Background in brief
In 1997, Chris Chameleon became the bassist and front man of one of South Africa’s proudest musical exports, Boo!. In 7 years Boo! acquired an enormous following worldwide by performing 800 gigs in 17 countries, including 14 states in the USA. The band also received a South African Music Award in 2002 for ‘Best Pop Album.’
In 2005, Chris Chameleon embarked on a solo career and has since become one of South Africa's most successful artists, both on home ground and in the Benelux Countries.
Chris Chameleonn has released six solo albums and two live albums between 2005 and 2009. Five of these albums were nominated for the prestigious South African Music Awards (SAMA) in the years relevant to the release dates. “7de Hemel” won the SAMA for Best Afrikaans Contemporary Album in 2007 and “Kyk Hoe Lyk Ons Nou” won the SAMA for Best Afrikaans Contemporary Album in 2010. In 2008 ,2009 and 2010 Chameleon was also nominated for the SAMA in the coveted Best Male Artist category.
Chameleon has also released 3 live DVD's up to date. These DVD's perfectly capture why he is renowned for his incredible versatility by moving with remarkable ease between Folk, Contemporary, Rock and Classical, English and Afrikaans.
In August 2007, Chris Chameleon signed a record deal with the premier independent label in the Netherlands, Excelsior Recordings. The album Ek vir Jou is being distributed by Excelsior Recordings in the Benelux countries (The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.)
Chameleon has completed various successful tours in the Benelux Countries over the last three years in prestigious theaters as a solo artist as well as in rock venues with a band. On 18 July 2009 he performed at the 46664 Mandela Day Concert in New York with legends such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Josh Groban.
Chris Chameleon’s talents are not limited to performance and songwriting as he has written monthly columns for both the country’s top music magazine Stage, and the thought provoking magazine called Insig and is currently writing a biweekly column for national newspaper Beeld. As an actor he’s either starred or had supporting roles in over 30 TV and movie productions over the last 17 years.
On average, he performs up to 150 gigs per year to sold out audiences in South Africa, Namibia, Belgium, England, and The Netherlands. In 2009, he released a new album “Kyk Hoe Lyk Ons Nou” and hosted a 4-part documentary broadcasted on South African national TV of the same title.
2010 saw Chameleon recording a new Boo! album, "The Three of Us," to be released later in the year, as well as acting in popular SA TV programme “Binnelanders”. Chris will also continue to perform in Belgium and the Netherlands and possibly other territories.
So as you can see, true to his name, there are many colours to this Chameleon, and music is what keeps his heart pumping. Chris Chameleon has proven that his talent and appeal defy conventional demographics and genrefication. Here is an artist whose relevance extends beyond the local South African scene to include a wider international audience.
With simply a guitar and unusual voice-work, Chris Chameleon has captured the intrigue of fans worldwide and is set to be a pioneering force for South African music in the world ... watch this space!
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Chris Chameleon’s popularity and world-class talent has also been evident from various awards that he has won over the past four years. These awards are:
• SAMA Award for Best Afrikaans Contemporary Album – “Kyk Hoe Lyk Ons Nou” 2010
• KANNA Award for Best Male Artist at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in 2009
• INNIBOS Award for Most Popular Production at Innibos 2009
• Huisgenoot Tempo Award for Most Popular Afrikaans Album for “Ek Vir Jou” 2008
• Vonk Award for Best Solo DVD for “Klassieke Chameleon” 2008
• SAMA Award for Best Afrikaans Contemporary Album – “7de Hemel” 2007
• Medal of Honour: Awarded to Chris by the SA Academy of Science and Art for his contribution to Afrikaans Music - 2007
• FAK Award for Exceptional Cultural Achievement - 2007
• VONK Award for Best Male Solo Artist - 2007
• VONK Award for Best Songwriter for STERREDANK - 2007
• KANNA Award for Best Music Theatre Production at KKNK - 2007
• People’s Choice Award for KLASSIEKE CHAMELEON at Aardklop 2007
• Huisgenoot Tempo Award for Favourite Contemporary Artist - 2006
• Vonk Award for Best Male Artist - 2006
• Vonk Award for Best Male Album: “Ek Herhaal Jou” - 2006
• MK89 Award for Best Solo Video “Die Onverkrygbare” - 2006
• MK89 Award for Sexiest Video “Die Onverkrygbare” - 2006
• AMT Award for Best Male Album: “7de Hemel” - 2006
• AMT Award for Best Male video: “Groet” – 2006
Further SAMA nominations included:
* Best Male Artist – Chris Chameleon 2008, 2009 & 2010
* Album of the Year for “Klassieke Chameleon” - 2009
* Best Afrikaans DVD for “Klassieke Chameleon” - 2009
* Best Afrikaans Contemporary Album for “Klassieke Chameleon” - 2009
* MTN Record of the Year for “Sterredank” - 2009
* Best Male Artist – Chris Chameleon - 2008
* Best Global Chart DVD for “Flight of an Extraordinary Alien” - 2008
* Best Afrikaans Contemporary Album for “Ek Vir Jou” - 2008
* Song of the Year for “Droomland” - 2007
* Best Alternative Album for “Shine” - 2007
* Best Afrikaans Contemporary Album for “Ek Herhaal Jou” - 2006
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Mind Made Up
Chris Chameleon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I've been in need of a new lover.
'Cause you hurt me without even knowing:
When you love me you love me without ever showing
And so my mind's made up, got to go
To where the four winds' lead let me blow
And I've been running out of time
Baby I've gone and gotten a little bitter
And I refuse, I no longer want to be smitten
Got so shy from the times that I've been bitten
Try as I might I can never be right or fit in
So I'll be searching, yes I'll be searching
for someone who will love me
For all that I am, and I won't need to change a thing
'Cause I deserve a love that's true
And I won't settle for anything less than what's due
In these lyrics, Chris Chameleon sings about a painful breakup and the aftermath of it. The singer has moved on and found a new lover because he was in need of it. The previous relationship hurt him deeply and left scars that are not easily healed. He feels that the previous lover never showed him love, even though, they claimed to love him. Due to this betrayal, the singer's mind is made up and he is ready to face the unknown. He is determined to find the love that is meant for him and won't settle for any less.
The lyrics of Mind Made Up are reflective of the emotions that come with heartbreak. The singer portrays a sense of wanting to move on and forget the past. He has become bitter and no longer believes in smitten love. The past relationships have taught him to be careful and he doesn't want to fit in when he can never be right. But with hope, he vows to keep searching for someone who will truly love him for who he is, and that's what he deserves. The lyrics talk about the struggles of love, the pain of heartbreak, and the hope that keeps one pushing forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby I've gone and gotten me another
I've started a new relationship because I needed someone else to love.
'Cause you hurt me without even knowing:
You caused me pain without realizing it.
When you love me you love me without ever showing
Your love for me isn't visible or expressed.
And so my mind's made up, got to go
I've decided to leave and move on.
To where the four winds' lead let me blow
I'm open to whatever opportunities come my way.
And I've been running out of time
I feel like I'm running out of time to find true love.
To find the love that's meant to be mine
I'm searching for the love that's right for me.
Baby I've gone and gotten a little bitter
I've become a bit resentful due to past experiences.
And I refuse, I no longer want to be smitten
I don't want to fall in love anymore.
Got so shy from the times that I've been bitten
I'm hesitant to trust because I've been hurt before.
Try as I might I can never be right or fit in
I feel like I can never be accepted or belong.
So I'll be searching, yes I'll be searching
I'll keep looking for the love that's meant for me.
Contributed by Sophie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.