Words-Art Jefferson
Photography courtesy of Juliyaa Music

Remember when you could put on a record by one of your favorite music artists and enjoy a heavenly feeling from a song that you felt was timeless? The music reflected a deeper sense of the soul presented by its creator, allowing those beautiful intimate or shared connections between the listener and the tune. Soul sensation Juliyaa may only be in her early twenties, but she has an old musical soul. Born in North London, the beautiful songstress grew up on a healthy dose of hi life and gospel due to her Ghanaian mother, as well as her Welsh father’s soul and reggae records. Although having sang in the church at an early age, as a teenager, Juliyaa further honed her singing talents as a vocalist within the UK Garage scene, performing along with artists such as Estelle. With her current single “The Rhythm” out in stores now, fans will now be able to regain that old feeling of love for the music, with Juliyaa providing the eargasmic experience.

AJ-For starters, your musical heritage is a really interesting one. While you’re a North Londoner, some of the influences of your life were not only reggae and soul but also the various Ghanaian styles of music, correct? Talk a bit about your roots.

Juliyaa-Growing up in a mixed parentage household was really fun, with a Ghanaian Mother and Welsh father. There were all different types of music playing at home from high life and gospel to Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley and Chas and Dave, which is like a cockney rock group, or ‘rockney’! It was really eclectic, put it that way. My parents have always been music lovers and I think they passed on the bug to me!

AJ-Tell me about your days as a singer in the Garage scene because UKG was a pretty exciting time for British music as well as an influential part of the UK scene of the present.

Juliyaa-UK Garage was a massive scene, and as a teenager I witnessed its birth and was lucky to be a part of it. I loved 2-step garage when it had the more vocal soul of Todd Edwards and MJ Cole. I also loved The Heartless Crew, So Solid, SLK kids. When I started singing, I was mentored by the head of youth movement called Bigga Fish, which Ms.Dynamite was a part of. There was a group of us that formed a group that toured around festivals with artists such as The Heartless Crew and Estelle. In my teenage years I got to see people like Dizzee Rascal in the early days as they were establishing themselves as artists. Ms Dynamite, in particular has been a real inspiration for me musically, coming from my local area of North London.

AJ-How would you describe your musical style now?

Juliyaa-I would describe my musical style as “Rhythmic Soul”. It’s a term that I’ve coined to describe all the various musical influences that have contributed to make up my current sound. My music is definitely rooted in rhythm, which is probably due to the impact of my Ghanaian musical heritage upon my sound. I’ve also been influenced a lot by soul which has impacted my vocal style. My music tends to be quite high tempo and infused with energy, which is probably because of my hyper-active personality and the fact I love dancing!

AJ-Talk about your single that’s currently available now titled “The Rhythm”. It’s one of those tracks that definitely make the listener feel good with the soul and energy of the song.

Juliyaa-Thanks. That’s what I hoped it would do. “The Rhythm” was written to recreate those times when you’re alone in a room and you put on a track and all of a sudden your shoulders start moving, your toes start tapping, your head starts nodding and before you know it you’re just taken over by the music. “The Rhythm” of a song can do that to you; just take you away till you’re literally in the music!

AJ-What can listeners expect from your full length album since “The Rhythm” is a great starting point for an upcoming release?

Juliyaa-Wow. I’ve got so much material it’s going to be hard to choose songs for the album. I think listeners can expect a real variety of timeless soul/pop songs with a retro twist and a genuine heart and soul behind the lyrics and their meaning.

AJ-Many artists in the UK have finally crossed over to international markets such as the U.S. What’s your feeling regarding the explosion of UK music abroad?

Juliyaa-I think it’s fantastic and I really feel that it’s about time, as we have amazing talent over here in the UK! With the advent of the internet, UK artists can now extend their music to a global audience which has opened up a lot of opportunities. The UK, especially London has always been at the cutting edge of musical innovation, so it’s great to see more people appreciating it. Now music is not just an American thing or even a British thing, it’s a worldwide thing and whoever or where ever you are as a musician you can connect with your listeners, which is great!

AJ-Finally, what’s next for you in the near future? I know you have some upcoming shows. Where can people catch your live shows coming up?

Juliyaa-Look out for my EP this year with some acoustic tracks on it. I’m really excited about this. My next show is at ‘Rock the Belles’, Sept. 30th in East Village, Shoredtich, with Kelis’ DJ and some up and coming UK artists. So come on down, and hear me live! You can find out all the details on my facebook page.

Juliyaa on Facebook
www.facebook.com/juliyaamusic

Juliyaa official website
www.juliyaa.com

Juliyaa on Twitter
twitter.com/juliyaamusic

Juliyaa Youtube Channel
www.youtube.com/user/juliyaamusic