, which set a record when it spent sixteen weeks at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart in 1995.

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The Smiths were a major discovery for me when I was a freshman at university. I remember the first time I listened to this song with a friend of mine. I fell in love with their music and Morrissey’s original lyrics and unique voice. I’m talking about 1984; we didn’t have the Internet back then so we couldn’t see any videos of our favourite singers every time we wanted, and every night we tuned to “Expreso de medianoche”, a very popular radio show in Asturias at the time to get the chance to stay updated on the latest music.

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 It seems this summer I’m going to be sharing with you some of those favourite songs of mine. I’m talking about those songs that for one reason or another take you back to some special moment or simply make you feel good. This time, I’d like to post some info on Tracy Chapman, whose lyrics are always meaningful and true.

To start with, let me give you some data on her biography and career from Wikipedia. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Tracy Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs as a child. She was accepted into A Better Chance, the national resource for identifying, recruiting and developing leaders among academically gifted students of color, which enabled her to attend Wooster School in Connecticut, and was eventually accepted to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. In May 2004, her alma mater, Tufts University honored her with an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, for her contributions as a socially conscious and artistically accomplished musician. Tracy often performs at and attends AIDS charities, amfAR and AIDS/LifeCycle.

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