By Majid Gafoor
You and I both have a voice and most of the time, all we do with it is communicate with family, friends, colleagues and others in our circle. But we also have a secret voice which we mostly keep to ourselves and this is hidden for our own enjoyment. I bring to your attention your singing voice.
Singing? You say. I don’t sing.
Let me reveal your secret to the world.
Do you take showers? If your answer is Yes, you sing.
What is it about a shower that brings out our joy which is manifested by singing? Quite simple. You are alone in your own kingdom, your own world and you feel free to exercise your freedom from any restraints. You feel good. You feel clean. You don’t have a worry in the world. You want to let the world know how you feel. You sing.
Why the shower? It is enclosed. The tiles on the walls are perfect for acoustics. They echo. They enhance. Suddenly your singing takes on a new dimension, a new power.
This has been my experience from a very young age although at the time I did not quite appreciate the dynamics of the voice under different circumstances. Nevertheless I enjoyed singing, with or without the benefit of a shower stall.
Work took me away from this passion for a while, but in later years, especially after retiring, I took it up again. My voice had matured and I was able to experiment with different vocal demands. I did not indulge in singing lessons, but rather developed a voice and style that was totally my own.
In recent years, I was able to give amateur performances before different audiences. It gave me much joy to sing and even more when the audience appreciated my performances.
I have been invited a number of times to record songs for charity fundraisers and I have very happily accepted. I may not be able to make significant donations to those charities, but hopefully my performances will be a means to encourage others to make donations.
My latest performance of the song “How I love you”, as shown in the Youtube published in this article, under the theme of “love”, was broadcast in social media and television on Valentines Day for the Scarborough Health Network in Toronto. The group was raising funds for the supply of Covid-19 essentials for frontline workers and patients. This would include supplies such as personal protection equipment – masks, gowns, gloves – for frontline workers, and ventilators and equipment for patients at ICUs.
With the ongoing pandemic, there is an urgent need for these supplies. Now, more than ever, the hospitals need our support.
It is good to know that a voice can be put to so many different uses. I am encouraged and I feel blessed that I have found an outlet for my voice which is both joyful and fulfilling and a boost to my community.
Majid Gafoor is a former journalist from Hong Kong. He now lives in Canada.