Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #43/250: Colors by Black Pumas

If today is your introduction to Black Pumas, then you are in for a treat. Black Pumas are a duo made up of singer Eric Burton and guitarist Adrian Quesada. They play a hybrid form of Jazz, Funk, Soul and R&B, with a little Gospel thrown in for good measure. Their songs are noted for their positivity, the beauty of Burton’s voice and the crisp, crackling notes that emanate from Quesada’s guitar. The band formed in 2019, and yet they have already been nominated for six Grammy Awards, including everything from Best New Artist to Record of the Year and Album of the Year. 

Prior to working with Burton, Adrian Quesada was a member of a Latino band called Grupo Fantasma that won two Grammy Awards for Best Latin Rock Urban or Alternative Album, so the talent contained in this duo is immense. As for Burton, he was a young man raised in the church. Burton was immersed in the sound of Gospel singing all through his formative years. A deeply religious man, Burton understood that his voice could be used to bring a light into the world that would illuminate the path forward for others to follow. As he matured, he began acting as a preacher, as well as busking on the streets of his hometown of Santa Monica, California. It was while serving in his role as preacher that he began ruminating on his own path forward as a religious man in an increasingly secular and divided world. It was at that time that the idea for the song “Colors” began to form in his head. 

Those who believe in the power of The Lord say that what happened next was made possible through His guiding hand. Adrian Quesada was at a point in his career where he felt as though he had accomplished as much as he could within the confines of his band, Grupo Fantasma. He decided to break out on his own and form a new act that would follow a related but different musical direction. Being a guitarist first and foremost, Quesada knew that he would be better served finding a singer to share his vision rather than doing the singing himself. So he put out word that he was looking for someone fresh to be the face of this new act. Meanwhile, Eric Burton had  begun to realize that preaching in front of a congregation was akin to performing on a stage. So he enrolled in theatre school at the University of New Mexico. Armed with his degree, Burton returned to his first love, which was busking. However, instead of returning to the Santa Monica Pier, Burton worked the streets of Austin, Texas. As some of you may know, Austin, Texas is home to the very influential music festival known as South by Southwest or simply SXSW. The SXSW Music Festival is one where new acts perform in industry showcases in the hopes of being discovered. It is also a place where acts that got their start return to promote new material. In short, Austin, Texas was not the worst place to head if you had visions of using your voice in the service of God, nor if you were a Grammy Award winning guitarist seeking to redefine himself. It was in Austin that Adrian Quesada was introduced to Eric Burton. The two men quickly came to understand that they each had something to offer the other, and so they agreed to work together. It was at this time that they began playing their own song ideas for each other. One of those songs that they began polishing was Burton’s tune “Colors”.

The idea for “Colors” came to Burton as he found himself reflecting on the wonderful array of colours that appeared in the sky. How was it possible, he thought, for there to be such beauty and unity in our sky and yet such a lack of unity and harmony among people on the ground? The musical structure for the song came to him while still a young man in California. But with Quesada’s expertise thrown into the mix, the song came to life as it never had before. What emerged was a stunningly poignant treatise on living in harmony with each other amid the beauty of the world that God created for us. Because this song idea originated while he was still preaching, it is filled with Gospel elements that give it that old time Soulful sound that reminds me of singers such as Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke. In short, “Colors” is glorious. It is a song that is perfectly suited for these times. It will be a balm for your soul, I guarantee it.

It is not by fluke that the record industry has rushed to embrace Black Pumas, showering them with accolades and award nominations. Burton and Quesada have a musical and spiritual chemistry that is rare and is immediately obvious from the opening notes of “Colors”. Their journey together has gotten off to a marvelous start. It is my hope that Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada have many more years of collaboration ahead of them. If so, our world stands a good chance of becoming a better, more loving and tolerant and musical place.

The link to the video for the song “Colors” by Black Pumas can be found here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.

The link to the official website for Black Pumas can be found here.

The link to the official website for the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas can be found here.

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