Taja
- Biography 07/01/06
Taja,
a sublimely talented New York based singer songwriter. Originally hailing from
Bristol, U.K. Taja burst onto the music scene a few years back as part of the
"Bristol Sound" explosion that produced the likes of Portishead,
Massive Attack, and Neneh Cherry
as well as dance and DJ producers, Nellee Hooper
and Way Out West, just a few miles down the road from
Peter Gabriel's
Real World studio complex in Bath - the
center
for "world fusion music" in Europe.
If
the name sounds unfamiliar the voice most definitely is not - a classically
trained singer, she wrote and provided the funky cool vocals on the insanely
catchy Way Out West
single, "Ajare". The track first came out on the
Deconstruction label in U.K. and has been a huge club favorite since, with
remixes by just about everyone including DJ
Pierre
and Brothers In Rhythm.
She
says: 'I'd been working with some young DJ Producers in Bristol, just
experimenting in the studio with a few loops and putting down a vocal to some
lyrics that had been going around in my head for a while. The next thing I knew,
they - Way Out West
- had picked the thing up and were asking if they could
release it as a single. The track "Ajare" turned out to be a monster
hit and soared to the top of dance charts throughout Europe for months. It was
just a one-off collaboration but it managed to open a few doors for me and
helped get me noticed.'
By
this time she had moved to New York and managed to hook up with a number of
local producers and musicians. With the buzz that she created, there's already a
steady stream of big names desperate to work with her.
Her
voice is hypnotic, the music an effortless blend of ethereal blues and floating
ethnic chants, mixed in with RnB, dance, trip-hop, neo-soul and urban break-beats.
Comparisons have been made to the works of Enya,
Bjork, Sade,
Deee-Lite, Ofra Haza,
Nelly
Furtado and Erykah Badu amongst others.
She says: 'All music is essentially a fusion of styles but I try not to use the "fusion" word to describe my music, because there's a tendency for people to try and pigeon-hole you, and alienate themselves from what they're hearing. I'm British, my background is East Indian, and I’m currently living in New York. My music is inspired by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Prince, James Brown, Billie Holiday, Chaka Khan, and Marvin Gaye. My influences from East Asia are Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, and Asha Bhosle. I'm a product of three continents and I feel that I am able to draw on the best of these cultural influences with honesty.'
About her music philosophy, she says: 'I believe the emphasis should be on the song, the melody, and the integrity and rhythm of the feelings within. I try to express myself by using my voice as an instrument which captures the spirit of my soul and of my life experiences. Through my music, I hope to communicate an energy that everyone on this planet can respond and groove to. My ultimate wish is to transcend all racial and cultural barriers and to stimulate humanity and spirituality in the world through my music. I strongly believe that music should be inclusive not exclusive.'
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If
I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for
all humanity it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and
when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye and say, "I
will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me." |