Roundtable Journal x Ace Hotel New York: Interview with Falana
Roundtable Journal is a print magazine, “not a blog” and a pioneering platform for radical representation. Here, Ayoade Bamgboye, the senior editor of Roundtable Journal, chats with Nigerian musician Falana about enjoying the journey, writing as self-therapy and blending imagination with sound.
Raised in Canada, but now living and creating in Nigeria, Falana cites Fela, King Sunny Ade, Sade and Maxwell, among others, as the musical minds that helped sculpt her writing style. She spent a year in Havana, performing and developing her own blend of jazz, soul, afrobeats and R&B, eventually recording her debut EP Things Fall Together. Falana is currently working on her next body of work, and we're excited to see what she has in store.
Listening to Things Fall Together felt like a compact journey through feelings of longing and nostalgia but also of loss, and finally, a reclaiming of oneself. What was it like creating this EP?
Creating that project was such an evolutionary experience for me. I was still very young and wasn’t quite sure the kind of artist I wanted to be. I never felt like that project represented my true sound, but it’s part of the journey and the story, so you have to embrace it. I guess the project is just a timestamp of where I was at that point in my life. I was trying to reconcile some broken relationships and prove to myself that music is exactly what I needed to be doing. The project is always a great reminder that no matter how unclear the journey is or how far I feel from my centre, all I need to do is start again, keep moving and things will fall together.
What are some of the main themes and emotions you hope to address or convey through your music?
I write a lot about perseverance in pursuing dreams and love. I write about hope and faith. Someone once said I write my songs as if I am writing prayers. Writing music is a form of self-therapy for me and so is prayer, so I can totally see why they would make that connection. But as an artist, you find that as you grow, the emotions and themes of your music will grow too.
How would you describe your next project?
I think my next project is going to represent the true reintroduction to Falana. I’m very excited because I was able to give birth to a sound that I think accurately reflects the artist I want to be. I wrote and produced every song on the project and worked with some amazing folks to take some of the tracks to the next level. My music will always be a blend of my imagination and all the sounds, and experiences (both musical and personal) that I’ve have had in my life. I grew up listening to King Sunny Ade, Yinka Ayefele, and Fela Kuti — my parents were fans — and the Lijadu Sisters, experimental highlife music. But I listened to a lot of soul sounds growing up too. Women like Etta James, Lauryn Hill, Sade and Erykah Badu. I also love jazz and absolutely adore playing around with percussion and rhythm. All these influences have really come together uniquely on this project. It feels great to be in the final stages. I’m really excited.
What is the most difficult aspect of your creative process and how has that process evolved over time?
Patience is something I struggle with when I’m writing and recording. I always need to remind myself that where you start — and where you are now — is not necessarily where you’re going to end up. The creative process is exactly that: a process. Sometimes it takes 10 drafts, 10 different versions and 15 retakes to get it to exactly what it’s supposed to be. I sometimes forget to enjoy the journey because the process can be so long. But regardless, I love it, and I love what I do!
Photographer: Christina Ebenezer Styling: Oliva Akot Cream Pleat Shirt by Sophia Mingoia Beige Wide Leg Trousers by John Lawrence Sullivan SS18 Pink Satin Top and Trousers by Fuchsia Shaw