Introduced by the rather prophetic chant “take a look at the world today / we’ve got to find a better way”, ‘If A Woman Had Made The World’ sounds hominously relevant and observant, a nugget of truth and social justice that well suits our turbulent world, especially in the face of recent events. Yet the listener might be surprised to learn that such a lovable record was actually written in 1983 by Chris Oledude himself. It’s quite striking to notice how humanity’s search for a better future has never really ceased, and how popular culture and sensibility might indeed have changed throughout the decades, but not its underlying problems.
Anyway, everything you hear in ‘If A Woman Had Made The World’ today is a newly recorded version of the original song, featuring the luscious and charming vocals of American powerhouse Kiena Williams. You can check out the original 1983 version here, if you wish. The sound quality of the new release is miles better, yet we also appreciate the wholesome and nostalgic tape-coded character of the original. Originally dedicated to Chris’s mother, the late Ethel Werfel Owens, the piece is also now dedicated to his late wife, Sandra E. Dixon, who died in 2019 after a two-year struggle with cervical cancer.
Doubling down on the meaningful and evergreen ethos behind the record, Oledude explains: “We have been taught that men made all the advances of human civilisation possible. Not only does that need to be questioned, but it is also, in fact, grossly incorrect. If we are going to save our world, then we need to understand that there was a way of viewing and acting in the world that came before the competitive viciousness that characterises so much of present life. This song demands that we all ask questions and take nothing for granted about who we are as people and what is really important in this world.”
Recommended! Discover ‘If A Woman Had Made The World’ now: