Naomi Cowan Reggae’s Child Jamarado met up with the vivacious Naomi Cowan to discuss her latest single Paradise Plum produced by Teflon Zincfence, growing up in a Reggae home and her musical journey to date. Naomi's latest single Paradise Plum and The Things You Say You Love are featured in Now Beatz, So Hot Right Now and Lionesses (Special Selectahs). Also available on Itunes to download. Follow @naomicowan
What lies at the heart of your music? It's simple - joy and stories that bring people to places of joy. I want my music to be relatable and positive. Even where the stories are difficult, my music wants to reflect the positivity that can still come through. My name Naomi means pleasant. I guess that's my mantra in life to always be pleasant and bring joy to people. Tell us about your latest release Paradise Plum? I co-wrote this track with the talented Sarah Couch a pianist and songwriter. I love that it's got universal appeal - I notice even kids love the melody. Teflon produced the track and we wanted to create a a cool retro vibe on it with a contemporary take. I love the bass mixed with a cross-over reggae style. I think the lyrics speak for them self and whilst its got a cool, mellow sound it's also a happy track.
What made you want to be a Reggae singer? Well, I was born into the industry and was surrounded by the music and musicians growing up. My Mum (Carlene Davis - legendary Lovers Rock, Gospel singer and community leader) and my Dad (Tommy Cowan - producer, founding member of Rocksteady band The Jamaicans and Bob Marley's Tour Manager and Gospel Minister) lived the music every day. They taught me to be open-hearted, respectful and professional at all times. In some ways, growing up in the industry caused my early rebellion as I didn't want to do what was expected of me. I wasn't sure in my teenage years if music was the path for me and I wanted to work in the media more than music.
Singing at Church, when I was 19, became a pivotal moment for me, I realised that music was the way I could reach people's souls and hearts. I felt then that I should use music to bring love and to break down barriers. I started to write and learn the guitar and my life went full circle back to the music I was born into. I think it’s been a fear of failure that blocked me previously. I needed to work out my intention and purpose in life and how I could use the gift of music.
| What's your earliest Reggae memory? It's being asleep back stage at a big Reggae show and hearing the base vibrating in my chest. The Reggae beat mirror the heart beat - it's heretical music. I also remember being on tour with parent for Reggae Sunsplash, Jamaica and meeting Maxi Priest and Barrington Levy. I also have a lot of memories of falling asleep as a child at studios when my parents were working. Tell us something that people don’t’ know about you? I have a lot of technical skills and have worked on gaining a multi-faceted skill set. I have worked in Business Development and the Tech industry. If you could invite three guests (living or past) to dinner who would they be? That’s difficult to limit to 3 I would say Audrey Hepburn as I love her fashion style, upbringing and resilience. Pharell Williams - I think he’s a musical genius and I have a crush on him! The last space would be between Oprah Winfrey and Fela Kuti. I learnt about Fela the musician and Nigerian revolutionary through the broadway show. My Dad told me he met him when he was with Bob Marley and the went to the Shrine and Fela’s compound. I couldn’t believe it. And Oprah for her brilliance and contribution to humankind. Where have you performed recently? I love performing so that’s been a lot of places – The Bob Marley Museum, Calabash festival, Trinidad, all over Jamaica, TV shows and more.
You’ve released a mixtape of 9 Reggae riddim tracks in June. Tell us about it? Well, I decided to do this as I felt it would be good to cover some tracks and experiment with some dubs and riddims. It's also a great way for people to hear my voice and style while they wait for the release of my next single. WrdSoundPwr produced it and did an amazing job. My mum helped with some of the vocal arrangements too. There's a real Roots Rock and Far East Reggae vibe on it plus sounds of the 80s and 90s.Romain Virgo features, Tony Rebel's daughter, Davianah and more.
What do you think of the music scene today in terms of what’s going on with the emergence of Afro-beat and fusion Dancehall? I love the whole Afro-beat movement and the cross-over with Reggae/ Dancehall. I guess it represents for us Jamaicans, even more connectivity with our African roots, in a different way to the Afro-centric Rastafari representation which has been of massive significance too. I think the new wave represents even more fusions and connections. It’s great to see more celebration of African heritage in our music, fashion and even body shape. Talking of body shape and women… How do you deal with the pressures to look good and the relationship of women’s bodies to selling music? For me, it’s all about balance. God gave us our bodies to cherish, enjoy and take pride in. Music is about all aspects of life, part of that is appearance and wanting to look good, appreciating this and feeling attraction. I think if we focus on the balance, we’ll stay on track. It’s great when people want to look good but when looking good takes over your inner core then things often get out of balance.
What are your mantra’s in life? Be everything you are. Use your voice and live to give. Last words, Naomi what does Reggae mean to you and where do you think its heading right now? I think Reggae is music with universal appeal and that it's growing and growing to reach as many people as possible. This year alone I have seen a big rise in Reggae festivals across the world and am hearing the music being played everywhere. Naomi's latest single Paradise Plum and the Paradise Plum Mixtape are available to download on Itunes. Follow@naomicowan |
Naomi Cowan
Reggae’s Child
Jamarado met up with the vivacious
Naomi Cowan to discuss her latest single Paradise Plum produced by Teflon
Zincfence, growing up in a Reggae home and her musical journey to date.
Naomi's latest single Paradise Plum and The Things You Say You Love are featured in Now Beatz, So Hot Right Now and Lionesses (Special Selectahs). Also available on Itunes to download. Follow @naomicowan
What lies at the heart of your music? It's simple - joy and stories that bring people to places of joy. I want my music to be relatable and positive. Even where the stories are difficult, my music wants to reflect the positivity that can still come through. My name Naomi means pleasant. I guess that's my mantra in life to always be pleasant and bring joy to people.
Tell us about your latest release Paradise Plum? I co-wrote this track with the talented Sarah Couch a pianist and songwriter. I love that it's got universal appeal - I notice even kids love the melody. Teflon produced the track and we wanted to create a a cool retro vibe on it with a contemporary take. I love the bass mixed with a cross-over reggae style. I think the lyrics speak for them self and whilst its got a cool, mellow sound it's also a happy track.
What made you want to be a Reggae singer? Well, I was born into the industry and was surrounded by the music and musicians growing up. My Mum (Carlene Davis - legendary Lovers Rock, Gospel singer and community leader) and my Dad (Tommy Cowan - producer, founding member of Rocksteady band The Jamaicans and Bob Marley's Tour Manager and Gospel Minister) lived the music every day. They taught me to be open-hearted, respectful and professional at all times. In some ways, growing up in the industry caused my early rebellion as I didn't want to do what was expected of me. I wasn't sure in my teenage years if music was the path for me and I wanted to work in the media more than music.
Singing at Church, when I was 19, became a pivotal moment for me, I realised that music was the way I could reach people's souls and hearts. I felt then that I should use music to bring love and to break down barriers. I started to write and learn the guitar and my life went full circle back to the music I was born into. I think it’s been a fear of failure that blocked me previously. I needed to work out my intention and purpose in life and how I could use the gift of music.
What's your earliest Reggae memory? It's being asleep back stage at a big Reggae show and hearing the base vibrating in my chest. The Reggae beat mirrors the heart beat - it's heretical music. I also remember being on tour with parent for Reggae Sunsplash, Jamaica and meeting Maxi Priest and Barrington Levy. I also have a lot of memories of falling asleep as a child at studios when my parents were working.
Tell us something that people don’t’ know about you? I have a lot of technical skills and have worked on gaining a multi-faceted skill set. I have worked in Business Development and the Tech industry.
If you could invite three guests (living or past) to dinner who would they be? That’s difficult to limit to 3 I would say Audrey Hepburn as I love her fashion style, upbringing and resilience. Pharell Williams - I think he’s a musical genius and I have a crush on him!
The last space would be between Oprah
Winfrey and Fela Kuti. I learnt about Fela the musician and Nigerian
revolutionary through the broadway show. My Dad told me he met him when he was
with Bob Marley and the went to the Shrine and Fela’s compound. I couldn’t
believe it. And Oprah for her brilliance and contribution to humankind.
Where have you performed recently? I love performing so that’s been a lot of places – The Bob Marley Museum, Calabash festival, Trinidad, all over Jamaica, TV shows and more.
You’ve released a mixtape of 9 Reggae riddim tracks in June. Tell us about it? Well, I decided to do this as I felt it would be good to cover some tracks and experiment with some dubs and riddims. It's also a great way for people to hear my voice and style while they wait for the release of my next single. WrdSoundPwr produced it and did an amazing job. My mum helped with some of the vocal arrangements too. There's a real Roots Rock and Far East Reggae vibe on it plus sounds of the 80s and 90s.Romain Virgo features, Tony Rebel's daughter, Davianah and more.
What do you think of the music scene today in terms of what’s going on with the emergence of Afro-beat and fusion Dancehall? I love the whole Afro-beat movement and the cross-over with Reggae/ Dancehall. I guess it represents for us Jamaicans, even more connectivity with our African roots, in a different way to the Afro-centric Rastafari representation which has been of massive significance too. I think the new wave represents even more fusions and connections. It’s great to see more celebration of African heritage in our music, fashion and even body shape.
Talking of body shape and women… How do you deal
with the pressures to look good and the relationship of women’s bodies to
selling music? For me, it’s all about balance. God gave us our bodies to cherish, enjoy and
take pride in. Music is about all aspects of life, part of that is appearance
and wanting to look good, appreciating this and feeling attraction. I think if
we focus on the balance, we’ll stay on track. It’s great when people want to
look good but when looking good takes over your inner core then things often
get out of balance.
What are your mantra’s in life? Be everything you are. Use your voice and live to give.
Last words, Naomi what does Reggae mean to you and where do you think its heading right now? I think Reggae is music with universal appeal and that it's growing and growing to reach as many people as possible. This year alone I have seen a big rise in Reggae festivals across the world and am hearing the music being played everywhere.
Naomi's latest single Paradise Plum and the Paradise Plum Mixtape are available to download on Itunes.
Follow@naomicowan
