Shakura S’Aida Shares On Recent Win at the Annual Her Music Awards
Shakura S’Aida was recently unveiled as the grand prize recipient of the SOCAN Foundation’s Her Music Awards, presented by Anthem Entertainment.
The awards honour the outstanding contributions of female-identifying Canadian music creators and showcase Shakura S’Aida’s artistry.
Shakura S’Aida’s (Toronto, ON) distinguished career spans over two decades, captivating audiences worldwide with her powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence. From her acclaimed tribute to Nina Simone in “The Nina Project” to her memorable roles on hit series like Schitt’s Creek and Batwoman, Shakura’s versatility knows no bounds.
Her latest album Hold on to Love, produced in collaboration with industry luminaries, recently earned her the 2023 Folk Music Ontario Award for Album of the Year and a 2023 JUNO Award nomination in the Contemporary Roots Category
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey, my name is Shakura S’Aida and I am a singer-songwriter, playwright, actor, and one of the 2024 Her Music Awards grand prize recipients.
Congratulations on being awarded the grand prize at The SOCAN Foundation’s Her Music Awards! Can you tell us more about what this recognition means to you and your career?
Receiving this award from the Socan Foundation and the recognition from my peers is humbling. Being an artist can be incredibly isolating when you’re not onstage performing or in a rehearsal space preparing to be on stage. An acknowledgment like the Her Music Awards really confirms that I am on the right track and that I am part of a larger community of women who support and believe in me.
You’ve been recognized for your outstanding contributions as a female-identifying Canadian music creator. What challenges, if any, have you faced as a woman in the music industry, and how have you overcome them?
I’ve faced a lot of no’s relating to my gender, my race, and my age. I’ve heard “you’re great! I love what you do, but I don’t know what to do with you, because of ………” Whether it was sexism, racism or ageisms, the long and short is that everything that I received, everything I have been through, led me to this place of grace and whatever success I have achieved. I always say thank you to every no spoken in my direction; these things have encouraged me to always be willing and able to choose another route because whatever the issue is, it is first and foremost an invitation to find space elsewhere to flourish, grow and succeed.
Hold on to Love, your latest album, has received critical acclaim, earning you the 2023 Folk Music Ontario Award for Album of the Year and a 2023 JUNO Award nomination. Can you share some insights into the creative process behind this album and what inspired its themes?
This album took FIVE YEARS TO MAKE!!! Most of the songs were written while I was in Martinique for a month in 2017 (thanks in large part to a writing grant from TAC). I would write all day at the beach and then come home and cover bedroom walls with huge pieces of paper with lyrics on them. I would go to sleep looking at lyrics and then wake up and immediately start changing words or whole verses around. At the same time, Donna Grantis (one of my co-writers for Brown Sugar and Time albums & co-producer of Hold On To Love) and I were sending lyrics, melodies, and instrumental lines back and forth. When I returned home, I drove to Minneapolis where Donna was living and we worked on the songs for 3 days, so that Donna could put together all of the musical arrangements. We started recording in the fall but then, unfortunately, my world changed dramatically: My family experienced a lot of loss and it took almost 2 years for me to recover.
In the Fall of 2019, I became part of the Massey Hall Artist Development program and received a FACTOR grant, which was great for my motivation, because it meant that I now had a team and funding to help me restart my whole recording process and finish the album, but then Covid hit. Somehow, through the hard work of Donna, Roger Costa, as well as Stephen McGrath, and the whole Massey team, the album was completed slowly over the next 3 years. I’m proud of this album because of songs like “Clap Yo Hands And Moan” which was written by Kev Mo and I; this track was produced by him and recorded in his studio in Nashville. I’m also so proud to have so many Canadian musicians on this album. TO has a PLETHORA of talented musicians, each with their own unique and beautiful style, so choosing musicians for each track was easy because often as Donna and I were writing, we could already hear their musical voicings in our music and her arrangements really served to highlight them all perfectly. The theme of this album is love. Period. So even though “Hold On To Love” was a song Donna and I had originally written for Brown Sugar in 2009, it seemed a very fitting title – I never would have made it to the end of the project without a lot of love and support from my people. From 2017 to all the way through COVID-19, until the album was pressed and released in ‘23, it was holding on to LOVE that got me through.
Your career has spanned over two decades, taking you to stages around the world. How do you feel your experiences have shaped your artistry and your approach to music?
First of all, I want to tell you a little secret but you have to promise not to tell anyone else: I started in this business when I was 19 and this year I’ll be 60, so my career has actually spanned over 4 decades. But remember, don’t tell anyone. When I started out, I was fortunate enough to have my artistry shaped very early through the guidance of great mentors whose names I will call out until the end of time: Archie Alleyne, Salome Bey, and Jackie Richardson. I watched them navigate the music scene as Black artists of excellence who should have been further along and would have been, had it not been for the colour of their skin. I saw them creating art and connecting with hundreds of audiences while standing strong in their convictions against negativity and naysayers. I also watched them hire each other when no one else was giving them work; they always had each other’s backs. I’ve also received great advice along the way: Jimmy Smith told me to trust my gut, Ruth Brown told me to keep going, Betty Lavette has taught me to be myself at all times and my parents, who have always been active in my career, continue to guide and advise me. So here is where my experiences have led me: I have always had a great community around me, I always stand up for myself, I always trust my gut and I always stand in my authenticity. I’ve learned that no matter where I go in the world, the lessons I have learned allow me to connect with others from far and wide.
Looking ahead, what projects or aspirations do you have for the future?
I’ve been loving the “Authentic Stage Craft Workshops” that I’ve been hosting at various conferences and schools, both nationally and internationally. I would love to have regularly scheduled sessions throughout the year. I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors who continue to give me tips and critiques – I think it’s important and hope that I can be a mentor to some of the young folks in the community. I’m also in the process of creating new music that hopefully continues to expand the boundaries of these afro’d genres that I find myself in….but more on that later…in the meantime, I’m just going to keep touring in Europe, Canada, the States (and wherever else they let me ) and loving life. Lots of loving of life.
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