Tanita Tikaram - An Introduction

This is a rehash of an old post in my blog but since I keep raving about Tanita so much, I thought I'd spread the light around...do check her music out and let me know...

Tanita who? Tikaram??? Sure, I don’t expect you to instantly recognize this name like Britney Spears or JLo. But behind this exotic name is an equally exotic persona that stands for deep lyrics, haunting melodies and a heavenly voice.

Tanita was born to a Fiji-Indian father and a Malaysian mother. Her father was in the British army posted in Germany. Music was an integral part of her family and she grew up on a staple diet of Soul and Country music of the ‘70s. When she was twelve, her family moved to England. Not able to adjust to the change in her surroundings, Tanita took solace in music. By time she turned sixteen, she was writing her own songs.

After school, Tanita took up a day job to finance her demo tape which found its way to Paul Charles, a noted promoter who is also a well known novelist now. Paul saw Tanita perform at a local night in London and immediately signed her up. In the summer of 1988, she released her first single 'Good Tradition' which climbed to the top ten. This was followed by a full length album Ancient Heart. The album, dipped in Jazz influences, had a long list of noted musicians contributing to it, most notably Rod Argent (of Argent) and Peter Van Hooke (of Mike + the Mechanics) who also produced this album. The album was an instant success selling over 4 million copies around the world and launching her into instant fame. Tanita was only eighteen then. Ancient Heart, also considered her best effort, gave the world 'Twist in My Sobriety', a classic that singularly catapulted her into greatness. This deep haunting song still remains a firm favorite among her fans.

Her next two albums, The Sweet Keeper and Everybody's Angel, firmly established Tanita as a singer/songwriter par excellence. She began her career as a producer with her 1992 release Eleven Kinds of Loneliness. She was soon a much sought after collaborator, working on several high profile projects including one for BBC. Her busy schedule restricted her live performance but she kept releasing albums at regular intervals. Each exploring new depths of human emotion and intellect. Sentimental, released early this year, is her sixth studio album after a long break of 7 years. Her last album was Cappuccino Songs release in 1998.

Over the years Tanita Tikaram has consolidated her reputation as a performer with immense talent and capability with a devout and loyal fan following. Her music is not for the casual ear, it requires dedicated listening and an inclination towards intelligent Jazz oriented music. If you are looking for music to soothe you and stimulate you at the same time, you may want to pick up an album from this incredible artiste. Start with Ancient Heart and work up to other albums chronologically, that is the only way to absorb her music as it grew and matured over the years.

Discography

Ancient Heart (1988)
The Sweet Keeper (1990)
Everybody's Angel (1991)
Eleven Kinds Of Loneliness (1992)
Lovers In The City (1995)
Songs From An Invisible Woman (1995)
The Best of Tanita Tikaram (1996)
The Cappuccino Songs (1998)
Sentimental (2005)

Get the complete discography here
Tanita Tikaram's official website