The Tremendously Talented Tanita Tikaram

I was approximately 8 years old when I bought my first cassette, probably with birthday or Christmas money I had saved. The cassette in question was the debut album from Tanita Tikaram, Ancient Heart. Looking back, it was a pretty sophisticated choice for an 8-year-old. But even at that age I was drawn to her unique voice, which I'd first heard on the incredible Good Tradition, along with her impressive song writing skills. Though I didn't quite understand what the "sobriety" in Twist In My Sobriety was referring to, I knew that I was listening to something special. Indeed, Twist In My Sobriety is one of my favourite songs of all time. Similarly, the album, which is now 33 years old, remains a favourite that I listen to regularly. A few years ago I was thrilled to find it on vinyl at a second hand market. I also still have the cassette by the way.

Tanita Tikaram was born in Germany but moved to England when she was a teenager. The creative and vocal maturity of the album are even more impressive when you consider that she was only 19 years old when Ancient Heart was released. She went on to release 3 albums on the WEA label, namely The Sweet Keeper, Everybody's Angel and Eleven Kinds of Loneliness. In 1995 she released my second favourite album of hers, Lovers in the City, which includes the brilliant Yodeling Song. This was followed by the now lauded The Cappuccino Songs in 1998 (an album which I only recently managed to find on CD) that features collaborations with the London Session Orchestra and an electronic cover of ABBA's The Day Before You Came.

She then took a hiatus from music for several years, living in Italy and learning to play the piano. Her next album was Sentimental, released in 2005, and showcases an understated, jazzier and piano-centric collection of songs. It would be another 7 years before she released the next album, Can't Go Back, which explored her interest in Motown and classic blues. The special edition includes a CD with stunning acoustic versions of some of her back catalogue. Finally, her most recent album, Closer To The People, was released in 2016. Michael Smith from Renowned for Sound asserted that the album would be appreciated by "jazz fans, or fans of Tanita Tikaram’s particular style of lyricism and husky vocals" and that the album has "its charm that makes it enjoyable" even for first-time listeners.

I have been listening to Tanita's discography a lot throughout the past year and her music never fails to elicit comfort, joy and just a touch of nostalgia. In case you have missed out on decades of the melodious magic that is Tanita Tikaram, I have narrowed down the best 3 tracks from each album for you to explore, a Tanita Tikaram smorgasbord if you will.