Culture
Celebrating Black History: The women who shaped dance music
From r'n'b to disco, funk and house
Crystal Waters
By 1990, house had become an established musical style, but there was still plenty of room for innovation. Like Donna Summer’s 'Love to Love You Baby', Crystal Waters’ 'Gypsy Woman' was originally written for somebody else. Upon hearing her haunting, unpolished voice, record execs decided to release the track as it was, and the song, with its morose synth organ and upbeat percussion, was able to chart at number 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Four years later, the more relaxed '100% Pure Love' permeated the national charts, proving Waters’ versatility and vocal talent.
