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| SaRaha |
SaRaha: Music
has always been very important to me; already as a child I was always looking
for new songs and I spent a lot of time letting music carry me away. When I
became a teenager I started writing my own songs and playing the guitar and
I’ve just never stopped.
FF: When did you decided to face
the music as a destination or profession that would define your lifestyle?
SaRaha: Since
I’ve been singing. Since I was a teenager it has always affected my lifestyle,
playing in different bands and so on. But it was in 2009 that I decided to really
give it a shot as a professional, and when I broke through in 2011 in Tanzania
it became reality. Since then it has been my full focus.
FF: How do you imagine your career
in about ten years?
SaRaha: I
hope that my music will have reached more parts of the world and that I will be
given the opportunity to work with musicians and producers that can keep me
developing my sound. I never want to stop learning.
FF: Do you believe in the power
that music has in changing mentalities and opinions?
SaRaha: Absolutely!
Music is something that can affect people on many levels and inspire people to
feel and think differently. In Sweden at the moment for instance, African music
is breaking into the market from different directions and I believe that it
will change Swedish people’s views on Africa.
FF: Do you have a target audience
when you write your songs?
SaRaha: Sometimes
I do, like when I wanted to break into the Tanzanian market I focused on young
people in Tanzania, and when I moved to Sweden I had to adapt my sound somewhat
to what Swedish people are used to. But generally I write what I have inside
and I feel needs to come out!
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| SaRaha |
FF: Who influenced you to follow
music?
SaRaha: I
haven’t had any specific mentor, I have been inspired by many people and
especially by musicians that make me feel something.
FF: Do you have someone you admire
and inspire you in your career?
SaRaha: Many
many people. Especially female singers that have really made an impact, women
like Janis Joplin in the 60’s, Grace Jones in the 80’s, and Yemi Alade right
now.
FF: Do you think your songs are
being well received by your fans?
SaRaha: Yes,
I have been very blessed and more and more people are listening to and
appreciating my songs. My job is to keep inspiring them and making them happy!
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| SaRaha -Kizunguzungu |
FF: Tell me one thing, how do you
decide to write your songs? Or rather, what makes you write a song?
How
I write a song depends on the situation. Sometimes I sit down in the studio and
actually work on building a song with a specific focus on a message or a
feeling or sound. Other times I can be on the bus or out walking and see or hear
something that just inspires me and I have to write it down or record it. Some
songs I work on for months and others just come together in an afternoon.
FF:
For when your next album?
SaRaha: At
the moment I’m releasing in Sweden, and right now there is very little focus on
albums, people listen to music on Spotify, so everyone releases singles. I will
be releasing singles the coming year, but I have already started making a plan
for an album and I will let it grow slowly until I feel I have something that
is perfect.
FF: What is your biggest
inspiration in life?
SaRaha: Life
in itself is an inspiration. I always try to develop, grow and be open to
change, and when I discover new people, places or ideas I get inspired. And of
course, love is always a big inspiration.
FF: In free time, leisure, how to
occupy your time?
SaRaha: Lately
I’ve had very little free time since I’m touring a lot, but when I get the time
I like reading and studying to get new ideas. I also enjoy art and cooking.
FF: Can you talk about the
experience you gained in Melodifestivalen 2016?
SaRaha: It
was the craziest and most fun time I’ve ever experienced. It is such a big production
and I got to work with really good choreographers, dancers, designers and so
on. I learned a lot through the process and I also reached a big audience in
Sweden which opened up for my career here.
FF: You lived in different places,
like Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Harare. Can you speak about what these countries
means to your career, looking to the opportunities you’ve got when you lived
there?
SaRaha: Tanzania
is the country where I grew up as a young child, so it has had a big effect on
me as a person. When I moved back there to work with music the Tanzanian pop
music, bongo flava, formed my way of writing and singing a lot. Because I was
working in a music studio I got the opportunity to work with a lot of fantastic
Tanzanian artists, which helped me develop as an artist and also opened up for
a career in east Africa. Career wise Tanzania means everything to me.
I
spent two years in Zimbabwe when I was 18 to 20 years old and that was actually
where I first started working with African musicians. I had a band together
with two Zimbabwean musicians and we were playing a lot in different venues in
Harare. That helped me develop a lot and also gave me the confidence to follow
my dreams. I’ve also spent a lot of time in Sweden where I was born, and Sweden
has given me the opportunity to study music – music theory, learning to read
notes, guitar lessons and so on, and that is a very big gift.
FF: What is the meaning of
“Tanesco”, knowing that became the breakout of your career?
SaRaha: Tanesco
is the company in Tanzania that has monopoly on electricity, and the distribution
of electricity is very poor. The constant power cuts create a lot of problems
in people’s lives. In the song I sing to Tanesco saying “please, don’t cut the
power tonight, cause my love is coming around”, so it has a comical twist to it
since its basically a love song but with a political massage as well.
FF: How was to release your album
“Mblele Kiza” in 2014?
SaRaha: It
was a big thing for me to release an album with Swahili songs, especially since
I got to work with such amazing artists like Marlaw, Dully Sykes, Linex and so
on. It was also nice to be able to release it in Sweden since very little
African music has been heard here.
FF: I know you’ve released singles
since 2011 (Tanesco) until this year 2016 (Kizunguzungu). Which of your singles
have a special meaning/feelings when you evaluate your career?
SaRaha: I
have a special relationship with all my songs, but I think that personally,
Jambazi was the song that I felt most for when I released it. Looking back,
it’s maybe not the best song I’ve written, but I felt that I captured something
very Tanzanian in the sound at the moment. Also the love story in the song
really meant something to me at the time.
FF:
In “Kizunguzungu” you worked with Anderzand and Arash. How was to work with
them?
SaRaha: Anderz
and I really connected musically and it was a true blessing to get the chance
to work with him. He is a musical genius and a very nice person to work with,
so we had a lot of fun creating the song. Arash is a fantastic musician as
well, with very cool songs of his own, although he was mostly involved on the
production side of Kizunguzungu.
FF: In 2009 (in Tanzania) you
became a part of the East African POP Music Scene. Can you talk about that
period?
SaRaha: It
was a very important time in my life. It was a whole new world for me and I
learned so much and got to know amazing people and musicians. I got to work
with artists I had only heard about before and that was very big. I was living
on the floor in a music studio outside Dar-es-Salaam, so I was surrounded by
music all the time and completely fell in love with the Tanzanian Pop music,
bongo flava. Through music I got to see a whole new side of Tanzania that I
hadn’t seen before, it was very exciting.
FF: One
message or advice for those who do not believe in their dreams and ideas.
SaRaha: Many
times in my life, people have told me that things are not possible, that making
it in music is too hard or that I’m not talented enough. If I had listened to
them and let those ideas destroy my dreams I would have been very unhappy
today. It is not always easy to reach your goals, and often it takes time, but with a clear focus and a lot of work,
EVERYTHING is possible! Just remember that you shouldn’t look for short
cuts – work hard, practice, research, learn from others and be patient. And
most of all, never stop developing!
Find more about SaRaha here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saraha
Visit her official homepage: http://www.sarahamusic.com/
Sérgio dos Céus Nelson
