Spinal Slap: Singer-Songwriter Danny Lamb’s “Champion” Shows Real Backbone
We all have the power to reach into ourselves and find what it takes to be our own biggest hero. But every now and then, we need the encouragement of someone who’s had to do the same thing. Enter Canadian singer/songwriter, teacher, and musical philanthropist Danny Lamb, whose “Champion” distills his own triumphs over highly specific challenges into a call to action that could steal anybody’s resolve:
With all your love
Be someone the world will call a champion
Don’t be afraid
You will overcome
And the world will call you a champion
Like much of Lamb’s work, the song was inspired by his experiences with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, both of which he lives with on a daily basis. He’s even been an ambassador of Hydrocephalus Canada since he was 18 years old. But the fortifying sentiments of the tune are broad enough, and its musical strokes bold enough, that it could have a million other applications—from personal affirmations to nonprofit initiatives to sporting events and even commercial ad campaigns. It’s a stirring, immensely commercial showstopper that’s made all the more compelling by a rapped bridge from Canadian spoken-word poet, motivational speaker, and hip-hop artist Chris Tse, who offers moral support to all the “rebel kids” who wear their battle scars like a “badge of honor.”
And the kids are listening. “Champion” was adopted as the official theme of the recent “Take Action” summer camp, which was geared towards developing the leadership skills of young people, deepening their awareness of issues they care about locally and globally, and empowering them to create action plans for positive, equitable change.
“Champion” is typical of the six tracks on Lamb’s new Evolve EP, which emphasizes march-tempo earworms that are mostly uplifting and motivational—and sound so even on those occasions when the words dip into the more melancholy. A winning follow-up to his previous EP, Change (yes, we’re detecting a pattern here), Evolve was produced by Andre Kaden Black and mixed and mastered by Tal Vaisman, both of whom also had a hand in the writing. The lyrical thrust, though, remains highly personal—a natural byproduct of Lamb’s move from his small hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake to a new life in the big city of Toronto. The songs, he says, were sparked by the stimulating input of new people, a new community and the resulting realization there was more he could do to make music a tool for social justice and cohesion. He even reflects on some of the privileges he himself enjoys, even as he leans into the themes of accessibility and disability rights. The record’s June release was timed to coincide with Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Awareness Month in Canada.
One passion project of Lamb’s is “A Song, A City,” a “small music movement” he co-founded as a vehicle to amplify the voices, stories and abilities of people who live with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Along with the rest of his life and work, the project has been featured by the BBC, Global TV, CTV, Canadian Musician Magazine and CHCH, as well as being spotlighted in a second edition “Business Communications” college textbook. The relevant passage explains the genesis of “A Song, A City” and the way in which the undertaking crowd-sourced its first-ever tour across the UK and Europe.
A polished live performer in his own right, Lamb has shared the stage with artists like Marianas Trench, Mother Mother, Fefe Dobson, Faber Drive, Honeymoon Suite and David Wilcox. Most recently, his busy schedule has included June shows in Niagara and his new home of Toronto; later in the month, he’ll be the keynote speaker at a gathering of the Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of Southern Alberta, being held June 19 to 22 in Calgary, Alberta. He’ll be putting on a special show for the spina bifida and hydrocephalus community while he’s there.
What a fabulous opportunity for his fellow music fans to welcome their new champion.
(SPOILER: It’s themselves.)