Five Stars for Ambition Alone

This is a record that could only be released in the "underground" in the United States, for all sorts of reasons. This double album marks a quantum leap forward for Xavier Naidoo in almost every respect.

For those of you who have only heard of but not heard Xavier's music, here's a little bit of an idea of what it is.

First off, Xavier has the voice of a classic American soul singer. His intonation, inflection, and usage is basically that of a German speaking soul singer. That said, his voice is truly exceptional; it is a deep and rich baritone that conveys conviction and insight, among many other things.

Musically, this is "world music" in the best sense. In addition to the various musics of the African Diaspora (R&B, Reggae, Blues, and especially hip-hop), Xavier also incorporates--believe it or not--German classical music (especially Wagner) into his chop suey. Actually, Wagner would make a pretty good hip-hop musician today were he alive, and kudos to Xavier for recognizing that.

In terms of lyrics, Xavier's music is openly spiritual (even religious), political, and polemical. The man sings like he has something to say, and in most cases what he says reflects the hopes, dreams, hardships, and excitements of what it is like to be a person of color in Germany today. These are exciting times in contemporary Germany on that score, and Xavier has become the most popular pop musician and spokesperson on this subject.

Do you need to speak German to appreciate this music? Not really, but it helps, because the lyrical content is rather dense in places. This music can get pretty heavy at times, and although it is crafted very intelligently, nobody will confuse this sound with Britney Spears.

Xavier has always also sung in English, and there are English songs on this double album (two covers). Xavier has and continues to collaborate with all sorts of English speaking artists, and those in the know are chomping at the bit at breaking him big in the English speaking market. I respect Xavier for holding off, at least for now on that score; he knows from personal experience how infatuated the American record industry has become with money. Besides, why should he cross over when he's already one of the biggest things in Europe?

When he decides to come across the pond full force, it will be on HIS terms, not some moron at Sony or BMG.

Do yourself a favor and get this record. You'll be glad you did. And if you can get a hand on his live records and DVD's I think you'll also enjoy those (they're available on Amazon Germany and from Xavier's website, but you'll have to pay some serious money).

spricht mit dem herzen

Wow, this is so good. The songs can make you feel so many different emotions. Xavier Naidoo's voice is filled with emotion. Those who do not speak a word of German will appreciate his musik as well. If you do not speak the language, his songs will make you want to learn! Enlgish speakers will really like track 15, "That's the Way Love Is." I do not speak German, but fortunately I can use my friend as a personal translator. He is an exchange student from Berlin who gave me this CD. Now I have to get my hands on Xavier's other albums, and I need to practice my German.

The best voice on earth

What can I say - I just LOVE Xavier Naidoo. His voice gives me goose bumps. I have all of his albums and every single one is fantastic. I'm so glad I got to see him live in concert twice already, once in Mannheim, his home town. I can tell you, he's even better live! If you are able to understand the lyrics, it makes it even better. But anyhow, his voice gives you an idea of what he's singing about, so don't worry if you don't speak German.
I'm listening to his CD right now. I'm so happy I took it with me when I left Germany. It reminds me so much of home!