It’s been a long time in the making, but Lost Myself, the debut jazz album by
Shola Adisa-Farrar, is well worth the wait. The young Jamaican-American singer is
launching the CD on April 15 from her base in Paris, and some fans got a
preview when she gave a “listening party” this week at a hotel in the popular Pigalle area of the French city, famed for the Moulin Rouge cabaret. In an area rich with history, these lucky
spectators got to see and hear how Adisa-Farrar incorporates her multi-cultural
heritage into her music - giving a new flavour to jazz, reggae and calypso.
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| The cover of Shola Adisa-Farrar's debut album |
Born in Oakland, California, to a Jamaican mother (writer
Opal Palmer Adisa) and an African-American father, Adisa-Farrar has also lived
in New York, where she earned a degree in music. She has called Paris home for
a number of years now, even as she travels to perform.
For the album, she
worked with the Florian Pellissier quintet, led by an accomplished Parisian pianist and
composer known for the up-tempo inflections he brings to jazz. With the 10 tracks on the album - including
the joyful bonus tune “Fall in Love”, the two aimed to “blend New-York’s
hard-bop aesthetics and reggae-inspired elements with modern jazz, for a fresh
spin on classics and original compositions”, according to the album notes. Adisa-Farrar (Shola) tells SWAN more about this musical voyage in the interview
below.
SWAN: How long did you work on the album?
SHOLA: This project has been in the making
for two years. We began our collaboration June 2013 and we finished the last
recording June 2015.
SWAN: Are there particular stories,
personal history, behind the songs?
SHOLA: Being that this album was created
over a span of two years, my inspiration and my awareness of myself as an
artist evolved. From the original compositions "Flow" is the song
that is probably the most meaningful to me as I wrote it as an affirmation to
myself. 2014 was a very transitional year for me and so this song was/is a
reminder to let go of what is not meant for me, so what is, can flow more
easily into my life.
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| The singer in Paris |
"Evolution" and "Spirit" are mostly
lyrical free styles where I sang and spoke whatever words and sounds came to
mind at the moment of recording. "Evolution" speaks to my being in
France, how I got here, who I have become and what I want my next passage to
be.
"I Have A Dream" is really about the seasons of
change and being patiently optimistic that positive change can and will occur
in your life, in society, elsewhere.
The inspiration for "Blue Chords" came about as
I was in the studio composing with Florian and noticed blue cable chords on his
piano. Somehow this made me think of the connections between people, places and
origins. This song talks about my identity as an American and as a Jamaican,
using the colors of the flag to describe the country and some of the ways I
feel these cultures/ identities are perceived.
"Going Nowhere" talks about the beginning of a
previous relationship - the unknowingness of where it was going but ultimately
feeling good in that unknown space and making the decision to go wherever it
(the relationship) took me without constraints.
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| Adisa-Farrar with Florian Pelessier (right) |
"What a Night" came about after listening to a
lot of Monty Alexander, of whom I am a fan. I've long had this desire to
incorporate reggae into my music and a song that my mom taught me among others
when I was a child was "Linstead Market". So I thought what if I were
to use the "what a night" lyric of this Jamaican folk song and
flipped the meaning on its head. The original intention of that lyric was
something bad: the woman didn't sell much, if any, of her products at the
market and so it was a bad-money-earning night for her. But we often use
"What a..." to describe something really great too; like "what a
voice she has... what a meal... ", etc., so I wanted to make this song
about something positive. I imagined the feeling of finally getting out of the
funk of a failed relationship, deciding to go out, get dolled up and actually
being attracted to someone once out and feeling confident enough to do
something about it.
SWAN: How important is your background -
Jamaican mom - to your music?
SHOLA: It's funny: my older cousins who
recently came to visit me in Paris and who grew up in Jamaica, in Spanish Town,
told me of one of their first memories of meeting me when I was a young girl in
Jamaica. They said when I talked to them about what foods I liked to eat at the
time, ackee n salt fish, stewed peas and rice and dumpling...they thought
"ey ey aye ah who dis Yankee girl talkin bout stew peas n dumpling."
It was at this moment they realized that even though I was born in California
that my Jamaica-ness was very much present and evident. This is obviously due
to my mother who is a griot, really, and who makes it her business to collect
our family history and to infuse her children with as much family culture and
Jamaican traditions as she knows and practices. So this is a part of my
identity that I like to celebrate and of course music is so important to
Jamaica and Jamaicans that if I can use some of the mento/ reggae/ soca / dancehall
elements in my music it's a great pleasure for me to do so.
SWAN: As you perform a range of styles, how
would you define yourself as a singer?
SHOLA: This album is considered a jazz
album, but I say as an artist that I like to mix jazz, soul music and reggae to
create music that feels good, is poetic and is honest in describing aspects of
human emotion and situations: conflict and struggle, joy and angst, curiosity
and discovery.
SWAN: You've travelled to several African
countries and taken part in various festivals and workshops. Has this had an
impact on your art?
SHOLA: Absolutely. Since October 2014 I have
travelled to four different African countries because of music, and each of
these countries has a distinct musical tradition and sound. Having the unique
opportunity to work closely with various artists from these communities and
bringing home instruments from some of these places has informed how I think
about music and what and how it is communicated to various audiences. I would
love to create a project with an artist from each of these places where we mix
our musical traditions and put together sounds that might not so often be
associated.
SWAN: You also give special tours of Paris
and teach English. How do you manage to combine all this?
SHOLA: It has been quite a juggling act and
sometimes a scheduling nightmare, but I managed it the best I could for 2 plus
years. However, I have recently made the decision to make pursuing my artistic
career as my only professional activity for the time being. Being an artist and
creating art takes time and freedom from too many mental and psychological
constraints, so I am taking a real chance on myself now - jumping without a
net, trusting that now is the right time to go for it!
SWAN:
What are your music plans for the coming months?
SHOLA: I would like to tour within France
and abroad with this album project. Simultaneously, I am beginning collaborations
with different artists and producers to continue developing my sound and
creating new music.
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