Stevie Wonder has been one of the most successful musicians of all time. He wrote, played and recorded most of the instruments on his songs himself. He has influenced other musicians in the fields of pop, rhythm and blues, soul, funk and rock, selling over 100 million records all over the world.

Stevie Wonder’s Music:

1. 1963- Fingertips- His first number 1 single at just the age of 13.
2. 1970- Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours- Spent 6 weeks at number 1 and features
   a sitar at the start of the song.
3. 1972- Superstition- He enjoyed experimenting with synthesizers (electronic musical instrument) and this song became one of his most famous.
4. 1976- Isn’t She Lovely- A song celebrating his daughter Aisha’s birth. She now performs with her father as a backing singer.
5. 1984- I Just Called to Say I Love You- Wonder’s best-selling single, reaching
   number 1 in 19 countries around the world.

Interesting Facts!

• For environmental and health reasons, Stevie Wonder became a vegan in 2016 and now travels with his very own chef!
• He has performed at the funerals of many famous musicians such as Witney Houston, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin.
• When he signed with Motown Records, the record producer gave him the stage name ‘Little Stevie Wonder’ due to his young age and because of how talented he was. He later dropped the ‘Little’ and simply became known as Stevie Wonder.

Listen to some of Stevie Wonder’s Music!

Clara Josephine Schumann was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Starting young, she was a child prodigy (a young person with exceptional qualities or abilities). Her father made her practise for two hours a day alongside her daily piano, violin, singing,
theory, harmony and composition lessons. Much of her childhood was spent travelling and performing with her father. In 1840, Clara married famous composer
Robert Schumann.

Clara Schumann’s Music:

1. 1836- Piano Concerto- Her first piano concerto completed at the age of 16, filled with ideas and originality.
2. 1836- 4 Pièces Caractéristiques- This was written for solo piano and was performed often during her early career.
3. 1835- Drei Romanzen- Considered to be one of her finest works. This is a complicated with a range of musical styles.
4. 1855- Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann- The Schumanns were very close and she kept a diary about their marriage. This composition explores her emotions within their marriage.

Interesting Facts!

• At the young age of just 13, Clara was one of the first pianists to perform from memory. This has now become standard practice for most professional pianists.
• Clara and Robert Schumann had 8 children together!
• Over her career, Schumann gave over 238 concerts with violinist Joseph Joachim in Germany and Britain.

Listen to Clara Schumann’s Music!

The group ‘Ladysmith Black Mambazo’ sings without musical instruments (a cappella) and they have a performance style which is a mixture of traditional South African Zulu songs and South African isicathamiya dance moves (a soft, shuffling style of dance with choral part-singing).

Their Music:

1. 1973- Nomathemba- This means ‘Mother of Hope’ and was their first hit single.
2. 1976- Wazithwal’Izono Jesu- Many of their songs became Christian after Joseph
   became Christian himself.
3. 1999-I Shall be There- A pop collaboration with Irish group B*Witched.
4. 2003- Selingelethu Sonke- The first song written by the group all about fair trade in
   Africa.
5. 2006- Long Walk to Freedom- – A song about the struggles of apartheid.

Interesting Facts!

• Ladysmith Black Mambazo have made over 50 albums and are South
  Africa’s best-selling musicians.
• Group founder Joseph Shabalala retired from performing in 2014 and sadly died in February 2020 at the age of 78.
• Four of his sons still sing and perform with the group and they continue to perform shows around the world.

Listen to Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Music!

Joni Mitchell is famous for her emotional and musical range within her songs. Her voice forms part of this and she has influenced many female singers and musicians since the 1960s
and 1970s when she was at the height of her fame. Much of her music was folk in style, playing mainly guitar or piano, but she moved into more complicated jazz in the 1970s.

Joni Mitchell’s Music:

1. 1969- Chelsea Morning- A folk song about living freely.
2. 1969- Both Sides Now- Heart-breaking song about ambition and failure.
3. 1970- Big Yellow Taxi- A song about looking after the environment but also about a
   failed relationship.
4. 1971- River- This song has now become a Christmas classic.
5. 2007- One Week Last Summer- An instrumental song which won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Pop Song in 2008.

Interesting Facts!

• The polio she contracted when she was 9 weakened her left hand, so she
  created alternative tunings on her guitar to make it easier; she later used these tunings to create non-standard approaches to harmony and structure in her song writing.
• Joni was well-known for her distinctive voice. She was able to sing in three octaves so her pitch could range from very high to low, although her voice has become lower in age.
• Joni studied art at college. She continued to produce artwork through her life, as well as write and perform music.

Listen to Joni’s Music!