Tawiah

Tawiah says, “Well the EP is gonna be out on Bush Girl Records! Doin it ourselves thats me n my fab managers! You can expect to hear a lil of me fooling around coz I like to laugh, you can hear a bit of old school cus I like to remember, you can hear a love song and you can expect to hear some guitars and strings and oohs and ahhs! The EP has been quite the process and represents a time in my life its just the beginning!”

Tawiahs musical influences vary from Lauryn Hill to Bjork. Tawiah says, “The Alicia would be Alicia Myrie not Alicia Keys even though Alicia Keys is cool. I was really into her first album and track ten on her Diary album is great! Alicia Myrie is like my big sis who makes me clothes she’s sik! Just wanid to clear that! But Ledisi I saw her live at Jazz Cafe and I ain’t never heard it so quite people were captivated, her vocals are raging! Lauryn man when I was growing up she was like my number one I still love her! Kim Burrell she’s playing London soon I am soooo there! Love Bjork I think she’s dope and Ella Fitzgerald, she’s great! I really couldn’t list all my influences we’d be here for a loooooong time!”

“Ahhhh mate! My time at BRIT was fantastic. I couldn’t have made a better choice at 14! I met my boys Jodi and Blue who have both played major parts in my musical growth. Jodi is the producer of my EP! And Blue will be all over the album! And they are in my band! I learned a lot at BRIT, its the kind of place that you get so much out of if you apply yourself, also the kind of place where people can get stuck in bubbles! But for me I loved every year, all 5 of em!”

Tawiah speaks about her Watch Out song, which was recently featured on Bubblers Two compilation on Gilles Petersons label Brownswood Records. “I wrote that song for close people to me going through relationships that weren’t ideal for other people but meant the world to them! So I wrote the lyrics before the melody, went round to Jodi’s and he played me a new track he was working on, perfect for the lyrics I had, so we just worked on the melody, Michelle Escoffery heard it and had a few ideas too and Watch Out as it is was born!”

“Yeah! I know! Still a bit crazy! And to be the last issue!”, says an excited Tawiah. She was on one of the last issue of Straight No Chaser Magazine, which is Londons best music magazines.

“Well I like clothes! And I like wearing what people can’t easily get hold of! Which is why I like rocking clothes Alicia has made especially for me, or accessories my friend Amy does heavy lil things! I do love fashion, weird things and its what looks good to me, please believe I get cussed out by my Mum! If I can get something for two pounds from a second hand shop than spend sixty pounds brand new for something similar then I will spend the two pounds!!”

From her fashion sense to her backing vocals. Tawiah says, “I’ve done backing vocals for Corinne Bailey Rae, she’s the loveliest person ever! Nate James, Guillemots (they tried to make me wear wedges! And anyone that knows me knows thats not funny! They got me kiks and it was all good!) Eska! Do you know about Eska? Man she’s my fav!! She taught me a lot, she was one of the first people I did bv’s for when I finished college! And Mpho Skeef watch out for her!”

Tawiah starts to talk about her up coming EP “Its called In Jodi’s Bedroom because its where the source of every song lies, no other vocalists on the EP, just me and Jodi”

"I did a gig with Georgia and Dudley at Cargo, the maddest thing! Met em’ the night before, it was pure vibes and she was like yo, jump on stage. So me, another singer Rahel and Jae did the gig! Taylor is my boy we haven’t done a tune together, yet!"

Will Tawiah be expecting any MOBO Awards this year? She says, “Not this year as I’m releasing next year, we’ll see what happens!!”

“Love South London, I’m a lil out there for my ends but its all good! Family have always been supportive of my music and I love them for that!”

She continues, “I love it when I get the a team, lasharvu! Ladonna, Sharlene and Vula, they are sik, they sing together all the time so their blend is right! Love it, love it, they did the live Maida Vale for me! But they busy singing with Basement Jaxx, Corinne, Lemar and various others so its a treat when I get em! For now I’m running my bv’s off my laptop!”

Email Interview by Matthew Daniel

Soulisms 2008