spotlight
the project initially. He was the driving force behind it musically. I kept feeling that
a lot of what he was influenced by was The Beatles. Which I love, I think it really
captures that spirit and that emotional tone. You’re absolutely right. I agree with
you. He brought in a lot of talented people. We really did the album… I wouldn’t
say quickly but effectively and we just did it. It wasn’t like precious. We collabo-
rated on the music and he would go off and complete it. A lot of people just came
in because they like working with him and loved the project and loved the whole
emotional tone of it. I think it really turned out beautifully.”
Another selection is called “The Sun Comes Out.” Her mood and optimism
is clearly felt in the lyrics and delivery. It’s almost like you could picture Sandra
running through a field of daisies. Laughing, Bernhard replied, “Yeah! Find me a
field and I’ll be there.”
Bernard was a teenager of the 1960s and numerous musical artists influenced
her while she was becoming a young woman discovering world music before it
was even labeled as such. Sharing her musical inspirations, she replies, “Certainly
The Rolling Stones who often would go to Morocco and use local musicians or
go to India and The Beatles of course. I think that was the time when everybody
was discovering world music. It wasn’t called ‘world music’ then. People were just
going and checking out different spiritual paths. So much a part of spirituality is
music.
Also American R&B, I grew up with Motown, Aretha and all the great soul sing-
ers of the time. The African rhythm and beat is sort of inherent to R&B in American
black music. Al Green and Marvin Gaye, those singers influenced me. Another
is Joni Mitchell, who in her way was very influenced by jazz. One of my brothers
listened to a lot of hardcore jazz and all the great jazz musicians like Thelonious
Monk… really the list goes on and on and on. These are just some of the primary
people that I can think of off the top of my head.”
What does she hope people will hear and take away from the music on What-
ever It Takes? “We started it toward the end of the Bush administration and in the
heat of the cynical thinking that was going on in our country. I felt like during
those eight years, people were very afraid of other experiences… afraid of travel.
The rest of the world was sitting in judgment of us. I think it was a very negative
time. I think the beauty of the album is the bridge between the end of that experi-
ence and the beginning of the Obama administration and people feeling…even
though financially there is a lot of turmoil, I think that the war is ending. I think
people are just coming back and awakening from their slumbers. In a way, people
shut down during that period. I’d like to think that this album is a musical and
poetic bridge between the two experiences.”
“Don’t Cry in Bed” featured on Whatever It Takes has a definite message behind
the lyrics. Bernhard explains, “I think it’s just about staying optimistic, even in the
middle of heartbreak. I think all of us experience that and wonder how we’re go-
ing to survive. If somebody disappoints us or if a relationship doesn’t work out. It’s
about survival and optimism.”
One more song that rings with the triumph of the spirit is called “Why So Blue?”
This is a rousing anthem/spiritual showcasing Rwandan cultural ambassador and
Kora award-winning singer/songwriter Jean Paul Samputu. The rhythms and
emotional pull of the song is such that you can’t help tapping your foot or moving
to the song while you enjoy. “Oh good! I like it when the music makes me move.
Spiritually, physically or emotionally, that’s what music is supposed to do. That’s
awesome. I hope everybody feels that way about it.” Sandra replies.
As noted earlier, Sandra Bernhard is multi-faceted as an artist. As an author she
projects and of course, perform live. I’m raising my daughter. There is a lot going
has penned three books beginning with Confessions of a Pretty Lady published in
on. It’s definitely in the works.” Sandra Bernhard is pretty much a whirlwind of
1988. Is there a fourth book in the works? “It’s not imminent but I’ve been gather-
talent. She writes, sings, does comedy, stage and film. Is there one thing that she
ing material… I say sometime in the next couple of years, I’ll get it out there. There
would like to do well that she can’t? “Ummm… play tennis. I’d like to play tennis
is so much else I’m working on right now. I’m trying to write television and film
with Serena and Venus. Other than that there is not a lot I’m aspiring to.”
46 RAGE monthly | september 2009
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