Amalia Townsend, a fantastic new singer of Filipino and Brit origins from Vancouver, Canada, is making great waves in West London and worldwide recently. 'Life's A Dance', a tune she made with the Swedish talent Opolopo is already a huge fave of many respected producers from Afronaught to Rainer Trüby to Kyoto Jazz Massive. She also runs her own music award winning band Sekoya and sings for the soul-orchestra 1Luv, both have their LPs forthcoming. Amalia has talked to Beyondjazz about her music, the various musical projects and all the buzz around her life.
Let me start with a strange question: Who is Amalia Townsend aka Miss Fuze?
A: Hmmm. Raw, passionate, silly, nerd, bubbly, serious, honest, no bullshit kind of girl, dance-aholic, an energy connector who wants to inspire, inflict thought and make bodies quake. Simple as that. I really want to challenge humanoids and aliens alike to share and do something supa delicious!
What were your first musical experiences? When did you start singing? Did you go to music skool?
A: A little lonely at first, couldn't get into the school choir cos I sang weird. Dropped in and out of music skool. Too damn impatient. Always wanted to write and do my own thing from day one. Be it writing poems on banana peels to improvising up against walls and doors for cool acoustics, I was a social butterfly unto myself. Got skooled by playing in a multitude of bands, jingle singing, open jam nites, seeking out mentors to teach me to write, most importantly, listening to my Pop's eclectic record collection and going to live shows up the yingity yang yang.
Your progression as a vocalist is incredible. You won that vocalmania talent contest in 94' and now you are a respected and main figure of Vancouver jazz scene, leading a band, takin part in many projects. So your musical life has been a dance so far?
A: Me? Main Figure? Wow, thanks for the love. Music has been a part of me since I was in the womb. Ha! You really did your research, got my first yamaha keyboard and my first and only death threat at that competition. For real! I can laugh now, I was 12 and so innocent, so naive. I only wanted to sing my heart out. Have never been able to stomach talent searches since that experience. Learned pretty damn fast how it can bring out the worst in people. Damn, I sound do negative, I so ain't, just being honest. Been singing obsessively since I was a kid. It's definitely been a dance. Kind of like a 'Pasa Doble', ya know the one with the matador's cape and the bull. Me the bull of course, chasing after that cape, running in circles being misdirected, finding my flare and all that.
When did you form your own band Sekoya then? Why did you think it was time to put aside the solo thing and do the whole thing in a band?
A: Never seen myself as a solo artist, even back when I started my own funk band way back when. Always wanted to be a part of something, in the band sense, 13 piece, the more the merrier. Sekoya was just another group that naturally formulated after I grew out of another about 3 years ago. Now I'm really trying to push Miss Amalia. Collabin' and getting my name out there as me. Just me. Solo but not really I guess.
Tell us a bit more about the band. Who are the members? Who wrote the tunes and Who are the band's musical influences or heroes?
A: Dan Kearley aka. Big Danny K on electronics, Alvin Cornista aka. Vinstar on sax + flute, and me aka Miss Fuze, the vocalist, the oral fixator as I like to say. The 3 of us write everything together. Heroes? Nils Petter Molvaer, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Irakere, Suba, ... my personal list of heroes is so long. Right now I'm infatuated with Tom Waits and the one and only Bembe Segue.
Sekoya won Favourite Electronic Artist/Group at the 2005 CMW Indie Music Awards and a JUNO Award nomination for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year. Congrats for all of these, it has to be a huge respect and acclamation to a relatively young band and its debut LP from the Canadian jazz scene and the musicians!
A: Thanks mon! Yeh pretty crazy, we just did what we loved and busted ass to get the music out there. Our fans in Canada have really embraced us ...
Canada is really famous for its great jazz festivals like the ones in Montreal or Vancouver, There must be a really busy jazz scene and crowd there that are open to the more forward thinking new skool jazz, bruk or electro sounds in your city. How can you describe Vancity musical life?
A: Vancouver's jazz scene is beautiful. Many up and coming stars venturing out of their basements for sure. We do have a growing electronic scene, live soul and funk are sparse, but not for too long!!! Vancouverites are pretty damn open-minded due to our cultural background. We're not supa spoilt with the future sound yet. There's a family building, thanks to Dr. J + 1Luv, Aklimatize and Hiro at Conception Magazine. Holla! Funky folk are getting together more than ever before and sharing what they have to give.
Talking of Dr J., one of your local musical side project is singing in the soulorchestra 1LUV led by Dr. J (SuntzuSound). How did he find you? I heard the first 1LUV album would be mixed by Dazikue, what style it will represent and when can we enjoy it?
A: I found him actually, stalked him more like it, haha. I have a tendency of chattin' it up with strangers. J was a promoter in town bringing all sorts of inspiring artists like King Britt, Jazzanova, and Capitol A. Only took a couple calls back and forth and we were friends. Yeh Daz just finished mixing 1Luv, so excited! The sounds are killa, a taste of everything ... old soul, bruk, funk, house, everything. It will be out by the end of this Summer on Columbia Japan. Kyoto Jazz Massive's record label Especial are releasing the EP. Sonar Kollektiv have also featured some tracks on one or two of their compilations too.
You also have an ongoing project with the up and coming Swedish talent Opolopo. How did you come across with him? The stunning "Life's A Dance" is already a top tune for many producers like Afronaught or Mark de Clive-Lowe and it is goin to be out very soon on the Japanese Especial label which is a great response from Japan too! Any plans to collaborate with Opolopo in the future?
A: Yeh my main man Opolopo! Truly the most gifted producer I've had the pleasure of working with and a sweet friend. He's gonna help FUNK the planet up for sure. He freaks me out every time he sends me something new to play with. We actually connected on myspace of all places. I think we both kind of just fell in love with eachother's vibe and that was it. Let's do this, ya know. Life's a dance was written so fast, so instinctive and natural. Felt so right. The buzz on that tune spread like screamin' chicks in a second hand store. First it was Kaidi, then it was Mark, then Daz, then Afronaught, Rainer Truby, and now You, ay yay yay. So proud of our first collab coming out on Especial. Such an amazing crew in Japan! Much respect and love! Don't worry, there won't be a shortage of tunes from Opolopo and I. We just finished our second collab 'Street Lights' out soon on Askew in the UK, oh and another 2.5 more tunes are a churnin'.
Listening to some of your songs and your vocal style, it's obvious the West London movement including its musicians has influenced you on many levels. How you feel about London and its musical impact on other places like Canada or Japan?
A: London's actually my hometown. Born and raised there till I was 10. Would only make sense that London would help sculpt my musical development. From Robert Palmer (R.I.P) to the Bugz in the Attic crew, nothing but love for all em cats out there. True Warriors of Innovation!
Your performance on stage is truly firing and passionate. Your voice is very unique, soultry and powerful at the same time. It seem you celebrate life to the fullest when singing and dancing. Is performing on stage the best way of expressing yourself, your soul?
A: Oh I'm blushing again. HEAVENS YEH! To me music and dance is the closest we all get to heaven. Sekoya did this gig last Christmas in the main atrium of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Picasso was on exhibition. I felt like I was channeling energy through me from somewhere else, singing up to the skylight. I get this natural body high that can't be compared to anything. Ya know when ya can almost feel the blood running through your veins.
Who are your admired female vocalists from the past and present? Who do you wish to work with?
A: Yummy, I love this question. I adore Billie Holiday, her emotion, her rawness, Eartha Kitt's wit cracks me up, Chaka, Blossom Dearie, Minnie Ripperton, West London Massive ladies, Bembe Segue, Eska, Heidi Vogel, and Canada's Zenobia Salik. I'd really love to collab with all of em but hopefully you'll be hearing something from Bembe and I soon, keep your eyeballs and fingers crossed. Bembe and I had this beautiful connection when she visited Vancouver this Summer for the jazz festival. 'Her spiritual twin on the other side of the planet ...' she told me. Can you believe that? (I still consider myself somewhat of a baby.) I absolutely adore this woman's brave soul to bare everything and give it her all. She challenges me and inspires me to shine brighter. Geesh I'm cheezy.
Besides all of your musical activities, you are said to be working for a music company. Is it always easy for you to lead that hectic and vivid life? How can your organize all of these projects with the personal life and work? If you want to relax for a second, what is your personal recipe, let it be a place, book, drink or chocolate?
A: I 'was' working in the music industry. Past tense, haha. Worked as marketing manager for a jazz label for over 3 years, then in fan relations for a year and a half, and then tried working for a non-profit society helping independent artists. I loved doing it all, but found myself burning the candle at both ends. The artist in me was taking a bit of a bashing. No one realized just how serious I was. I was always seen as the girl behind the computer. The caged bird needed to spread her wings and fly ya know. I've been strictly concentrating on music since April. Relaxing ... hmmm light some candles, hang out in the nude, put on a good sci-fi flick, create some funky ass spicy popcorn, eat lots of chocolate, drink a good bottle of white. Hehehe I really do spoil myself.
By the way, do you have any time left for travelling? If yes, any loved places or cities where you wish to perform?
A: So blessed I have been the past year. I love travelling this planet and all the people in it. Mostly music touring with my Sekoya hombres, but also just to get away from it all. Been to China, Italy, Switzerland, New York, Mexico in the past year. Have family out in Europe and the Philippines. Where I really want to go? JAPAN, JAPAN, JAPAN, oh yeh and SWEDEN, oh and SPAIN, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, oh and the UK.
Let's get back to Sekoya's forthcoming second album "Dalawa"? Please share some light on it. Why Dalawa and what vibe it will try to reach? I heard tunes 'My Will', 'Self Control' or 'Follow Me', all are awesome!
A: Dalawa is Filipino for Number 2, and with 2 of us in the band having Philippine heritage it was really fun for us to call it that. Oh yeh and dalawa is such a beautiful looking word. Check out them letters! Dalawa is definitely a little darker sounding overall than our debut. Can't really describe a definitive sound, it's got some sick ass jazz horn arrangements, a bit of soul, a splash of funk, some cubes of electro, a smidget of bruk, and more. Didn't have a sound we were going for, just created what made us smile and groove.
I've seen you are a very active myspace user. What do you think of the "myspace revolution"? How much does it add to your musical life?
A: The world suddenly became a smaller place when I discovered myspace. Some of the artists that I respected and loved are now my peers. So much inspiration. Even found the designer for dalawa on myspace. Spencer Bowden aka. Lunareye. Watch out for that kid!
Any other special plans you have for this year and when will you come to Europe next?
A: Gotta get myself an original haircut, so bored with it at the mo. Oh yeh and I hope to get my butt out to Europe & Japan by next Spring. 1Luv will be touring in support of its debut.
We will definitely see you there, thanks for your answers and all the best from Beyondjazz Crew to You and your band!
A: Thanks for asking some interesting questions. Peace + Lightbulbs, Amalia.
Releases to look out for:
* Dr.J presents 1 Luv - Neophilia Album Sampler EP is out on Especial
* Opolopo feat Amalia - Life's A Dance EP is out soon on Especial
* Sekoya - Dalawa LP will be released by end of the year.
