Tinashe Sang Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are-A Changin” as a 10-Year-Old Performer

Bob Dylan’s 2003 film Masked and Anonymous was a critical disaster, and Roger Ebert’s review made that clear. He called it a “vanity production beyond all reason” with a screenplay he dismissed as “incoherent raving juvenile meanderings.” The cast — Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Angela Bassett, Bruce Dern, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer, Cheech Marin, Chris Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Mickey Rourke, Christian Slater, and many more — got no praise from him at all.

Ebert’s Review of Masked and Anonymous

Ebert singled out a young black girl named Tinashe Kachingwe, whose rendition of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” carried such sweetness and conviction that he called it a “master class.” He wrote that the credits “do not name the one performer in the movie whose performance actually was applauded.” If he had been asked to advise on the film, his counsel would have amounted to three words: more Tinashe Kachingwe.

Two Decades Later, Tinashe Finally Arrives

Tinashe has spent two decades building toward this point, and now the rest of the world is finally catching up with her. Her album Popstar, her eighth studio album, came out on Sept. 25, and it’s one of this year’s most-celebrated pop releases. The singles “Too Easy,” “Crash Out,” “Melatonin,” and “Pillow Fight” have saturated streaming platforms and radio alike. She’s also been engaging directly with fans online as she approaches what appears to be an artistic peak she’s worked toward for years. At the moment, the spotlight belongs entirely to Tinashe.

Tinashe on Popstar and Confidence

“I wanted to create a record that felt very confident and bold in its title, in its taking up space, in its arrival, like announcing that I’m here,” Tinashe recently told Rolling Stone’s Larisha Paul. “Calling the album Popstar, I felt like really claiming a spot for myself. I think that that level of confidence has also created more conversation, perhaps a little more pressure around the whole thing.”

Facing Bob Dylan at Age 10

A person who could face Bob Dylan directly at age 10 and deliver one of his most famous songs while cameras were rolling has clearly met pressure before. That alone may prompt some viewers to reconsider Masked and Anonymous. The tale is indeed hard to follow, and Dylan’s acting is far from excellent. Yet the gathering of talent involved, with director Larry Charles at the helm, is truly striking. There are many fine musical moments too, though none come close to matching that standout performance from a young Tinashe.

Cut Material and the Bootleg Series

A great deal of material was cut from the sessions, and fans of Dylan have long called for a Masked and Anonymous Bootleg Series to hear what was left behind. Who knows, perhaps there’s some more Tinashe in the Dylan vault. Just imagine what she could have done with “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” or “Masters of War.”

Ebert’s Praise Stood Apart

Across the board, Ebert’s review of Masked and Anonymous was harsh, yet his praise for Tinashe stood apart as specific and generous. He framed her as the only thing worth watching in a film that otherwise failed to cohere, describing her as “like a master class,”.

The Uncredited Credit

Since Tinashe put out Popstar and gathered a following around it, the movie carries a fresh cause for people to return to it. The twist is that the single performance Ebert singled out went uncredited. The list of names at the end omitted Tinashe Kachingwe entirely, even though she was the sole thing he praised. That error has now been fixed, at least in thought. Everyone else has finally taken note of the young girl who sang “The Times They Are A-Changin’” with such force that she deserved to be named.

Ebert’s Last Word on Tinashe

A long time ago, Roger Ebert spoke out about Tinashe, calling attention to her work at a moment when few others were paying attention. Now the public eye has turned toward her, and her audience has grown far beyond what it was then.

Source material: “Watch Tinashe Sing ‘The Times They Are-A Changin’ to Bob Dylan When She Was 10 Years Old,” Rolling Stone.

album Popstar · Bob Dylan · Masked and Anonymous · Roger Ebert · Tinashe