October 31st, 2007Introspection marks Annie Lennox's music
Want to know about Annie Lennox? Just study the titles of her solo albums – 1992’s Diva, 1995’s Medusa, 2003’s Bare and the just-released Songs of Mass Destruction.
Some fast facts:
•The Scottish-born, London-educated artist isn’t prolific. She parlayed her successful run as half of the Eurythmics into a mere four CDs in 15 years.•She has a flair for the serious and the dramatic. Diva, Medusa, Bare and Songs of Mass Destruction are not lightweight material.•Ms. Lennox is fiercely personal and introspective. With the exception of Medusa, which is a collection of cover tunes, the discs are all self-written.
So even a 15-minute phone interview with the 52-year-old mother of two daughters, Lola and Tali, quickly morphs into a heavy conversation. Bare, for instance, is an intense examination of her intimate emotions after the dissolution of her marriage to Uri Fruchtmann. Songs of Mass Destruction delves into her psyche once again, but this time she pairs her inward reach with an outward grasp. Two tracks in particular, "Womankind" and "Sing," find her in socially conscious mode.
Introspection is an inherent part of Ms. Lennox’s artistry. But does it make her feel more vulnerable or infinitely stronger?
"We are always going to have to take a moment to be introspective," she says from New York. "It’s about the clarity of the introspection and the conclusion you reach through that process. And it’s a very individual task. Each person introspects in their own way. They are drawn to what appeals to them. There is some kind of incredible connection through music. It’s almost matter of fact. It is one of the ways that human beings can access one spiritual dimension of their existence.
"Music is very abstract, but it’s something very essential, too," she says. "Sounds, rhythms, melodic lines, chord progressions, lyrics … we understand each other that way."
Naturally Ms. Lennox, who performs Sunday night at Southern Methodist University’s McFarlin Auditorium, wishes to communicate through song. She also uses music as part of her social crusade.
A vehement supporter of former South African president and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, Ms. Lennox traveled to Africa 2 1/2 years ago to help launch Mr. Mandela’s AIDS foundation. There she learned of the rise in AIDS-stricken pregnant women who pass along the virus to their unborn children.
It inspired her to write "Sing," an anthem for the victims who suffer silently. With the help of a 23-member female choir, all recognizable names such as Madonna, Faith Hill, Fergie, Joss Stone, Melissa Etheridge, Pink and others, she sings: "Let your voice be heard/What won’t kill you will make you strong."
"It struck me as tragic that Mandela was saying, ‘Look we fought this battle against apartheid, and we won. But there is this genocide of AIDS across the country.’ I thought, ‘Oh my goodness. How come I didn’t know about this?’ There must be genocide or else Nelson Mandela would not be saying this. It floored me," Ms. Lennox says.
"I understood as a woman that this disease is rising in mothers. They are giving birth to children who contract the virus in the womb," she says. "As a mother this appealed to me deeply. Prevention is ideal – abstinence, condom – but we need treatment."
Strong women themes have been a part of Ms. Lennox’s work since her days with the Eurythmics. Back then she sang "Who’s That Girl?" and "Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves," a duet with Aretha Franklin. Her first two solo efforts, Diva and Medusa, are female homages by title alone. On Songs of Mass Destruction, she penned "Womankind," a funk-fortified R&B jam that features a too-cool rap by Nadirah X.
Does Ms. Lennox feel like a spokeswoman for the sisters of the world?
"I’m here by proxy," she simply says. "We need to speak up, take that responsibility."
It certainly helps to have the podium. With four Grammy Awards, an Oscar, international respect and acclaim, Ms. Lennox has transcended the pop artist tag.
"I feel responsibility to my children and as a human being that has privileges. I have tremendous privileges," she says. "So I need to contribute, to give back, to help empower those that need it.
"Otherwise it’s just entertainment, and that’s fine but it’s kind of limited. I want to do something that has benefits, that means more."
