Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sparkle--A Tribute to Whitney


I really enjoy the big blockbuster movies, all the Super Heroes, the Bonds and the Borns. But, what I choose to write about are the music movies. These are the ones that thrill me, touch me deeply and make me want to shout out. Sparkle did that for me. Ok, I really wanted to see this because of my girl, Whitney Houston. Her voice has touched me like no other, probably because I feel the heart, the soul, the gospel soul in everything she sings, and that's an essential part of my music canon. 

But, Wow! I have to say, Jordin Sparks surprised me. She's the American Idol winner of season six and was only 17 then. But now, not only can she sing, she can act. She was so believable as the innocent daughter of a mother (Whitney) who was trying to raise her three daughters away from the music industry which nearly destroyed her. Set in the 1960s in Motown, the three sisters began a singing group without their mother knowing. Sparkle's talent for writing songs and her ability to perform gave her the impetus to try being a star. The drama of beginning a group with her two older sisters and the unfolding spiral into an abusive relationship by her eldest sister, Tammy, brought the family to its knees. But, the talent and the soul was in Sparkle all the while, she was just too shy to let it out. Stix (Derek Luke), the manager of the sister-singers, gave Sparkle the love, the encouragement, and the assistance she needed to be recognized as a star. 

Besides the wonderful visuals in a movie, I always pay attention to the music in a film. And, honestly, nothing touched me deeper than Whitney singing, His Eye is on the Sparrow and Jordin singing a song for her eldest sister called One Wing. But don't leave the theater before hearing the final duet of Whitney and Jordin, Celebrate. R. Kelly produced those last two songs, and they are sure to be R&B hits. Any film that has music at it's core catches my attention. And I must not be the only one otherwise why would Hollywood be pouring out music and dance films faster than a speeding bullet. Music films are on an upsurge. Yeah! for those of us who love music.  

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