Whisper A Prayer

by

Mica Paris

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I bought this CD when it was first released many years ago and I waited for her next one--the problem is--Mica Paris has never been fully appreciated in the U.S. and I am from the U.S.--i just can't understand it. Her voice and music are exquisite--I have to believe it's the marketing. Her marketing team is not breaking into the U.S. music industry. It also may be that her music is hard to place, it's not hip hop, it's not pop, and it's not exactly R&B. How sad, beautiful music is beautiful music. I think when the U.S. market sees a Black singer they expect a certain sound. I wonder how many truly gifted artists are under appreciated and go unnoticed because their sound is outside of a fixed box.

Narada Michael Walden and Rod Temperton are hit making machines. Mica's voice seems best suited to the less confining material, the kind that although studio-recorded, allows for more vocal signatures. Here, she sounds boxed in and restrained by the strict, repetitive chorus of many tracks. Rod Temperton is the foundation of many of "the gloved one"'s mega hits. The grooves he creates are the Rock that everyone in "charts-oriented" music takes a piece of. Both lyricists have excellent reps, but did they have Mica Paris in mind when penning these? I did manage to eek out a favorite, and its worth noting. "You Put A Move On My Heart" has almost too slow a pace, but that lends itself well to Mica's pipes. Not to down one artist over another, but the U.S. gave far more exposure to the stateside version of this song, sung by the Quincy-backed vocalist Tamia. Mica's version blows it away. Hands down. Her voice longs to find the right talented writer, one that does not already have a well-stockpiled arsenal of style, and who is able to pull from the uniqueness of her vocals, THEN tailor the music around her. If you like Mariah or Whitney, you may like this album. It is really not awful, just regular industry fare. However, if you love Mica like I love Mica, you and I should be crossing our fingers for the next installment. Or, perhaps whispering a prayer? Ouch! Sorry....