On June 27th Farrah Boulé Burns kicked off Harlem Arts Festival, a two day long celebration full of music and art in Marcus Garvey Park, featuring Harlem based artists. Despite the rainy weather, the band took the stage to cheers and proceeded with authority and contagious endless energy. Farrah is masterful and captivating storyteller and her charisma spilled all over the stage and kept the audience captivated.
Farrah Boulé Burns brought together a twelve-piece band to showcase her newest project, Boulé music. The band was a mix of musicians with whom Farrah plays regularly as well as some that are completely new to what she does: Kwami Coleman – keys, Henoc – bass, Courtnee Roze – percussions, Marcus Machado – lead guitar, JS Williams – trumpet, Satish Robertson- trumpet and two background vocalists Darius Booker and Augi. The cast also included two members from the legendary group Tabou Combo, Jonas (Jpeg) on drums and Ron Felix on bass. The set was primarily composed of original tunes and they also did an amazing cover of “NY State of Mind”, which set the audience on fire. The turnout for the show was great despite the escalating rain.
After the show we chatted with Farrah about music, inspiration, art and fashion among other things.
Flowers In A Gun: When did you realize that music is what you want to do with your life?
Farrah Boulé Burns: When I was a little girl I would stand on top of pots and pans, anything that I could get propped up on the steps of the front porch of my house, and sing. I would snap a palm tree and I would go into town, singing out there. The neighbors used to lean over the fence and tell my mom when she came home that I was singing for six hours down here … But to be honest the first thing I wanted to be was figure skater, I had a fascination with New York and ice even though I have never seen ice before, or touched it. My mom laid out concrete in the backyard so I could skate.
FIG: Was your family musical?
FBB: No, my family was very political. I did grow up listening to Big Bands. Like Tabou Combo, the two members of which played with me today. This is so huge! It is the biggest band to ever come out from Haiti. And I had two of the members of the band play bass and drums with me. But yeah, I grew up on big sound. And Sade, Anita Baker, Bobby McFerrin.
FIG: Who was the biggest influence?
FBB: Sade.
FIG: What is it about her?
FBB: I read her interviews and learnt a lot from her. But I have been captivated by her ever since I was a little girl. She was a role model for me on how to conduct myself as a woman. Sometimes when you walk into the room people don’t have to hear you. You can just be you and exude this power and strength.
FIG: What’s the most exciting and the most challenging thing about being a musician in NYC?
FBB: The most exciting thing is being able to touch so many different people that are from different cultures and them being able to zone right back to you and know exactly what you are talking about. The other thing is that when you are an artist, you are very sensitive, that’s what makes you an artist, and its great. But the other side of it is that you keep think “I hope it’s good, … I hope it sounds ok” … And I am working on getting past it, and just doing my thing.
FIG: How do you choose the musicians you play with? What qualities are important to you?
FB: I think that for me it’s the spirit, their energy. I go to open mikes, to jam sessions, I go to shows and I watch. I see how engaging they are and where they are going with their music – mentally, emotionally and spiritually. And it doesn’t have to be a big name. Sometimes you are walking down the street and hear a percussionist, or you are on the subway waiting for your train to come and you hear this phenomenal pianist. Or perhaps you hear the saxophone coming out from alley. I stop. And I get numbers.
FIG: What about the band you played with today. Is it new or its an old configuration?
FBB: It’s half new, half not. Anu Sun was my music director for this event. I’ve known him since 2002 playing with Robert Glasper, Bilal, etc. So he brought that soul element, that vibe. All the other musicians I have either played with before, or some of them I just met. So for Ronald and Jonas, the two members from Tabou Combo, it was my first time and it was amazing
FIG: You say that you “speak fluent hio-hop,” what do you mean by that?
FBB: So I created this company called “I speak fluent hip-hop” because I was laying in bed one day and was think about how many languages I speak and it just came to me that one that I definitely speak is fluent hip-hop. So I tweeted it and it went viral. So I thought that I got something in there (I did delete the tweet). I went and took money out of my savings and trade marked it, put some T-Shirts together. I majored in Anthropology, I always had a fascination with trying to understand what we are doing here, where did we come from. And I incorporated what I’ve learnt into my music – without language, culture dies. So, if we continue to speak fluent hip-hop, then the culture will live on. But once we stop, it dies.
FIG: And what do you want to say? What message would like to get across through your music.
FBB: I want to say that it is OK. So many people are going through things. We do the things we love because of our background, it sustains us. And my message to the world is that no matter what you going through, no matter why it is that you do what you do, it’s OK. Just come out and do it. Don’t be afraid.
FIG: What inspires you?
FBB: Love. I just want to love. To be loved and give love. That’s why a lot of people do what they do. They say fame, but fame is admiration and love. They say money, that money can be used to get the attention and be flashy but that all goes back down to love and the desire to be loved. At the end of the day it all boils down to love..
FIG: You always look stunning when you perform, your sense of of fashion is admirable. Do you style everything yourself or do you work with someone?
FB: Thank you. I have two stylists that I used to work with, but both got disappointed with me because I would never stick to one style. I just can’t do it. So, I style myself now. And I like being creative with it and trust my instincts. If I feel like wearing a metal bra with beads underneath it, then that’s what I’ll do. You want to own it, to make it your own. And that’s how I feel about my music.
FIG: What is Boule music? What is the new project?
FBB: Boule music is a fusion of Afro-Caribbean folk music, creole style of hip-hop, which is narrative story telling. Today is the first time I am introducing the music and it’s just going to grow. It’s just a small piece compared to what I am hearing in my head, I mean it’s a 12 piece band but I envision something bigger. So we’ll see.
FIG: What advice would you give to a young musician?
FBB: Follow your heart. Not your mind. Your heart gets the message first, it starts beating faster, you get that feeling. Then your heart sends the message to your brain, which goes through the Rolodex, your past history. And sometimes it will tell you to no do it, because you had a bad experience in the past. But don’t be afraid, follow your heart.
Anna Yatskevich is Flowers In A Gun’s glamorous jazz & beyond critic! Catch more reviews from her here and follow her on IG and Twitter @jazzaddikt.
