In loving memory of our Mum, Christine Frances Law, née Auger 1936-2022.
Last Saturday, on Christmas Eve, just a week ago our beloved Mum made her transition back to the stars.. to peace and love eternal. 
She was an extraordinary woman... who lived a her life with a lot of joy, sharing music and love wherever she found herself. I’m still feeling very turned around … feeling the need to be quiet mostly. There can be big waves of sadness and loss, then as suddenly a wave of joy too ... for such a full, life-loving, bountiful life our dear Mum had. 

She really seemed to be indomitable, a force of nature... Her enthusiasm, her boundless energy….The Music were so strong in her … and she shared all this generously throughout her life. Her memory really is a blessing.

This is a song I wrote and recorded for her not long after we moved to Toronto. Very few folks have heard it...but it seems fitting now to present it with love to the wider world.
Peace and love to you all, your families and friends for the coming year... #musicislife 
🕊♥️🎶

Dear Mum..

Dear Mum...

The first in a weekly series honouring my Mum Christine Frances Law who returned to the stars on Dec 24th 2023. 

This piece of music is inspired by the treasured 5,000 year old Sanskrit mantra Om Vardhanam Namah. It means ‘I Nourish The Universe And The Universe Nourishes Me.’ It is the essence of the second yogic Law of Giving and Receiving, one that acknowledges that giving and receiving are different expressions of the flow of energy in the universe. I have found wonderful support in my meditation practice from Sanskrit mantras… they are an ancient beautiful resource. As a composer they are endlessly inspiring, a sustaining guide for music and life. 

It’s clear to me as I look back that my dear Mum nourished the universe around her and was nourished in return… she is now back amongst the stars, back with her husband Richard and they will both live forever now in our hearts.

🌍🌬🔥🌞🌓✨🕊❤️🎶

Om Vardhanam Namah

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Profile

Songwriter, Music producer, Musician, Educator.

Co-wrote, produced and performed on 5 globally successful albums with Soul II Soul ( including 2 Grammy award winning songs, Back to Life and African Dance)  ASCAP & Ivor Novello awards.
Signed publishing and recording contracts with EMI, Chrysalis, London and Defected Records.
Co produced South African artist Lucky Dube’s Victims album in South Africa
Produced and co wrote global hits for Chante Moore, Shabba Ranks,  Johnny Gill,  Maxi Priest,  JT Taylor (Kool and the Gang) , Joanna Law (my sister) ....and many others
Wrote, produced and directed an original musical at Jackman Avenue Public school in Toronto

A Biography
Trinidad - Hereford cathedral - London clubland - Toronto
From his early childhood days in Trinidad, to head chorister at Hereford Cathedral in England to London clubland and to the present day in Toronto, Simon’s diverse influences have always shone through in his music.
His songs and productions have sold over 10 million albums and singles worldwide.

He was originally signed as an artist with his sister Joanna Law to Chrysalis Records in 1988 in the UK as City Heat….
He was an influential UK house music pioneer as The Funky Ginger with ‘Slaughterhouse’ (on NYC’s influential Easy Street records) and did one of the first groundbreaking dance music session at the BBC for the legendary DJ John Peel.

All this, and being a regular clubber and dancer at the Africa Centre in London for Soul II Soul’s legendary Sunday night sessions led to the lifelong friendship and collaboration with  Jazzie B OBE and the creation of  Soul II Soul’s  long career.
He has been involved in all of their 7 album releases. In particular co-writing the Global #1 and Grammy winning Back to Life and also Keep On Movin’ from the 5 million selling Club Classics Vol 1.
This worldwide multi-platinum album, including the Grammy Award winning instrumental African Dance were all co written by Simon.

He has co-writing and production credits for grammy nominated artist Chante Moore of MCA records in the US on her 2 US gold albums Precious and A Love Supreme, with the US r&b top 10 single Loves Taken Over.
He has remixed for Eric B and Rakim and Duran Duran and production writer credits with Chicago’s highly respected Ten City and Kool & the Gang’s  JT Taylor.

 In 1990 he produced his sister Joanna Law’s seminal cover and uber sampled #1 UK dance tune The First Time Ever I saw Your Face on Beggars Banquet.

He traveled to Jamaica to write with Shabba Ranks on Slow and Sexy , a US top 10 tune and worked again with legends Sly and Robbie on Maxi Priest’s albums Bona Fide and Man with The Fun, writing and producing. In the mid 90s, he visited South Africa, where he produced Africa’s own reggae superstar Lucky Dube’s Victims album.

Back in the UK he co wrote and produced many great acts like Polydor Record’s Nu colours, Atlantic’s D’influence and London records Brand New Heavies

Having always been a lover of fine soulful disco he started his own artist project High steppers (on London records UK) and Una Mas with partner Lee Hamblin (Defected records UK)…they enjoyed a # 2 UK dance single in 2002.
He has also written themes for the BBC, notably the Travel show.

As an educator this year he wrote, produced and directed Jackman Avenue: The Musical - an original musical at Jackman Public school in Toronto ( written in collaboration with the children using cutting edge multimedia and traditional theatre arts) featuring cast of 100 children with 4 sellout performances! 
He writes and records class songs in schools in Toronto.

Other writer/producer/remix credits include Guru’s Jazzamatazz, Rebel MC, EWF, Ronnie Jordan, Jazz Warriors, Caron Wheeler, Oleta Adams, Vivienne Mckone, Attica Blues, Kathy Brown and Fiona Prince + many others.

Recent projects:
Soul II Soul : new material, TV show with Jamie Oliver 
School Musicals, class songs in Toronto
DJ Andy Smith (formerly of Portishead) solo project,  
Joanna Law : new material, 
Toronto singer songwriter Jen Schaffer & The Shiners 
His own project, Slowmain ( using the psalms as lyrical inspiration)    

Links:
www.thefunkyginger.tumblr.com
www.slowmain.net
www.soul2soul.co.uk
www.youtube.com/user/JackmanMusical
www.jenschaffer.ca


Victims - Lucky Dube     (producer)

MOBO Lifetime Achievement and 2x Grammy Award winning composer, musician, songwriter, meditator, teacher, chef and Big Lebowski aficionado.

The Funky Ginger

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