MIC CHECK (April 1998) pg.24
The soldieristic salute we Canadians make when we envision a
superstar representing this end of North America is a natural
reflex. Due to the stigmatized labeling that Canada encompasses
only icebergs and livestock, the urban music scene in America is
oblivious to the goldmine that nestles in the bosom of this
northern heartland. The sounds and strenuous efforts of Deborah
Cox, Celine Dion, Alanis Morisette, Sarah McLachlan and Tamia are
paving the way for artists whose talents demand both recognition
and respect.
“The Portrait of a Lady”
Four years ago we were introduced to Tamia, the sultry
songstress discovered by Quincy Jones. many were baffled and
proud that this Windsor, Ontario native was not only rubbing
elbows with the big boys, but was gorgeous and had the vocal
alliance to raise her above and beyond your average R&B diva. We
wondered where did she come from? Where was she hiding and why
hadn’t we heard or seen her before?
In a small factory town in Western Ontario, in the midst of
simplicity, Tamia felt that being on the cuff of the American
border counteracted the stereotypes of living in what some still
view as no man’s land. She took advantage of U.S. cable
television and radio stations which kept her educated and
informed about African American culture. Her town, she says, is
multi-cultural with a generous amount of ethnic mixtures. Having
a black mother and white father never caused her to feel isolated
or despondent from her African-Canadian roots. She states that
she’s “had the best of both worlds”, and laughs at the fact
that she’s related to most of the black people in Windsor. She
holds no scars about being bi-racial in a passionately racist
society. “When you’re a child, you get teased. If you’re
beautiful, have a small nose or big nose, they tease you. To me,
it (being of mixed ancestry) was just a part of growing up. My
family comes in all shades from really light to very dark.”
Making the transition from a slow-paced laid-back
environment to fast-paced Los Angeles was both exhilarating and
anxiety ridden. The cultural swerve flooded her mind and
demanded that she analyze what she was doing and what she hoped
to accomplish with her career. At the age of 10, Tamia began
studying voice and singing. Similarly, like many of her American
colleagues, her church choir matured the voice that was then in
its infantile stages of development...one we would grow to
recognize. Locally, she would shine in theatrical and choral
productions. She moved swiftly in the industry determined to
make her hard work pay off. She was granted a YTV Vocal
Achievement Award in 1993 and the Steve Ross Music Scholarship at
the American Academy of Achievements Annual Salute to Excellence
in 1994. In addition to harvesting the smooth voice that we
first heard on Quincy Jones’ Jook Joint, Tamia equates her ‘luck’
to being at the right place at the right time. “I was doing a
lot of things in Canada and I received an award in Las Vegas for
some of the work I had done. It was a gold plate dinner and
there were celebrities there, Quincy Jones was one of them. He
introduced me and I sang. Afterwards, he told me had had one
last song on his album that he wanted me to do for him.” This
would push Tamia through the threshold into a realm of semi-
stardom. Instantaneously, she was whisked out to L.A. and
prompted to sing the song, “You Put A Move On My Heart”. IN
hindsight, she knew that she was being granted a once in a
lifetime opportunity.
As said by few, Tamia’s overtly obvious physical advantages
are the only reason she lives lavishly in L.A., but for this
honey-coated young girl whose smile brandishes innocence, working
with world-renowned established producers was incredibly
overwhelming. She wasn’t brought to California to sit on a
pedestal and look cute. She was put to work immediately with
great expectations. “I was so nervous. I mean, can you imagine
being nineteen and looking out of the vocal booth at Quincy Jones
and Ron Temperton? I sang all of “You Put A Move On My Heart”
in the dark. He (Jones) came back a week later and was like,
”this is going to be your first sings, we’re going on tour”. I
cam to Los Angeles in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and never
left.”
Tamia does not recommend that aspiring artists at any level
just pack their bags and move. The ‘dollar and dream’ method is
a tough wager. So stands true for the music industry. Often
times actors, models and singers are lured by the media images of
glitz and glamour. Many men and woman have horror stories of
betrayal, theft and unsolicited sex. Tamia’s encounters on the
dark side of the business are, “some things I don’t even want to
talk about”. On the receptiveness of Americans about being a
Canadian female in the industry, she doesn’t recall being
disrespected in any way. Fortunately for her, she had the
liberty of staying with her manager, Brenda Richie. She said her
mother never would have let her stay otherwise. The eldest and
only sister of three brothers, Tamia’s family will always be the
most important thing to her. She flies home twice a month. “My
family is young (her brothers are nine months, seven and
fourteen-years-old) and I miss them. That’s the hardest part
about being in the music business, at least for me, being away
from my family because they’re in a whole different country.”
One might think that in the light of attending numerous
awards shows, being the lady friend of Detroit Pistons, Grant
Hill (of whom she’s been dating for two years this month) and
singing alongside legendary names such as Gladys Knight and Chaka
Khan in “Missing You”, a feature on the Set It Off soundtrack,
landing a small part in the movie Speed 2, Tamia would have long
since forgotten about her native homeland. Quite the contrary.
“I love Canada. I love Windsor myself. I love going back
home.” In the future she may even consider moving back home.
So where has she been for the last few years? Sure, we’ve
watched as her single rose to the top ten on the Billboard
Charts, stood by as she received her first Grammy nominations,
her second and yet a third. Huh? Tamia’s name glittered at the
Soul Train Music Awards and the NAACP Image Awards where she
basked in nominations. All of this notoriety and we wondered
when she would release an entire album of her own.
Now, after much anticipation, Tamia’s self titled debut
album is ready to hit the streets this month. Big names with big
portfolios have assisted in the completion of this project.
Quincy Jones, Daryl Simmons, Keith Crouch and the infamous
Jermaine Dupri to name a few. Working with each of these musical
gurus enabled her to retrieve the depths of intensity she needed
to be happy with the finished product. Each producer used
different methods. “With Jermaine you go on the weekend and
party Friday, Saturday and Sunday with six hours left to do the
song and you do it. I think that’s why he’s good at getting a
special something out of artists because he takes time to get to
know them; so when he goes into the studio and writes the song
it’s tailor-made for them.” One of the few close friends Tamia
keeps is Mario Winans, whom she says has great skills and a good
heart. She enjoyed having his input and hopes to work with him
in the future. Tamia says she was fortunate because they allowed
her to express her creativity throughout the album.
She knows that people have been wondering why it took her so
long. “Everything happened so quickly. I went from not having
a deal to doing a song on Quincy Jones’ album, getting a deal and
going on the road. When all that was said and done, I really had
to sit back and think, who am I as an artist? It took me a while
to figure all of that out, assess my own situation. It was cool
because I got to sit back and learn a lot of things.” Tamia
expresses that each song is an extension of who she is and the
different emotions she has experienced. “I just want people to
see that being a teenager and coming into womanhood involves
drama, but God never gives you more than you can handle”.
--Linda Day
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