Our conversation is a summary of the year, in which we look back both at what has been done and at the components of the creation process itself – meeting the right people and feeling the right effects, and we mention the current events in the popular music of the world and Latvia.
Aiga Leitholde: Our conversation takes place at the end of 2023. What do you have planned for the end of this year?
Aminata: This year I want to rest and, thank God, all the concerts have already been played until the end of the year – I can take a little vacation. Would like to use this time to write songs and avoid planning. I want to spend this holiday season with friends and family.
Looking back on this year and last year, you’ve released both an EP and a full-length album, “Savvalias päše”, which also includes songs from the mini-album. Why this choice?
I can’t say that this choice is strategic. We had a cool songwriting camp in 2022 where we produced six songs, all of which I liked so much that we released them on a mini-album. This year I decided to hold the concert “Palladium Riga”, but in my opinion it was too early to present the concept of the next album. Therefore, we decided to expand this mini-album, keeping this feminine theme.
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These two records are notable for their radio singles play. It’s often debated what makes a good radio song, and you’re the artist who knows how to make a good radio single. What do you think makes a good radio single?
The first thing that comes to mind – a good single is a fast song. If issued at the right time, in the right place, this approach can work, but it cannot be completely calculated. When I write songs myself, I try not to think about it too deeply. Of course, there are people in the label who think about this and try to pick songs that they think will work.
From my own experience, I can say that those songs will work that have something more than lyrics and music, the song has a story that resonates with people.
Of course, in this matter we could also talk about technical things, how songs are written. There are various lectures and books available where you can learn how to structure a song, but it seems to me that now this knowledge is almost automatic, without thinking much about it.
Yes, we learn a lot from the surrounding environment, the surrounding sound, without thinking much about it. Maybe you can tell us about your brightest inspirations this year?
This year I went to “The Weeknd” concert in Tallinn. I enjoyed the sound at this concert – how well each instrument was tuned, how the voice sounded – everything was beautiful. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to any of Beyonce’s concerts, but recently I went to see her concert movie “Renaissance” – I really liked this movie! I cried throughout the movie. The way they make the show is amazing! Loreen’s concert “Palladium Riga” should also be mentioned.
You create shows yourself and are able to hold them together with a group and dancers of different formats. What is your approach to this process? Have you collaborated with any director?
I haven’t had the opportunity to work with the director yet in any concert, as far as I’ve had them, not that many. These are my ideas. I’m thinking about lights, colors, about video – a list of all this in a big file with references to specific examples. Together with the musicians, we thought about song arrangements. There were songs I wanted to highlight. Also, I had scheduled time only for the dance performance, which had to be created separately in the studio. Since I am not a dancer, it was important to me that the movements could be adapted to me so that they looked good on me. Sometimes I showed my intended movements, from which the choreographer Eliza Kai Kazemak created a dance. She is the coach of the dance group “Space”. Rehearsals both with the band and with the dancers are important for the creation of the show, and in the middle was the recording of the album – this was an intense period of work, after the concert, fatigue was felt in the body.
Aminata
Photo: Anastasia Petuhova
Here is the paradox of the entertainment industry – how much hard work is actually underneath to create this ease and entertainment! You mentioned the choreographer Eliza Kai Kazemak. How do you find your people who help you realize your dreams?
I have found my people over time, solving different situations, looking for people I can trust. In the case of dancers, Eliza was already one of the dancers at my concert. Then she became a trainer and I attended some master classes organized by her. I liked how she works, how she creates choreographies, and I invited her to create a performance for the video of the song “Aphrodite”, later I invited her to perform this performance both at my concert in Andrejsala and at “Positivus”. During this time we had created more dances and on this basis I invited him to join the concert in the “Palladium” concert hall. This relationship developed gradually over a long period of time.
In recent years, your duets have also stood out – with the singer Buuu “Kur saule”, with Jānis Šipkēvica in “Tavos vaņoles”. These two artists have also been involved in writing your songs as authors. Can you tell us more about these collaborations?
Yes, with Ilzi (Ilze Farte or Boo – ed.) we wrote “Aphrodite” together and we have a joint song “Kur saule”, for which I am not the author, it was written in the songwriting camp. I love this connection Ilzi and I have developed. There are things I could learn from her. For example, talking about the song “Aphrodite”, which is an atypical song for me because of its lightness. I like to write songs about heavy feelings. We created “Aphrodites” in a collective of authors, in which, besides me and Ilze, Chris Noah and JJ Lush were also involved. When they offered me the lyrics “my hips hypnotize you” in the song, I said no. But they persuaded me, because there is nothing unacceptable in this text. When I sing “Aphrodite”, I can let loose, be playful, feminine, flirt – right now I can’t imagine that this song could have any other lyrics. Ilze has a lightness and she inspired me to sing such light songs, which give a completely different feeling on stage. No drama, but you enjoy. This approach will stay with me in the future.
Speaking of Jānis, he is a person whom I trust a lot. He wrote the lyrics of my first song “Maiga vara” in Latvian. It was a big event for me – to finally sing in Latvian. Jānis was sensitive, listened to me, what I wanted to say and included it in the lyrics of this song. I couldn’t think of a better lyric – “Maiga vara” is one of my all-time favorite songs. On the other hand, “Tavi voalni” is Jānis’ song, in which he offered me to participate. I really liked it and, of course, it is always a pleasure to work with Jānis himself.
I’m generally lucky to have the people I get to work with!
It’s not like I can make songs with complete strangers. If we do not know each other, then we meet and talk before that, we try to feel each other.
You work in the pop music genre, which has a sporty spirit – trends, competitions, rivalry. How do you feel these aspects?
If I thought I had to write a radio hit, it doesn’t work that way. If you think creatively, putting a personal story into the song, then it works. I don’t think you necessarily have to put trendy sounds in a song. I can hear everything that happens around me. I also like these trendy things and you should use them when you want, because it sounds good, not when you have calculated it. For example, “High tide. Low tide”, I don’t know if this is a trending song, but I really enjoyed the process of making this song. I thought about each effect. This song did well on the radio stations, but I didn’t try to make this song trendy, but it has a modern sound. The producer of the song makes good arrangements and I choose the things that I like.
What do you think can be called old-fashioned in today’s music?
I think there are so many niches these days to put a song in without it being old fashioned. For example, live instruments cannot become old-fashioned – they are classics that will always sound good. Perhaps these new sounds and beats can get old quickly, as we can see when we look back at the trends of the 1980s. It’s hard to say what is old-fashioned, because in music, just like in fashion, things become relevant again after a while.
The closing question will be inspired by Taylor Swift. 2023 has been a great year for her – she has become a billionaire and is one of the most influential people of this year. What do you think, has the time for women in the music business come?
Taylor Swift is the most played female and male artist of 2023 on Spotify. She has sold out concerts. Yes, it makes me happy. I like how she works, how purposeful, beautiful and strong she is – she is a good example.
Looking back at the year 2023 in Latvian music, what will you take with you from this year?
My personal event was my concert “Palladium Riga”, which turned out as I had planned. It gave me the inspiration to work further and continue to develop, create future concerts. Speaking of colleagues, I’m happy for Astro’n’Out! It is not often that groups with a female soloist hold concerts in “Arena Riga”. It is a significant event – I am proud of Mara! You can also be wonderfully inspired by Mara.
2023-12-31 14:34:27
#lighter #feeling #Gadumias #conversation #Aminat
