Voice of the Week: Eartha Kitt

How I found out

Eartha Kitt's Christmas tune Santa Baby is extremely famous and absolutely amusing.


Commentary

My admiration of Ms Kitt doesn't stem just from her singing voice, exceptional as it is. I admire the life she led, how she kept her head remarkably straight even though she experienced rejection many times in her life, sometimes because of her skin colour; supposedly her father was a white man. When she made statements against the Vietnam War, there was so much general tension towards her that she moved to Europe and made her career there for ten years. Kitt spoke four languages fluently (especially French) and many of her songs reflect this talent. She is so unique in many ways, including her looks, her voice, and her perceptions of race. I recommend you look up some quotes by Eartha Kitt, she was a very intelligent woman who knew how to place her words and wasn't afraid to state her opinions.




Favourite songs

Angelitos Negros

Just An Old-Fashioned Girl

Uska Dara

Angelitos Negros demonstrates the power and the beauty in Eartha Kitt's voice, while Just An Old-Fasnioned Girl is just one example of her unapologetically humorous performances. I wanted to feature this specific video of Uska Dara because I have never seen, and never will see hereafter, a performance more fitting to the description of "captivating".

I would listen to this music when...

Eartha Kitt's voice is like a massage to the ears, so when I want to pamper my sense of hearing I know what to do.

Random lyric sample

C'est si bon
De guetter dans ses yeux
Un espoir merveilleux
Qui donne le frisson
C'est si bon
Ces petits sensations
Ça vaut mieux qu'un million
C'est tellement, tellement bon
(C'est Si Bon)

Stars ★★★★★