< Back to Disability Issues >
It's not just blind faith
By Anthony Thanasayan, 27 May 1999
Used with permission from Star Publications (M) Berhad
I'M COMPLETELY baffled that even in this day and age, there are still people who have negative ideas about disabled people.
These people are still in the dark as to what really keeps us down: they blame our disabled bodies or minds rather than the disabling society in which we often find ourselves trapped in. Just last week, I heard of a family who had little faith in their disabled son's ability to come up in this world.
This reminds me of the true life story of a young blind boy in America, who was told that his life wouldn't amount to much because of two main reasons: "First of all, you must remember that you are born black. And second, you are blind--and that's a double disability," his sighted teacher said.
As the story goes, the teacher then advised him to seriously consider weaving baskets to earn a living for the rest of his life. But the boy refused to give up. Instead, at age 12, he recorded his first hit single, Fingertips, Part 2. His popularity grew significantly after that with songs such as Superstition, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Sir Duke.
I'm sure by now many of you would have guessed that the boy was none other than Stevie Wonder. The influential singer, songwriter and arranger, who turned 49 years old two weeks ago, has helped shape the sound of American music since the early 60s.
The rhythm & blues innovator was the subject of the Voice Of America radio broadcast recently. The programme shed more light on the blind singer's success story.
Starting as a child prodigy, Wonder received international acclaim and for nearly 40 years, has recorded for the legendary Motown Records label. He has been nominated 59 times for the Grammy awards, and has won 19 since 1974.
Recently he bagged the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance Category and the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal for St Louis Blues, a tune from Herbie Hancock's album, Gershwin's World.
Establishing a new credibility in the music industry for R&B decades ago, Wonder, it is said, helped open the door for the acceptance of rap. Through songs like Living For The City, Wonder brought to people's attention society's ills, such as racial intolerance. With his song Happy Birthday, he played a key role in ensuring Martin Luther King, Jr would be remembered with a national holiday.
Often called a global citizen, Wonder recently explained why he incorporated social issues into his music. "I felt that God has blessed me with opportunity to express not only from an African-American point of view, but also from the humankind point of view--which is everyone, of whatever ethnicity you are, wherever you are from, whatever colour of your skin.
"I think we have far more in common with each other than those who try to divide us would like us to believe."
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences--the organisation that awards the Grammys--recently named Wonder the Musiccares' Person Of The Year for his support of people in the music industry.
According to Voice Of America, Wonder has plans for a jazz album, a gospel album and a childrens' music project. Last year, he recorded the song True To Your Heart, a duet with pop group 98 degrees, which is on the soundtrack of the animated Disney film Mulan.
An all-time favourite of mine and many Malaysians, too, I think, is that very catchy song, I Just Called To Say I Love You. Have you ever noticed how graphically descriptive the lyrics are even though it comes from someone who has never seen light from birth?
More than a decade ago, I had the opportunity to attend Wonder's concert in Kuala Lumpur. He reportedly gave away 300 first-class tickets to underprivileged and disabled Malaysians. It was a truly magnificent experience for many of us who used wheelchairs and white canes. We found ourselves swaying and dancing along with able-bodied and sighted concert-goers to the pulsating rhythms created by his synthesiser.
That night, for all of us, there was no blind man on stage--only one heck of a master performer whom all of us could easily identify with. In fact, so me of us even envied him and wished that we could exchange our lives for his! Think how WONDER-ful that would be if for a moment we really could.
|
