Singer Tracy Chapman: ''I have to give props to Madonna''

Le chanteuse Tracy Chapman: "Je dois donner mon soutien à Madonna".

Interview with Tracy Chapman by Amy Fleming in UK newspaper "The Guardian":

The quiet revolutionary
Amy Fleming guardian.co.uk, Friday October 31 2008 00.01 GMT
The Guardian, Friday October 31 2008

Since bursting on to the world stage in 1988, singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman has been a champion for the downtrodden. She tells Amy Fleming about her fears for young people, her fight against sexism - and her respect for Madonna.

It was during the height of the era of fast-buck capitalism, at a 1988 televised concert celebrating Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday, that Tracy Chapman came out of nowhere and enthralled the world with her songs about social injustice. Just her, an acoustic guitar and a hushed Wembley Stadium. So meeting the protest singer in the exclusive surroundings of a five-star west London hotel suite feels more than a little incongruous.
Back in 1988, her eponymous first album, which included the singles Talkin' 'bout a Revolution, Fast Car and Baby Can I Hold You, went on to be a No 1 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Her follow-up, Crossroads, was also a UK No 1. Since then, Chapman has continued to record and tour. Next month, aged 44, she will release her eighth studio album, Our Bright Future.

Is it harder for women in the industry in general? "Definitely," she says. "I was trying to make a case for Madonna the other day, saying that she's to be admired for her longevity in a genre that has mostly been for younger acts. Men are able to sustain a career into their 50s and 60s and still present themselves as sex symbols. With women on the other hand, people say, 'Why doesn't she retire?' It's just so unfair. So I have to give props to Madonna."

• Tracy Chapman's new album Our Bright Future is released on November 10 by Elektra Records. She tours the UK in December.

Source: The Guardian.

 

Tracy Chapman
Photo: James Minchin.