This December will see a string of international performers take to South African shores.
One of those will be an experience headlined by two legendary veterans from the U.S. Singers Regina Belle and Chris Walker will be treating their local fans to an evening of soulful music at Sun City’s Superbowl on 3 December.
Chris Walker reached out to Drum to discuss what he has planned for his set and how he feels to be performing in South Africa again.
“South Africa is truly one of my favorite places to perform and I'm super excited to return and take my beautiful fans on a musical journey,” the native of Texas says.
He’s looking forward to the energy and vibrancy of our country along with, “making new friends and experiencing the rich culture. Additionally, I love exploring new places and tasting local cuisine.”
For those who may be otherwise unaware of just how monumental this man is as a musician, Chris is best known for his 1992 hit Take Time.
Chris was born and bred in Houston Texas in the south of America, where it is said that he started out singing before he could even talk. His career spans over four decades starting out when Chris fell in love with the gift of music at church as a member of his family gospel group The Walker Brothers.
He is also known for playing the bass guitar upside down as homage to one of his musical idols, the lionized Jimi Hendrix.
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His brand of R&B has been emulated by a host of acts who followed him. His 1991 debut album First Time landed on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release. Chris also made a pivotal move from Houston to New York in pursuit of furthering his dream to play music and cut his teeth by playing bass for Ornette Coleman before getting the chance to tour with Regina Belle, where eventually handled the musical direction for her tour.
Regina recognized his vocal capability, and the legend attributes the time he shares alongside her as when he got to grips with his talents as a singer.
“My goal is to always take my fans on a journey and make each show unique. Connecting with my fans at my concerts is very important to me and I love to see their wonderful smiling faces and feel their spirit.”
This will be a return leg for him as Chris and Regina both performed in South Africa at the Soul & Jazz Experience in 2019 and Chris was also part of a tribute show to the late broadcaster Eddie Zondi.
As for what his fans can expect from this tour. “I have a number of new songs I will be performing. Actually, several I wrote specifically for my South Africa fans, including My Queen.
“South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I can identify with their struggle to overcome apartheid as we continue to deal with racial disparities in the US. I'm intrigued with the ethnic and cultural diversity, which makes South Africa so unique.”
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On his many past visits he made sure to see as much of the country as he could, visiting Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. This also saw him fall further in love with some of our local musicians.
“My roots are Gospel, R&B and jazz. I've been a fan of Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim for many years. They both played with so much emotion and you can feel the spirit in their music. Additionally, I enjoy listening to the Jaziel Brothers because they have great voices and beautiful songs,” he reveals.
He hasn’t kept up to date in as far as our many emerging talents, but he is aware of the kind of music that is at the core of the combustion engine that is local music.
"I know DJs are the heartbeat of South Africa and work extremely hard every week to deliver quality music to the public. I often see clips on social media of DJ's playing my music and I'm truly grateful because that's how the music transcends generations.”
He has enjoyed a storied career but one of the peaks of his long career was enjoyed on our shores and not too long ago.
“One of the biggest highlights of my career was performing at the Sun Arena in 2019 to honor the life of Eddie Zondi, who was largely responsible for my popularity in South Africa. I was able to meet his beautiful family and Sentle Lehoko, who took over Eddie's show when he transitioned. “
A run of this magnitude does in contrast also come with some challenges he has had to endure but are also very much a part of his story as an artist.
“One of the biggest challenges I've had to face in my career is trusting people to be honorable. Surrounding yourself with people you can trust is invaluable,” he intimates.
He may be in what could be considered the twilight of his career even though he is still touring and releasing new music. With that, you would think, come thoughts of leaving a legacy but that isn’t the case for Chris.
“I rarely think about leaving a legacy because I live a life of service to others. My goal has always been to lift people’s spirits through song and spread love, peace and joy. If I achieve that personal level of success, I believe God will take care of my legacy in the music industry.”
His music may be popular but within his harmonics, valuable messages are enshrined which he has always made a point of including in his work to address and illuminate issues and instances in life in which people may find the going tough.
“I was raised by an incredible mother, and she taught me how to love, respect and cherish women. Therefore, I enjoy honoring women in my music and reminding them of how they're supposed to be treated. Additionally, I like being a voice for guys who may struggle communicating with their significant others.
“I'm always working on new music and productions. I recently recorded and produced a duet with Maysa entitled Down With Me and I'm writing and producing for Najee. Additionally, I'm working on new Chris Walker for 2024.”
After this performance he will look to get ready for several other shows throughout December along with a special guest appearance at the Nat King Cole Christmas Show in Louisville Kentucky which he seems excited for.
He is making sure to keep his plate full and is showing no signs of relenting.
“I recently accepted the lead vocal position with a new group called TMF (The Music Forever). They're all former members of the group Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. We recently released a song I wrote entitled, Making Love To The Music. We're planning to release the project in the first quarter of 2024 and tour.”
He has enjoyed the rigorous support of his family over the years, and he says they are still very much in his corner and fueling his drive, “I have a very understanding wife and she helps keep me balanced. Through the years I have learned the importance of unplugging from the world to connect with God and rejuvenate. We like to vacation in warm destinations around the world at least twice a year.
“I absolutely love what I do, and my schedule can be quite rigorous at times. However, I'm truly Grateful to my fans for supporting me throughout the years and I will always make time for them. I love nature and being outdoors, so I often take walks or ride my bike to relieve pressure. Sitting in the sauna or steam room also helps me relax.”
