Personality - Marcia Barret

SYEDA FARIDA


Along with Liz Mitchell, she was the voice of Boney M in the 1970s and early 80s. In India to perform for the Pink Ribbon Nite as part of the breast cancer awareness month proceedings, Marcia Barret says that she is basically a rocker at heart.


Lens man Satish recollects a winter afternoon in a café in Mysore 15 years ago when he, along with his friends, used to pay the café owner — for playing Boney M numbers. With 25 paisa per track that would be three-four songs over their two by four chais. That was the time before the juke box era in this part of the world when the pop group was a rage. It brought in a new wave of happy sounds, taking off from its riffesque forerunners.

The lilting notes of this multicultural band of the 1970s and 80s continue to reverberate in the music realm today that is replete with hip-hop, neu metal and progressive house. And Marcia Barrett of the legendary Boney M finds it all fine with the new artistes except for a little observation. “Some of them tend to get over the top. Singing has nothing to go with their taking off the clothes!” Full of verve, this is Marcia for you, sitting pretty in a Dagmar Engel Brecht dress (the seamstress who did the Boney M clothes, and her designer for 32 years).

A soloist for five years before the Boney M formation, Marcia became the voice for the mellifluous numbers, right from the group’s first cover after the “I think that will do” nod by the producer that she now recollects with a chuckle. But down at the soul, she has been a Rolling Stones fan. “I am a rocker too! If it was up to me I would have loved to sing rock — the nice melodious kind,” she says. Deep Purple and Lenny Kravitz are her favourites. Ditto says her husband Marcus James as he adds Jimi Hendrix and Fleet Wood Mac to the list.

Apt ambassador

It has been about two decades since the group disbanded (in 1990). Each of the members went solo with their ensemble, recollects Marcia who was in the country to perform for the Pink Ribbon Nite as part of the breast cancer awareness month (October) drive by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, Hyderabad. And apt for an ambassador.

A cancer survivor, Marcia is known for her work with foundations for child victims of war, charity for HIV in Johannesburg and for the blind children in Romania. “The idea is to give back a little for a good cause. I’m glad to be here for this event — to offer hope. Most people start digging their grave already when they get diagnosed with breast cancer. Marcus has been my strength all through. There were days when they said the white cells are down. He never gave up. You can’t have cancer four times,” she says as if questioning the creator.

“I was first diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries, then breast cancer and then I was paralysed waist down. Now I feel triumphant — an achiever,” she says with moist eyes, and seems to have come back with a bang. Her rendition and energy on stage, as she sings the sensuous Boonoonoonoos or the racy Rasputin give you the goose bump.

Fond reminscences


Talk of Rasputin and she has a small joke to share. “We have been going to Russia often and they don’t want to stop singing Rasputin. ‘Why did you say all those Russians in the end?’ they would ask,” she laughs. She has, incidentally, presented a show for President Putin as also Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. “I was supposed to sing for Mrs. Indira Gandhi. But she was assassinated the next day,” she says.

On her Indian connection, “I have visited India earlier — Goa and Bangalore,” she says. Has there been any collaboration so far with an Indian artist on the lines of the George Harrison-Pandit Ravi Shankar? “Not as yet. But I am open to it,” says Marcia.

But there is a surprise, she says, on her music front. “Something is coming up soon. It is remixed by a Russian. These are songs that people have to dance to. The tracks will be available as i-tunes that can be downloaded free for a week before the cover hits the stores,” says the diva in sync with the times.

From a Brown girl in the ring (“It was a game we played in school back in Jamaica” ) to a Christmassy note Mary’s Boy Child, songs in support of freedom and more, Marcia played a crucial role in turning the group into a rage along with Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell.


Plenty of fizz

If Frank Farian’s original multicultural band brought in various flavours, Jamaican, Montserrat and more, the current line up, featuring artists from Italy, US, Indonesia and Germany who love pop, rock, reggae and of course Boney M, promises fizz as they sing and salsa for the music buffs.

Currently in Berlin, Marcia gets nostalgic, “Those were the days. If one week we were on top of the charts, the other week it was ABBA.” With the release of ABBA’s musical Mamma Mia recently, next on the spool seems to be Boney M’s Daddy Cool. “It was to release sometime now,” says Marcia.

Time must have passed but this survivor with her never-say-die zeal continues to spin the magic of Boney M. Way to go.