Hi TaniA, and thanks for being with us today at Planet Singer! Your journey in the music industry has been remarkable, after the excellent album “Why Chapter One” and the excellent single “What If,” you are back with a brand new release, the powerful “In These Eyes.” We are thrilled to know more about your artistic journey, so let’s start from the very beginning. When did you discover your passion for music?

It is a joy to speak with you guys, thank you so much! 

I’ve honestly known since I was a kid that music is what I’m gonna do forever. There’s nothing else I’d ever wanna do. I completely fell in love with all kinds of music right from the start. It’s amazing that I can finally share my own music now that pays tribute to a range of genres that touched my heart as a kid. Guys, I gotta tell ya though, growing up was tough. I saw and went through a bunch of stuff that no child should have to deal with. But the music, that’s what gave me a place to escape to. Being in a low-income family was tough, but my mum did her best raising five children as a single mother after her divorce. So despite not having a lot of money, the music was embedded so deep inside of me that I completely rocked out with my hairbrush as my microphone! lol… Every single day after school I’d sing along to Whitney, Mariah, Celine, Etta James, Xtina, and a bunch of other artists from Soul, R&B, Rock, Pop, Hip-hop, Classical, House, Gospel, you name it! I always say that all these legends are like my vocal mentors, you know? I taught myself by just listening to them, studying their vocal skills every single day. I remember when I first started singing in my whistle register. I was only 10 years old and I thought I was just singing super high like Minnie and Mariah lol… I had no clue what a whistle register even was, you know? But I was hooked soon as I found that range and of course, I drove my family crazy hitting these notes for hours on end in my bedroom! Lol… And whenever I entered talent contests, people would be like, “Wow, you’ve got this crazy powerful voice for a child!” I had no clue of course what a vocal range was until I was finally told later on. People have always been surprised that I haven’t been given years of pro training. I didn’t start getting vocal lessons until I was a teenager, but even then, I only had 7 total, because my mother couldn’t afford it. But those lessons were like gold to me, I valued each one of those short-lived vocal lessons. I’ve also been songwriting since I was a little kid. Another thing that just came naturally. Oh, I write poems too, and I still do, and can play the piano (self-taught.) So I guess the best way to describe my singing and songwriting is, “God-given talent,” and I got to say, I thank God every single day for blessing me with this awesome gift of music. As a whole, it’s been an amazing journey, especially in the last few years after the pandemic hit and I dropped my first self-penned album in 2022. Being able to get all my past pain out through the music to set myself free emotionally, and being able to touch others and inspire others is really what music is all about. And having so much love and support after the fact, WOW, I feel so emotionally touched. I have to pinch myself. I seriously wouldn’t have ever believed that so many people from all over the world would have been so kind to me. And it’s so cool that industry pros appreciate my artistry as an indie artist who mixes genres. It feels amazing to be celebrated for it! And I’m just so grateful. Now that I’m in the middle of working on my second album, “Free-Spirited,” as well as many other plans set for next year, I’m just super excited to share all of this with everyone! I really can’t wait.

Can you tell us more about your latest single “In These Eyes?”

 Yes of course! The song’s melody is super unique, and so is its origin story. So, me and my hubby are still doing the long-distance thing, oceans apart and all. But, we were both feeling super creative on this one day. Rynellton was like, “I’m gonna jam on my keyboards for a bit,” and I was like, “Cool, I’m gonna work on a fresh new song as well.” We weren’t really trying to work together on anything at the time. We just wanted to do our own thing and be creative. When he finished the track he was working on, he showed it to me. So, I started singing along and, WOW, I was so shocked that the lyrics and melody I came up with fit perfectly on his track. Since the beginning, the chemistry between us has been off the charts. So, I was like, “Hey, let’s mix it up a bit! Can you add some Egyptian pop vibes to the music, but keep that soulful R&B feel and throw in some hip-hop vibes too?” So then I was like, “Hey, can you add some sick guitar melodies with an electronic rock vibe?” I also wanted to add some Arabic-style riffs to make the song my own, you know? The lyrics I wrote are all about me and Rynellton’s love story. I also created this cool Egyptian look that shows a strong woman who hasn’t let tough times dampen her fiery spirit who is passionate in love and passionate in life. This also gives a taste of what’s to come from my upcoming album “Free-Spirited” which will pay tribute to a blend of genres.

Your music is often praised for its old-school strong vocals and raw and genuine storytelling. How do you approach songwriting to infuse such depth and emotion into your songs?

Honestly, it just comes naturally to me. I’m super passionate and emotional, I feel things really deep, and when it comes to my music, it’s no different. I wanna make sure people really feel the words I write and sing. I wanna share a story that they can completely relate to on a much deeper level. I’ve always been like that though since I was a kid. And, learning from the best singers in the world who have been like mentors to me left an impact on me musically. Plus, I’ve been through a great deal of heartache and been sick since birth, which really humbles you and makes you feel things on a whole other level. It makes you start appreciating life in a much deeper way and fight harder for your dreams to come true. So, yeah, I’d say it’s like a mix of all the above.

Collaborating creatively with your husband, Rynellton aka Garry D. Hairston, must be a unique experience. Can you tell us about the dynamic you two share when working on music together?

Working with my husband has been AMAZING!! Since day one. We absolutely bring out the best in each other, and since we both think outside the box musically, we just work together like a dream. We also motivate each other, never getting too comfortable. It’s so cool how we’ve managed to create a load of songs together even though we’re still long-distance. But what I’m really excited about soon is when my husband comes back to England this year to record the rest of my upcoming album songs with me. We will be taking behind-the-scenes videos and will be doing some live performances together, so I’m really buzzing for that. It’s hard being oceans apart from my soulmate, it’s the simple things like holding each other’s hands that you miss when apart. And musically, even though we can create something magical together even while oceans apart, nothing compares to being in the same room together and vibing off each other’s energy, that’s just pure gold. When two minds come together it’s a beautiful thing, and what we have together is special and unique, must like the music we create and release together.