Zamani Folade is described as a sonic storyteller, writing, producing, engineering, and performing every note she creates. On the second night of Pure Jazz at the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival, the Halifax-based artist brought her signature creativity to the stage. Zamani, whose roots trace back to Saint Lucia, wove a rich tapestry of jazz, blues, R&B and soul as she explored diverse themes in her music.
St Lucia Times caught up with Zamani following her stage performance, which was well received by the audience comprising locals and visitors.
She said she felt great on the night despite some nerves, given the magnitude of the festival.
“You know what these kinds of things happen, you feel the nerves building up to it, it really builds up, but once you hit the stage, it all kind of releases, and you realise that everybody’s just there to have a good time, and you yourself are part of that dynamic,” she revealed.
Her repertoire on the night included unreleased original material, including Connection, Sunflower Seed, and Moving as well as a tribute to Lady Day titled “Billie Holiday”. Mixing a bit of storytelling in between, Zamani spoke of being commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to write a song and choosing to reflect on migration. The song Alone, which she later performed, was inspired by what she thought were some of the emotions her dad might have felt when he migrated from Saint Lucia to Canada. Zamani was also able to fully display her vocal prowess on the Joe Sample/Lala Hathaway classic When Your Life was Low.
She explained how she prepared her set.
“So last year I came to the Jazz & Arts Festival and I was here for the Pure Jazz ladies night, and I guess I was kind of scheming when I was there and thinking about what kind of set I might do and I enjoyed that there was a lot of classic jazz and then there was the tradition of Jazz. So that was something I really wanted to make a part of that set, but I also wanted to have my original material and show people my personality and what I like to do, what I like to write and sing.”
Zamani’s father, Saint Lucian Dr Harvi Millar, hails from Bishop’s Gap, Marchand. Millar, who she says has been a major influence in her career, was part of her band on the night on guitar.
“His influence has been very instrumental and he is the reason I learnt to produce music. He showed me an app called Garage Band and I kind of started playing with it and I ended up making a beat on the drive home from school one day, and I never looked back,” Zamani said.
According to her, being a part of the production is a core part of her music-making.
Her decision to perform mainly unreleased material on the night was strategic.
“It made the experience all the more special. It is kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us.”
Asked about the availability of these songs, she replied: “They’re coming soon. Don’t have dates yet, but keep your ears and eyes out for a full announcement.”
She revealed a collaboration with Saint Lucian rapper Kayo who is also based in Canada in a song called ‘Hol’ a Medz.
Zamani went on to say that the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts stage provided a wonderful opportunity for an artist like herself with Saint Lucian roots to marry with other cultures.
Before ending our interview with Zamani, we could not help digressing to ask her about the moment Julien Alfred won Saint Lucia’s first medal at the Olympics.
“Oh my goodness, I was so excited,” she recalled. “I don’t watch many of the sports in the Olympics, but I always watch the track and so when that moment happened, I knew Saint Lucians all over the world were so proud I immediately posted it on my story on Instagram. It was such a triumphant moment.”
Zamani said it was a great experience not just performing at the festival but also reconnecting with her Saint Lucian roots. She pledged to continue writing, producing and performing authentic music with jazz at the heart of it all.
Her advice to others: “There will always be people telling you what to do, how to dress, what you should write about, how you should sing… It’s good to take advice from people and from trusted individuals, but sometimes you have to just say, ‘how does this feel?’ and trust your gut and go for it.”
