AARADHNA'S "BROWN GIRL" ALBUM AVAILABLE NOW
Our very own Poly Soul Queen Aaradhna drops her highly anticipated album "Brown Girl" today.
We went behind the scenes of her Fresh TV shoot where she talked about the making of "Brown Girl", experiencing racism, her favourite Poly dishes and more ....
On the making of Brown Girl:
I started working with Jeff Silverman - they sometimes call him Jeff Dynamite - from Truth & Soul Records based out in New York. He'd worked with a lot of people that I admire, Adele, Aloe Blacc and just a whole bunch of people that their music I connect to and I felt like it was the right fit to do a whole album with him. It was an awesome experience because I got to work on the album organically and like have musicians together and just jam in the room and thats the way I like to do things - just have a jam and see what fits. So we got to do that out in Brooklyn, New York.
I've met a whole lot of people who've inspired me and this album is just a collection of experiences since 2012 (when Treble & Reverb was released) which is a long as time so when you hear the album you'll hear the experience. The albums mainly about Life, Love & Heartbreak.
The process of making the album was easy but I still wrote the same way I did making Treble & Reverb because I was going through similar things but it was different situations but at the same time kinda similar and you know depression never goes away ... it's up and down all the time.
On Racism:
"Brown Girl" the song/single is about racism and I wrote that song in 2013 after the NZ Music Awards. My friend was sitting in the audience alongside my brothers & sisters and there was a guy in the audience who every time I won an award would say 'Oh eff off back to India' . My friend told me about it after and I'd been really happy winning all the awards but as soon as she told me that had happened it kind of killed my buzz. I mean it's important to win these awards but at the end of the day someone could say something like that and just ruin the moment for me and thats when I started writing 'Brown Girl'
Growing up I'd always experienced things like that but that moment at the awards pushed me to write the song 'Brown Girl' and I'm saying I'm not just the colour of my skin, there's layers to me. If it makes someone else feel better then thats what I'm aiming for and I feel like it's an important song to sing and put out because I feel like who else is going to do it from our people? and I feel like we need to have a song like that. It feels awesome that other people feel strength in the song & that this is something they can play and feel empowered by.
On her Style:
Most of the time I style myself, like I did today (laughs) but if I have a photo shoot or something and I'll meet with the stylist and we'll come up with some cool ways to wear something or a concept but mostly we meet half way with our ideas. I mostly try to blend my 2 cultures (Samoan & Indian) in what I wear kinda and sometimes I'll go for themes like I might think 'I feel like going for THIS vibe - lets try mix that in' and it's usually themes but it could be the mood I'm in (laughs) and I'll go with that.
Favourite Island Food/Dish:
I love my Poly food especially my Mum and Grandmas cooking! Probably sapasui (chop suey), palusami and pani popos!
Island song from her childhood:
Sosefina. I know I heard that played round the house all the time by my grandpa .... but a long time ago.
Artists she's listening to at the moment:
I've been listening to a lot of old school and just finding more old school artists that I wasn't listening to and just finding out about them now. Still digging. The new artists - I do get into BJ the Chicago Kid and that kind of R&B artist.
"Brown Girl" is available now in all major music outlets or buy on itunes
The full Fresh TV interview with Aaradhna will air on Saturday the 13th of August.
Suggested Links:
Island Archives - Aaradhna Patel "My World"
Photo Credit: PeninaJoy Photography