Shuanise is on the brink of big things. Having first heard her word way back in March on the low-slung Jazz cut ‘Masudesante Naima’ (courtesy Eglo Records), we at Heads High have been steadily impressed with her sweet yet slanted vocal stylings. Her recently unveiled ‘Voice Of Reason’ E.P. (UpMyAlley Records) is being warmly received by those who know and judging by the strength of her catalogue thus far, we’re in store from some serious blessings in 2010.
The thing you first notice about Shuanise is how nice she is. We played a long game of voicemail Tennis before finally getting to talk and even the rays of sunshine in my mailbox told me that I was in the presence of goodness, and not that fake-it-for-the-cameras kind either. She’s the real deal….
The beginning is a good place to start. Like me, Shuanise spent her formative years North of the Thames border. Unlike me, she had managed to live in Nigeria and the deep south of the U.S. (Texas) before she even got there. Being a Pan-Africanist at heart, I couldn’t help but ask about her Nigerian roots and how they effected her introduction to music:
‘Music has always been around me in some way…I wanted to be like my Grandpa when I was younger so picking up instruments was the natural thing for me to do. My Grandpa was a businessman raising six kids In Ibadun…having music around was important to him. Music always brought out another side of my Grandpa, like he was in another world. He played the talking drums, Udu, and an old Middle Eastern Lute. He changed the way I thought about music. It was no longer just something coming out of the speakers but all around me, made with anything…I learnt a lot from just being back home and that’s where I really started to understand what music was. Things are done in a different way out there and life is different, my heritage has always had a thumb on what I make but more recently it has had an effect on what I make and do more than at any other point.’
Deep. I wanted an expansion though. What’s different about Nigeria?
‘I found Nigeria very different to the U.K. The people, hardships, politics, the lessons. Conditions and surroundings are things that motivate people to play certain music or write a certain song. If you think back to old Africans that were brought to America, it was the surroundings and the conditions that dictated the type of music they made…but no matter what condition one is in, Ibos, Hausas and Yorubas have songs for every situation. They speak through their music. In some situations you can see how much of a life-saver music can be.’
Getting back to the here and now, those vibes have been channelled into heavily Jazz infused Soul explorations. Listen to any one of Shuanise’s cuts and you feel the unmistakeable pulse of Jazz, both in her distinctive vocal delivery, and in the sonic canvas on which she paints.
‘Jazz makes me feel very welcome and at home, ‘Kind of Blue’ was the album that opened me up to discover other Jazz
artists and learn more about the way Jazz is played. It inspired me to try a lot of different structures.
Jazz has been very influential to me….It’s changed the way i think about and make music.’
Luckily, she’s in good company when it comes to experimenting with new forms and structures, Jazz or otherwise. Eglo Records has been her home for the past year or so and their exploratory musical aesthetic has given her the freedom she needs to create. Nestling in amongst the Orchestro-Jazz-Two-Step (a new genre didn’t you know) of Floating Points, the retro futurism of Funkineven 1956 and the astral-plane harmonics of the one Fatima, Shuanise has carved herself a creative niche from which to explore.
‘Eglo is family. They believe in the music they bring to peoples’ attention. They push boundaries and are not afraid to be a little different from the rest. Everyone at Eglo has something different to bring but they still work well as a unit. I like to experiment
with sounds and Eglo are open to it, they support what they like to the fullest.’
I’m a bit old-school. I think its nice when our creativity has a purpose (click here for a deeper explanation). What is it that Shuanise aims to achieve with the beauty she’s creating?
‘…[I want to] make people think about each other more, think about what we do and how it affects others, appreciate our journeys and respect each other and where we live…..’
And where can we expect that beauty to surface next? Eglo is due to drop an EP of Shuanise’s wares. If you can’t wait for that then in the meantime Portformat’s ‘Repeat Factor’ LP features two gems from the lady herself plus guest appearances from Georgia & Dudley amongst others…..heat! Of course, ‘Voice of Reason’ is out right now so click here to cop it.
Ever the team player, Shuanise also asked us to remind you that you can pick up Funkineven and Fatima’s ‘Kleer EP’ now on Eglo…..there, told you she was nice…..we are too so here’s her Masudasante Naima for free – just make sure you support if you like what you hear!
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