"My genealogy reflects my fate, sings Vancouver-born artist GreenTaRA (aka Tara Donald) on her latest album,Global Baby. Those lyrics (and album title) pretty much sum up GreenTaRAs musical oeuvre. A collection of songs written while on the road, Global Baby is a reflection on her personal history and life experiences along the way. To say that GreenTaRA is a world traveller would be an understatement. The independent recording/touring artist has lived in places such as Australia, New Zealand and Florida, honing her acoustic guitar-led "urban roots sound along the way. With a stage name borrowed from Buddhism, GreenTaRAs earthy sound represents a mix of funk, rock, gospel and R&B. The follow-up to 2003s Music for a Mixed Nation, Global Baby gets listeners bodied with a chunky, funky soul sound and an intriguing mix of singing, rap and spoken word. The reggae/dub-tinged track "Controller and "From the Moment We Drop speak from a historical perspective, while the gospel-flavoured funk of "Get Up and the Motown-meets-hip-hop "Revolution Time feature an unapologetic funked-up feel. Global Baby manages to go weighty on social commentary without being overly preachy or heavy-handed. Its an ambitious musical salve for the soul.
Whats the meaning behind the album title?
My heritage is Cherokee, African and Caucasian. I think that were defined by not only our environment but by our history. Ive been learning more about my identity and heritage. No matter where Id travel, people would approach me and try to categorise me and figure out my background. I only met my biological parents recently and found out that they were heavily into music, much like I am. So, not only does Global Baby refer to my mixed race, its about relating to different cultures and different elements throughout my travels and realising that were all the same.
How challenging is it to record a studio album after being on the road for so long?
The biggest challenge was to capture the vibe of a live show in the studio. The difference between this album and Music for a Mixed Nation is that Ive been conscious about upping the production quality. Ive been passionate about staying independent and, through touring and grants, still been able to get the production and musicians I wanted to make this project happen. This album is less happenstance and more deliberate; its about getting the music out to the people, as I wanted to create a specific body of work.
(Easy Bake)Whats the meaning behind the album title?
My heritage is Cherokee, African and Caucasian. I think that were defined by not only our environment but by our history. Ive been learning more about my identity and heritage. No matter where Id travel, people would approach me and try to categorise me and figure out my background. I only met my biological parents recently and found out that they were heavily into music, much like I am. So, not only does Global Baby refer to my mixed race, its about relating to different cultures and different elements throughout my travels and realising that were all the same.
How challenging is it to record a studio album after being on the road for so long?
The biggest challenge was to capture the vibe of a live show in the studio. The difference between this album and Music for a Mixed Nation is that Ive been conscious about upping the production quality. Ive been passionate about staying independent and, through touring and grants, still been able to get the production and musicians I wanted to make this project happen. This album is less happenstance and more deliberate; its about getting the music out to the people, as I wanted to create a specific body of work.
