Today, our World Tour is making a stop in the British Overseas territory of Bermuda. Known for its stunning pink sand beaches, fascinating shipwreck sites to explore, and uniquely delicious culinary scene, these islands also has a vibrant and colorful music scene. Here's our brief info dump to as we get ready to jump in:
-Capital City: Hamilton
-Official Language: English
-Government: Parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy, currently under the leadership of King Charles III, Governor Renia Lalgie, and Premier Edward David Burt
-After being discovered by the Spanish in the early 1500s, the British eventually settled the islands in 1609, officially having them become part of the Virginia Colony in 1612, and while independence from England was up for vote in 1995 it was officially rejected
-Land Area: 20.5 square miles (with 27% of its area being water)
-Population: 63,913 estimated as of 2019 (205th most populous in the world)
-Religion: 46.2% Protestant, 17.8% no religious affiliation, 14.5% Roman Catholic, 9.1% other Christian affiliation, 6.2% unspecified religious affiliation, 3.9% other religious affiliation, 1.3% Jehovah's Witness, 1% Islamic
-Drive on the left side of the road
Bermudian music is inspired by its West Indies roots and is usually included under the umbrella of Caribbean music. It leans heavily on Steelpan, calypso, choral, and even bagpipe music from when the Irish and Scottish helped settle the island. Gombey (a music and dance style traditional to Bermuda), reggae, gospel, and jazz play a part in Bermudian music as well. Let's see what we've got to check out this week!
London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do) by Heather Nova (written by H. Frith)
Heather Frith, better known by her stage name Heather Nova, is a Bermudian singer and songwriter. Born in Bermuda, she is a proficient singer and guitarist and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She's been involved in the alt rock, indie rock, folk rock, pop rock, and spoken word scenes for about twenty-four years, and has released eleven studio albums since 1993. London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do) was originally featured on Nova's 1998 album Siren. I actually loved this song immediately with its fun late-90s sound. Nova's vocals are pleasant to listen to, and the overall instrumentation of this song makes it super easy to listen to. Definitely give this one a listen, especially if you're a big soft rock fan. I'm coming, I'm coming home to you/I'm alive, I'm a mess/I can't wait to get home to you/To get warm and undressed/There've been changes beyond my dreams/Everybody wants me to sing/There've been changes beyond my grasp/Things I'm sinking in/So keep me, keep me in your bed all day, all day/Nothing heals me like you do/Nothing heals me like you do
Conch Ain't Got No Bones by Hubert Smith & His Coral Islanders (composer unknown)
Hubert Smith is a Bermudian balladeer and composer. One of the most popular balladeers on the island, he also wrote Bermuda's unofficial anthem Bermuda Is Another World. He's performed for many important visitors to Bermuda over his career and helps keep the tradition of Bermudan ballads alive. Conch Ain't Got No Bones was featured on his 2016 remastered album Conch Ain't Got No Bones and Other Calypsos. It's an energetic calypso style song that transports you straight to the beach in your mind. I couldn't find a great transcript of the lyrics, but definitely make yourself a tropical drink and check this one out.
Bye Bye Blackbird by Lance Hayward and Friends (written by R. Henderson, M. Dixon)
Lance Hayward was a Bermudian pianist and one of its top jazz artists. Born in Bermuda in June 1916 before relocating to New York later in life (he passed away there in 1991 at 75 due to complications with pneumonia), he suffered from juvenile glaucoma and was legally blind before the age of two, though that never stopped him from receiving classical piano training and teaching himself the art of jazz. Over his career, he became THE pianist when famous jazz musicians would visit Bermuda and was able to read piano music in Braille thanks to his education at the Perkins School for the Blind. Bye Bye Blackbird was featured on his 1984 album A Closer Walk. It's an instrumental cover of a jazz standard and is so fun to listen to. Good jazz personally makes me feel like I've been transported back in time, and Hayward is absolutely an incredible pianist. There's some really delightful saxophone on this track as well, so give it a listen whether you're a jazz aficionado or not.
Hail to Bermuda by The One World Ensemble (written by B. Johns)
Hail to Bermuda, sometimes known as This Island's Mine, is the territorial anthem of Bermuda (being a British territory, the official national anthem is God Save the King). Composed by Bette Johns in 1984, it was chosen as the winning submission in a contest organized by the Bermudian government and has been the national song ever since.
Hail to Bermuda, my island in the sun/Sing out in glory to the nation we've become/We've grown from heart to heart and strength to strength/The privilege is mine to sing long live Bermuda/Because this island's mine
McDojo Life by Uzimon (written by D. Frith, B. Tubin, V. Rice)
Daniel Frith, better known by his stage name Uzimon, is a Bermudian musical artist. Born in Hamilton, he started off as a parody act of dancehall before switching to a more serious act in the genres of reggae and soca. Over the last sixteen years, he's released three studio albums along with several EPs and singles. McDojo Life was released as a single in 2021. Overall the reggae feel is pretty chill, but something about the style of lyrics just doesn't vibe with me as well as Heather Nova's song did. It's fun enough to listen to, but the flavor may not be for everyone. I couldn't find a good transcript of the lyrics, but try it out for yourself and see what you think.
I hope you found some fun new music and great new artists on our musical tour stop today! Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!
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