Yahzarah got her break from singing background for Erykah Badu on Mama’s Gun. She also appeared in the music video for Bag Lady. Yahzarah is a native of Washington DC and a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She has opened for Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder, and Musiq to name a few. Her voice is captivating and smooth, once you hear her voice, you just can’t get enough. MMIM had a chance to sit down and talk to Yahzarah, about who she is and her discussed a few upcoming projects. Also check out her performance below.
MMIM: Tell us who is Yahzarah?
Y: Yahzarah is a daughter, Yahzarah is a woman, Yahzarah is an African, Yahzarah is from DC. She is 5’1” and has a whole lot of mouth and a good sense of humor.
MMIM: What does your name mean?
Y: Yah is the first name of my grandmother in Ghana; she died when she was 103 years old. Zarah is the name of Grandmother Sarah’s name flipped in Arabic. I decided to use that name because at the time I was trying to find a voice to say the things that I didn’t have the courage to say as Dana. Dana Williams is my legal name. I’m not “Schizo”, everybody has their alter ego. I just feel like those two women exemplify what I want to be and where I wanted to be at the time, which is strong and stronger – then you get Yahzarah.
MMIM: When did you fall in love with music?
Y: Early. Very early. Some of this is going to sound cliché but my mother always said that I learned whole songs before I could talk. I could sing every verse to “shake, shake, shake, your booty” (laughs). It’s the truth, music is my source. It dictates everything in my life, without music, I am not breathing. And I didn’t know that it was something that moved me and the power until I started singing in church as a child. I told someone that watching music change a person’s heart, changed my life and I like the experiences that I get from being involved with music and performing in front of audiences. But what it does for folks, is really what keeps me doing it. And I think that’s why I am doing it, that why God is allowing it.
MMIM: Who are your musical influences?
Y: Early, it was groups like Commissioned…the Beatles, P-funk. There are so many… Tina Turner, Chaka Khan definitely because she had a certain tone, she was versatile, she was unique.
MMIM: Are you currently working on any projects? Can you tell MMIM what the title of the album is and include any highlights, as well as what your fans can expect this time around?
Y: Right now, I have an EP that will be premiering on iTunes August 27. It’s called the Prelude. My next CD is entitled The Ballad of Purple St. James. I have folks on there that had collaborated with Phonte from Little Brother, Raheem DeVaughn. There are new great emerging producers like Apple Juice Kid and Sol Messiah. So its great music and I’m not just throwing something at you. It’s a long EP; its nine tracks long. And that will be available on iTunes, August 27th and its on Last FM right now. Folks, go out and get that, I’m going to be the most downloaded woman in 2008. Help a sista to put out this good music! I appreciate everything that independent music has given me and even the great people that you meet that are in it, like Gypsy Soul…just the love from all the places and other artists. I couldn’t be doing anything else right now.
MMIM: What producers or artists would you like to work with in the future?
Y: I would like to work with Raphael Saadiq, yeah I can say that immediately. I would like to work with Prince. And also I would like to do a song with Tina Turner or Chaka Khan, that would just totally change my life. Oh, and Bilal Oliver, gotta work with him! That’s just a few, I have a long list but I don’t want to bore you with it.
MMIM: When you are making albums or songs, do you worry about how the music will be received?
Y: Sometimes I don’t care, but I would be a liar to say I don’t care. I think that there has to be a partnership and in some way I have to feed myself and not be a liar. And on the other end, I have to also make it something that is digestible. And I do care that it is digestible. Otherwise, I’m having a good time and I have an objective, I don’t think its a bad thing to have an objective.
MMIM: What do you want people to remember you by if you were to stop making music?
Y: Most importantly, I would like to be known for not only what I sung, but what I shared and what I did and how I lived. And I like for people to know that I was real.
MMIM: What obstacles have you faced trying to pursue your passion in the music industry?
Y: My insecurity. In the early years, it was not knowing my own power. But it was also it was not informing my self and not trusting people in the business aspect. I’m much smarter now.
MMIM: So you would say that its hard to trust people in the music industry?
Y: No, people should be cautious and inform themselves. Period. But you got to be informed, you have to know the business. You have to know about publishing. You should know when you should have an lawyer. And you should never let people challenge your integrity. You should always have a long memory. If it shames God, then you shouldn’t do it.
MMIM: How can your fans reach out to you?
Y: MySpace, definitely. I’m a MySpace addict. www.myspace.com/yahzarah and my website www.purplestjames.com But if you want to get in touch with me and find out what I am doing, always hit me on my MySpace page. And if you email me, I’ll email you back.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtN6b0T9EJs]
