Sabiyha

Emerging British-Guyanese songstress Sabiyha releases her debut single, ‘Choorile’, produced by Avi Barath. Recorded in Dave Okumu’s (The Invisible) studios, ‘Choorile’ is a Guyanese term taken from a folkloric tale about a banshee-like creature, with the word becoming slang for women who are seen to be too assertive, in-passive and stand their ground.

A South London native, the singer-songwriter grew up amongst a large, extended family - headed up by matriarch ‘Nanny’. ‘Choorile’ was birthed as a creative response in recognition of powerful women, not just in her family but everywhere. Speaking on a prominent female figure in her life, her mother, Sabiyha stayed:

“She was quite strong willed when she was young, and whilst she didn’t let me act out growing up, she encouraged me to speak up and have my own opinions” says Sabiyha; “She’d ask me ‘Are you a leader or are you a follower?’ She was quite hard about that - she didn’t want me to just go along with what people were saying, and that’s what has shaped the way I am. You don’t want to get in an argument with my Mum! She’s tiny but there’s plenty of fight in her. She’s the person that I was thinking of, writing ‘Choorile’.”

The uncompromising space in which Sabiyha commands spills over into ‘Choorile’, with her smooth vocals, captivating, between bars of broken English reflecting the broader contrast between her cultural heritage.

Stream ‘Choorile’ HERE.

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Twitter: @Sabiyha