Stereoboard Talk To Saidah Baba Talibah About Her New Single '(S)Cream' (Interview)
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Written by V O'Hagan
Hello Saidah! How’s your day been?
Well, right now, I'm hanging out with my friends/bandmates Donna Grantis and Hill Kourkoutis listening to 1930's jazz and blues music. We've been travelling all day, but have had some crazy fun times along the way.
For those who might not yet be acquainted with you work, take a moment to tell us about your music.
Oooh, I like to describe it as Raunchy Soul - something soulful with a little edge, raunch, rock.
I really enjoyed the new single (S)cream. What inspired you to write it?
It's inspired from a place of declaration, declaration to the lover in my life that whatever their doing is juuuuust right.
I love how sexy the (S)cream video is without flashing copious amounts of knickers and flesh. There’s a lot of pressure on female performers to be sexual in a very specific way – what do you think about this?
Thank you, first of all. I think that we as women, and as performers need to take control of our own destiny, to control how we want to be seen. I have no problem with expressing sexuality, because the world is sexual, that's how we all got here, right? The problem that I have is when women are not taking control of how they want to be, or be seen. It' s a fine line though.
In the video, you seem to be having a rather long encounter with a snake that decides to sit on your head. Was it a real snake? If so, then maybe a stint on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here should be your next career move?
It was a real snake and to tell you the truth, the snake wanted to cuddle at the nape of my neck. He was sweet, his name was Cary Grant and working with him actually made me contemplate getting a snake for a pet. I've never seen, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, what's it all about?
You don't want to know! You grew up in Toronto, Canada. How has the city shaped and influenced your musical style?
Growing up in Toronto was and is a wonderful experience. I'm afforded the luxury of being exposed to the entire world in one city, authentically. Most of the radio that I was exposed to growing up was rock radio and balanced with jazz, blues, soul, funk and a little more rock in my house, I think I got the best of all worlds, exposed to music as a form of expression without any judgement on making a choice of what genre to identify with, if you know what I mean?
You have a very unique name. After some heavy Googling, I managed to discover that Saidah means ‘fortunate’ and Talibah means ‘seeker of knowledge’. Is your name a good representation of your personality? (It’s a lot more interesting than being called Katy Perry, at any rate.)
I think my name represents me well, I'm a pretty all round happy person, looking on the bright side of everything, but still balanced by being a student of life, you know. I really do take life as school, so many lessons in every moment.
Music is in your genes. You’re the daughter of Grammy nominated Salome Bey, and your uncle is also a successful musician. Were you writing and performing throughout your childhood? Was a career in the arts always on the cards?
I really never questioned whether I'd go into the arts or not, but I tell you, when I really got into it and started understanding what I was taking on, I realized that I needed to not suck, because my Mom, Uncle, Aunt, Sister and Cousins are pretty badass. Throughout my childhood I was always creating -dancing, singing, acting, drawing, the whole gamut, writing songs came when I was a teenager.
Who are your greatest musical influences?
Besides my family, Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton, Labelle, Betty Davis, Fishbone, Living Color, Skunk Anasie, Bjork, Lewis Taylor, Jamie Lidell, Nina Simone, Sia Fuller, Nikka Costa and so many more.
You partly funded your album by asking fans to pre-invest in your music. Is it important to you to have that kind of personal link between yourself and your fans? What is your relationship like with your fan-base?
I think it is SO important to have that link between fan and performer, because in the end we're all just people. We bleed the same blood and feel the same things. Well, I'd like to think that my fans are pretty supportive of what I do.
You and your guitarist Donna Grantis co-wrote most of the material on the album. Is there any particular musician you’d most like to write a song with?
Oooh, my wishlist is what you're asking, right? Well, I'd love to write with: Lewis Taylor, Jamie Lidell, Betty Davis, Feist, Pharrell Williams, Billy Joel, Garth Fagan (from Steely Dan), and again, many more.
What kind of a live performer are you? Are you nervous or excited? Do you have any rituals to perform before going on stage or do you just get up there and knock them dead?
I like to just get onstage and challenge myself to be more free. It's a crazy thing to write songs, essentially you're telling your own stories from your own words and then to get up onstage to share those stories...it's scary. I'm a little nervous and excited, they each fuel one another. And no rituals, well maybe just a quick pep talk and giving thanks to my band and then we knock them dead.
You’re coming to London soon to play a few gigs. Will it be your first time in the UK? How are you going to wow the British crowd?
This is my first time coming to the UK, looking so forward to it. I don't have any tricks, other than being myself to wow any crowd!
And finally, you once said ‘I go to pretty places, harder places and naked places. I wish you joy, despair, heartbreak, inspiration, and to be turned on’. Does this ideology drive you and your music? The need to experience everything and share it with the world?
Yes, most definitely that ideology drives me, my music and my life. I try very hard to live what I speak. I like it real and raw. I'm the type of person that'll try anything once (within reason) and if it moves me, I'm sharing it with the world.
Thanks for your time, Saidah! All the luck in the world with your music!
Saidah Baba Talibah is touring the UK this year, and you can catch her on the 5th December at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green, the 6th December at the Windmill in Brixton, and on the 9th December at Cherry Jam on Westbourne Grove.
Photo Credit: Anna Keenan
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