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By Ronnie Vanna Should you happen upon Pepper Mashay's myspace page you can see that this lady will be busy throughout the entire "Pride" season. And why wouldn't she be; "I Got My Pride", for which she provided vocals, is THE song for the season. This collaborative effort with producer Barry Harris (1/2 of the production team Thunderpuss), brought Pepper a #1 dance chart hit that will forever be linked to Gay Pride.
Pepper Mashay: The song "I Got My Pride" is a Barry Harris idea and the reason why he wanted to do such a song was because he was busy getting booked for all the Prides and wanted an anthem for the occasion. Ellis Miah worked on the lyrics and I got involved because of my work with Barry on "Dive in the Pool". He felt I could deliver a performance that would inspire people once they heard it. Barry called me to come by the studio and he had already completed the music but was still writing the lyrics over the phone with Ellis. I started to do some vocals just to get the vibe going and I wanted to talk with Ellis about the lyrics and what the song really meant. A lot of folks will be surprised to know that I was not "Queer Conscious" at this time. I was amazed I had impacted a community of people with "Dive In The Pool". So, I started reading the lyrics and finally something clicked in me, and I just started singing the song like I really believed in what was written on the paper. I had an epiphany!! I felt for the first time that what I was singing about was going to be important in people's everyday lives. So I just dug down deep and brought all of that emotion forward when it was time to record my vocals. I've sung the song so many times and it still doesn't get old with me. Because of the meaning of the song I feel I'm making a difference in some gay person's life and if I can stand up and be counted in recognizing their hopes and dreams of being who they are, then I feel I have accomplished something with the song. The song did end up in an episode of "Sex and The City". I wish it had ended up in the movie, but there was no one to push it thru. So that's the story behind "Pride". Despite its absence from the big screen, "I Got My Pride" will continue to make a big impact on the lives of many with a message that will forever resonate. When the parade and the parties are over, you should take a moment, listen to the song, and pay close attention to the lyrics and Pepper's performance. If the song's message resonates with you, then go to Pepper's MySpace page (www.myspace.com/frecklebandit ) and give her a shout out. And tell her Ronnie sent you. Editor's Note:
To check out the video interview with Pepper go to Ronnie's MySpace
page: www.myspace.com/mzronnie25 |
During
a recent visit to Chicago, Pepper performed at Circuit Night
Club at the first anniversary of "Amigo," the monthly
party held every third Saturday. I had a chance to talk with
her and asked about how the song came to fruition. 