EQUATE Introducing Latanya Alberto
“I have been singing all my life, but for a long time I was looking for the right way to give that substance.”
For Amsterdam-based songstress Latanya Alberto, the process of making music is all about asking questions. Whether she’s commanding her characteristically silky incantations to explore human connectedness, or her vast Surinamese-Curaçaoan history, the rising star’s masterful pen is ever guided by a desire to build cultural bridges; delving deeper than some are willing to go when confronted with surface-level perceptions.
“It all began with poetry”; Alberto tells me via e-mail, when we catch up to talk about the new music, she’s set to release this Spring. “I had taken in so many stories through all kinds of music without ever wanting to interfere with my own voice, opinions or ideas. I think poeticism granted me the strength to write about important matters, as it allowed me to approach creativity in a thoughtful and careful way”. Eventually, it was the song-writing of artists such as India Arie, Donny Hathaway and Gladys Knight that informed Alberto’s early musical inquiry. “I’ve been singing all my life” she tells me, “but for a long time, I was looking for the right way to give that substance”.
Today, Alberto’s music strikes the perfect balance between all of her multifaceted creative disciplines; with no shortage of substance to be found across her three-EP-wide discography. Below, we take the conversation further, covering the creative process behind the singer’s most recent single ‘Royal (Recall)’, as well as traversing all the influences that continue to inform her sophisticated and affecting approach to music-making.
Read the full interview below…
Words & Interview by Tahirah Thomas
EQ: Hey Latanya! I was wondering whereabouts in the Netherlands you grew up? Do you think your Surinamese and Curaçaoan heritage informs your artistic identity today?
LA: I grew up in Amsterdam, a city where it’s quite easy to surround yourself with people you can relate to and be inspired by. Growing up here has created a perspective of the world for me that reflects mixed cultures and communities. I do feel like within society here, – being of Surinamese and Curaçaoan heritage – I have the space and understanding from people to express my culture through my art. On the other hand, I’ve also had to learn how to cope growing up within a group that is still considered a minority, and the challenges that brings; after all, the Netherlands is still a western country. I think ultimately my artistic identity is supported by that openness I feel to connect with others, whether or not I necessarily align with all their beliefs. My art is always stimulated by an eagerness to embrace people’s differences and enrich my knowledge with information I’ve gained from exploring those alternative perspectives. I’d say this eventuallybecame the driving motivation for me to make the music I make, to write the way I write – covering topics like injustice, inequality, heritage and love.
Ashley Rottjers
EQ: I think that’s a beautiful thing! I know you initially began song-writing as an extension of your poetry. Are there any poets in particular whose work made you want to pick up a pen and start playing around with words and meaning yourself?
LA: I approach writing as a way to create bridges between things that don’t necessarily go together. All for the purpose of creating something unique, something that opens people’s eyes. So, it’s important for me to cover aspects of my current reality, but also delve into some of the painful aspects of my history. When I started writing, I was especially amazed by the work of Toni Morrison – the way she would poetically blend words of tenderness and romance in a juxtaposition with heavier wider topics like social injustice. I feel like Morrison’s work also put me on to other amazing poets, women like Maya Angelou, Audre Lourde and Alice Walker, who all share immense talents for reflecting on life and pain through prose respectively. I think my understanding of pain has played a vital part in my growth as an artist. So, in being inspired by these women, I think it’s important to shed light on that integral part of my own artistic process too.
EQ: Your new song ‘Royal (Recall)’ comes across so soothingly. I hear there’s quite an intricate story behind the words and visuals – can you break it down for us a little deeper?
LA: Royal (Recall) touches on the subjects of heritage, black history and identity – told through the lens of one’s actions and patterns in love. In my experiences of all kinds of love, I’ve grown to understand that there are a lot of things that have happened in my past which I haven’t fully unpacked and which still affect me peripherally. I think particularly within the black community, that a lot of the negative things we tend to normalise in love are generational, which makes them even harder to detangle. I’m trying to convey with this song, that in order for you to become 100% familiar with yourself in love, you have to know what drives your actions; that’s the only way you can really get a handle on how you project and identify in any relationship. In the video for Royal (Recall), the protagonist is reliving his personal journey and rediscovering all that caused him to become the person he is. On his journey, he encounters his family, his traditions andhis childhood memories. It’s through these recollections that he discovers his royalty.
Ashley Rottjers
“…ultimately my artistic identity is supported by that openness I feel to connect with others, whether or not I necessarily align with all their beliefs. My art is always stimulated by an eagerness to embrace people’s differences.”
EQ: “Royal (Recall)” does strike me as quite an introspective piece; is there anything you learned throughout the process of recording that you want others to take away when listening?
LA: For Royal (Recall), I was pretty certain about what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it very early on in the process. It was Rafael Devante’s attention to detail on the production that really tied all the initial ideas I had together. I mean, we went over it countless times, making sure that the musical elements supported the lyrics and that the whole story of the song came through; paying a lot of attention to the memory we wanted people to have of the song. I guess, when I began writing I was already in a mental space of wanting to process my shortcomings and the emotional barriers I’d built up in relationships before. So, when the song eventually came to be, in hindsight, I’d learned that it’s impossible to grow without searching for the source of any negative energy in your life, even when that means confronting the flaws in your own behaviour. In relationships, sometimes there can be communication breakdowns caused by things like shame, ego, fear and pride; we all struggle with it on some level. I want people to take away that you can’t expect others to understand what you’re going through if you don’t communicate what you’re feeling, especially when you set out with an expectation that people will somehow get where you’re coming from.
EQ: You’re gearing up to release your third EP this spring; can you tell us anything special about this forthcoming body of work? Has the artistic process differed from your former releases “Ruminate” & “Cede” in any way? What can we expect?
LA: Yeah, with this upcoming project I’ve been exploring themes of vocal freedom. I’d say in essence that the story of the project centres around concepts of time in relation to growing out of old habits, boxes and restrictions. As always, this music will draw from my heritage, but this time I’ve approached unpacking the subject matter in three parts; the past (specifically, my black history), the present (my relationship with my culture) and lastly, the future (where I come to the understanding that my decision to become whatever I want to be is all that’s left). Musically, the project will reach more towards live elements – leaning on a jazzier sound, which is great because you’ll get to see a different side of me. So yeah, I look forward to sharing it with the world.
Watch the visuals for ‘Royal’ below…
YouTube/Latanya Alberto
Stream ‘Royal (Recall)’ HERE
Keep up with Latanya on socials
Instagram: @latanya.alberto
Twitter: @Latanya_Alberto
Website: latanyaalberto.com