An Introduction to Reggae Artist Shara Indio

Sahra Indio is an International reggae artist whose humble beginnings gave birth to her trailblazing spirit. Born and raised in a tough Philadelphia neighborhood, she was orphaned at an early age and rushed to grow up by getting married and having her first child at 17 years of age. Now living off-the-grid in Hawaii, she incorporates the roots of jazz and reggae in her vocal stylings and the positive messages in her lyrics to shine brightly in her own unique light as a rising World-class star. Several of her songs have won acclaim. Most recently she was honored in 2008 and 2009 with awards from the American Marijuana Music Awards. Here are excerpts from an interview I was fortunate to have with Sahra--affectionately known by many of her fans as Jah's Jewel.

Q: Tell me about growing up in Philadelphia?

A: My younger brother and I were born in North Philadelphia, although I was conceived in South Carolina where my Mother was from. She died from a gunshot wound to the head from my father's police revolver when I was 5 years old. To this day, it is not clear what took place that night. Her sudden death disrupted family life, and my brother and I were sent to live, unhappily, with a neighbor. Several years later, we moved into our grandparent's house. She was a Jehovah Witness and my grandfather was an Obeah Man from the Caribbean.

Musical genes run in the Brown family. My grandfather, who insisted we join the school band, played drums and piano. He was the uncle of Clifford Brown, the legendary jazz trumpet player, and several of my cousins have successful music careers.

Gang violence made school a scary, non-academic place with girls being raped in the halls of a new wing at Germantown High School. It was a time of racial unrest in Philadelphia; too, civil riots and the blight of poverty affected the state of our young minds, too. My father, who used to be a detective with the Philadelphia Police Department, was shot in the streets and died in the emergency room. The loss added an almost unbearable weight, being orphaned at 16. I fell into a deep depression and musical ambitions were silenced as I raced to grow up fast by getting married.

Q: Do you think those experiences helped prepare you for life?

A: Yes, Philadelphia became the kind of place that I wanted to leave behind. After spending some time in California, then returning to the filthy city, I saw inner-city conditions had worsened.Many of my family members were leading stagnant, dead-end lifestyles with cycles of drug use, rehab programs and brief periods of being clean. That's when I began yearning for green landscapes with space between houses, open vistas and starry skies--for cultural diversity and a chance to live a life that wasn't so statically black and white.

Q: What were your first impressions of California?

A: My first impression of San Francisco was that it was a very, decadent city. My brother played in a spot on Broadway Street. I'll never forget the first night I went to see him and his band play. Along the short walk to the club, 'barkers' from topless adult clubs aggressively approached us, trying to get us inside the sleazy bars. Later that night, hordes of gay men took to the streets. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, especially a man walking another man like he was a dog on a leash. Philly was infested with gangs and violence but was conservative compared to the blatant perversion I saw in San Francisco. Soon after, I landed a job at UC Berkeley and moved to Oakland where I met other spiritually minded people, and that really helped me to adjust.

A: How did Hawaii become a destination?

A: My landlord was a travel agent and gave me a plane ticket as a surprise birthday present. I came here reluctantly, saying," Thank you for the ticket. I'll go, but I don't think I'm going to like Hawaii. Isn't it just for surfers and hula dancers?" I believed I was right when I noticed I was the only person of color on the flight. But I came with a complete itinerary from my landlord, which I was determined to follow. One day hiking, I arrived at the trailhead to the tropical valley floor, and from a clearing I saw the most beautiful white sand beach imaginable. When I reached the beach, I found that all of the people were naked. That was the first time I'd ever been nude in public. While hiking out of the valley, I remember thinking that this kind of experience was what Aretha Franklin was singing about in her song Natural Woman. That's exactly what I found myself becoming.

Q: When did you begin making reggae music?

A: It wasn't really a focused decision but more of a friend expressing interest in forming a band. I started out as a back-up singer in what came to be the Jahringa reggae band. Later, I sang lead on a couple of songs and began writing lyrics as well. The popular Jahringa band disbanded a few years later. Shortly after that I received an invitation to perform at a festival in Japan in 1999. Accepting the invitation to perform at the festival led to me becoming a solo artist.

Q: Tell me what reggae music means to you?

A: I identify with reggae music because of the messages it delivers. It resonates with the plight of underprivileged people. Roots reggae audiences actually come for the message, the words of wisdom that uplift their spirits. The heartbeat rhythm is the foundation of reggae music. It is centering(,) while the thumpingbass line makes you wind up your waist. There is an old saying in reggae, "We make your body rock while we hit your head hard." Bob Marley's lyric pleads, "Brutalize me with music." The notion that we can dance our blues away is one of the things I aim to influence my audiences to dowhenever I perform.

Q: Was there one special moment when you experienced an epiphany telling you that you were definitely on the right path as a reggae artist?

A: I think when Good's Gonna Happen, the title track from my debut album, won an International Song contest for best reggae song, I felt encouraged that there was a place for my brand of reggae music.

I see the future as being wide open and adventurous. I see expounding on everything showing beneficial results. People compare the timbre of my voice to Sade's. Funny, though, while I have always admired her grace and love her deep sultriness, I have not focused on emulating her style. I know my jazzy style is an inherent trait, that my phrasing and delivery isn't typically reggae, which made me even more elated to see that I had a few followers out there. Good's Gonna Happen is my signature song and has helped to identify me as a bearer of optimism.

Q: I imagine winning even more awards is encouraging to you as a performer and lyricist?

A: At this point, I am passionate about sharing my life experiences through music. One day while surfing on the Internet for names for my Indie record label, I found Olumeye, her name means: "One who knows honor" in the Yoruba language. She, Olumeye, is the Yoruba deity associated with giving. She can be depicted in three different graceful kneeling postures. She is either holding a baby, offering a chicken or a basket full of Kola nuts. She is associated with innocence, sustenance and goodness. That's the name I decided embodies exactly what I want to convey in music and with my life, expressions that model and promote nurturing and giving.

Q: Have you ever considered writing about your life?

A: Yes, my grandfather asked me to write about my life and our family before he passed. His request often rings in my ear. That's true even more now that I have met you and read your accounts of growing up in the same city. I feel the welling up to cultivate the writer inside. I think that I am a bit lazy in that I've always dreamt I would fulfill my grandfather's wishes by merely telling the story of my life to some renowned black author, and that he or she would jump at the opportunity to write about and publish it! I even thought there might be the possibility of a movie and a sequel. Now that thought has been replaced, and I am accepting the fact that this is, ultimately, a story that I will have to painstakingly write. Oh, and on recycled paper with soybean ink. Of course!

Q: Do you have other artistic outlets?

A: Yes, I am a fiber artist. Presently, I am focusing on palm fibre and combining them with recycled components to make uniquely, wearable art. The collection can be seen at www.royalcrowns4U.com

　

Q: How do you balance your artistic career and family life?

A: I live in the country, on the Big Island of Hawaii, off-grid with my husband and the family dog. We grow citrus trees, vegetables, coffee and avocado; raise honeybees where the pace of life is slow enough to enjoy the sounds of nature that surround us and plenty of acreage between neighbors.

We collect water from rainfall. Electricity is generated through solar power. Life seems to take on more meaning because we do not take our resources and energy for granted. Keeping it real, by keeping life land-based, helps keep me balanced. I really appreciate the quiet of this place after being on the road.

Q: What do you think the future holds for you as an artist?

A: Back in 2006, I was invited to perform in the U. S. Virgin Islands at the Rastafarian Agricultural Fair on the island of St. Thomas, alongside Bambu Station. It was there at the fair that a Rastafarian elder asked if we had such events in Hawaii. When I told him we didn't he suggested that I start one. Setting out to fulfill that promise, I am becoming a promoter, and also a grant writer. Starting in 2008, a small core group of close-knit individuals have helped me to produce a uniquecommunity event in Hawaii. The Bob Fest Ag Fair brings together music lovers, farmers, civil defense and disaster preparedness agencies, teachers, students, artists and a whole bunch of kids playing in the park on a Sunday afternoon. It's a free family oriented festival and thousands have attended these events. So I see the future as being wide-open and adventurous with positive efforts producing beneficial results.