Yahaloma Interviewed – Pop Sound & a Heavenly Message

I met Yahaloma on Twitter and this is one of a series of interviews with musicians who participate on that site that I hope to write.  Her new CD FIRE is due out soon, and my review of that will be live soon on http://www.tweepleblog.com …

DNW: You have been writing music and performing since you were a little girl.  A lot has changed over those years, both in the music business, and in the way artists present themselves to the world.  It requires more personal initiative now, but appears to be on the verge of opening the floodgates and letting a lot of new artists into the bigger pond…   How have you dealt with those changes?

YAHALOMA: Yes, you are right. Many things have changed. When I begun to sing with my mom, Evelyn Thomas, record labels owned the industry. No one could get in or out without them approving. Since, I have seen many bands sign and disappear, as if they never existed.  The one thing that scared me the most was being shelved by the very label I trusted to help me advance, but that is no longer an issue. Now the only one that can shelf you is you, and that is a major change. The industry has become vaster, more like an ocean full of talented musicians who are not procrastinating, and working hard to achieve their dreams with or without a label. That is wonderful and also scary at the same time.  The artist is now responsible for their own success or failure while the labels sit back and wait to see if the artist is worth their time and investment. However, when the artist gets the taste of being in charge of their own career, finances, and music, they opt not to sign, and that is where the labels are losing. In dealing with these changes, I am able to learn more about the music industry as an indie artist. I am in charge of my destiny, there is no one to blame nor is there anyone holding me back, and I don’t have to wait for anyone to fulfill their promise to me. Because of the World Wide Web, WWW, I can now advertise, promote, release, and book all over the world, and all without a label. The changes are major, but the principles remain the same, and as an indie artist, I have the wheel.  This does not mean that I will not sign, if the deal is right it would be an advantage, but I have a choice now and that feels good.

DNW: Do you see it as an improvement over the old label-controlled model?

YAHALOMA: I do see it as an improvement in the aspect that music lovers can now choose who they like and dislike and not having a record label trying to persuade them with their ads of influence.  As a music lover I can now decide for myself who I want to listen to, and they don’t necessarily have to be a famous artist, signed, or on an fm radio station. The internet has many different options available for the listener to take advantage of their favorite hometown band, singer, or group. They now have more say so in the industry, and that is a wonderful change as well.

DNW: I know (since I met you on Twitter) that you are using the power of the Internet to spread the word about your work…can you just tell us the changes you’ve seen that are the most important, and how you plan to move forward with your work and career?

YAHALOMA: The internet has become 90 percent of my advertising and getting my music out to the listeners. I manage many sites, and they are all very important in reaching listeners who might like my music. I plan on continuing to use this resource as much as possible. Using sites like Twitter is important to the indie artist, and will help them connect to a listener who will in turn tell others about their art.  I have to say that it is not easy, but consistency is key to making any business successful, and being consistent is what I plan to do. Putting up videos, blogging, communicating, and planning will be on my to do list for the future. I know that by keeping myself accessible I will reach more listeners and industry professionals.

DNW: You have done a lot of different types of music over the years.  I smiled widest, I’ll admit, when I learned you’d performed in rock bands for bikers! Your work on Fire is very polished with a mixed style of R&B and more popular sounds – and that blend of Spirituality you’ve incorporated…  Do you see yourself continuing to perform in other genres?

YAHALOMA: LOL. Yes I play where ever I am asked. I do not limit myself, or the music I have chosen to sing. I incorporate spirituality in my music because without it I am not being true to the course of life I want to lead. By singing this way, not only do I keep myself straight, but I help others in their goals of improving their own lives. We have so many issues these days; we need music that gives us hope, and a positive message for our lives. I love gospel music, but I am also a lover of love songs. Artists like Stevie Wonder, Babyface, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross have contributed wonderful clean love songs that will last. As for the gospel we cannot forget about Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Mary Mary, and Yolanda Adams have taken us higher.  It would be hypocritical of me to say I only listen to gospel or vice versa, I listen to both. That is why I do both types of music. Love is a big aspect of every life, and spirituality is something we all seek after, so incorporating both styles is in fact one huge aspect of life that always goes hand and hand. Loving your spirituality and loving your family is one aspect of being human, so I consider myself an artist of one genre, love.

DNW: How has the diversity of your career to date led you to the sound and the choices you are now making?

YAHALOMA: As a music lover, my favorite type of music is Jazz, but growing up I was surrounded by dance, so putting the two together was very easy for me musically. The sound is consistent with both styles, fast and jazzy.  The last CD consisted of 3 different writers. T. L. Robinson is a jazz instrumental artist from Texas, and is a very talented all around musician, artist, engineer, and producer. Manny Gotdem is a hip-hop dance musician from Miami who also sings, produces, and is an engineer.  Alex Matin-Blanken is a Jamaican producer based in Jamaica who composed the reggae track.  These music styles are totally different, but when you hear them on the CD they all fit together perfectly, and each one has the Yahaloma flavor I have come to develop over the years.

DNW: You’ve worked with one of the Commodores and been involved in some very impressive musical events and “happenings”.  Can you share some memories of those times, moments that stick with you – lessons you’ve learned from the big name talents you’ve met and worked with?  Drop names!  Tell us something fun and inspiring.

YAHALOMA: Working with Walter “Clyde” Orange from the Commodores, who to this day is a good friend of mine, was great. It was a life changing event, an event that changed my point of view on my own career in the industry. I began to believe that I was good enough, something that was not so definite in my mind before. When we found out that the project came up on the Grammy Ballot 8 times, I freaked out.  I was up against Mariah Carey, and names that I had only seen in books and none of these names were ever associated with my name before this.  Not only working with Clyde, but working with Child activist Craig Deanto, who had his children kidnapped by his wife and taken to Africa, was eye opening.  I have also toured internationally since a very young age, opened up for George Clinton and P-Funk, Shabba Ranks, Black Panther, Mary Mary, been on the Bobby Jones show, The Word Network, and BET.  Even though I have done all of this, it is still the beginning for me, and I know that much work lies ahead.

DNW: You have included Hebrew Spirituality in your bio, and that spirituality permeates your lyrics…but in all the biographies and information I can find, there is no personal note about your own spirituality – what influenced you to your particular beliefs, what they are and what message you hope to convey.  Can you give us a background of the makeup of your “creative mind,” how it blends with your spiritual side – paint us a picture, in other words, of the woman behind the words and music…a more personal biography.

YAHALOMA: I left that out for a reason. Trying to explain my own spirituality is not easy, and some have a hard time understanding that side of me. I have left it off because I want others to get to know me first, and then by knowing me they will understand where I am spiritually. I am a Hebrew. I am also an ordained pastor. I began in the church on the praise team, soprano, for 7 years.  During that time I was ordained as a minister, then evangelist, and then a pastor. What changed my direction? The movie “The Passion” changed my entire outlook of the names that I had used for so many years, even from my youth. Yahshua was the name they used, and the language was Aramaic. This was all new to me, I had never heard of this before. I began to believe that if my name stayed the same wherever I went in the world, then the name of my savior should be the same as well. This opened up so many doors of understanding for me. Learning the interpretations of the language He spoke made me study even more. So ultimately I ended up where I am today, a Hebrew. Being Hebrew is not at all like being Jewish, as we believe in the savior Yahshua (whose interpreted name is Jesus), and we believe in following Him in all He did. For example, keeping the commandments, Sabbath, and the feasts (Ex: Passover). It is really difficult for some to understand me, that’s why I don’t disclose this too soon. I hope, now that others know, they will not think of me as strange, but just interesting.

DNW: This final question I ask everyone.  You have 24 hours to create a new song.  You can either have that time in a library with all the books of the world at your fingertips, a studio with all the world’s music to work with – or you can be transported anywhere for 24 hours.  Which do you choose, and why?  If you choose the place – WHERE and why.

YAHALOMA: I would choose the studio. I have always worked my best in the studio, and with the music at my disposal, I would be just like a child in a candy store, or in a toy store. LOL.  Since a child, being on tour most of my youth with people like my mom, Evelyn Thomas, Eartha Kitt, Barbara Pennington, Sylvester, Nice and wild, Grace Jones, and more.  We would travel vastly, and in between hit the studio for a writing session, where I would crash on the couch. It became such a routine for me that now my own children have become accustomed to it as well. The studio is my comfort zone when it comes to writing. I have, on many occasions, fallen asleep on the keyboard in my studio during a long writing session. I write a big percentage of the lyrics for my projects, so most of the time I am in the studio writing, by myself, until the crack of dawn. It is hard work, but the results are wonderful, and I look forward to sharing them with the listeners.

I am really seeing the hard work, and hours of labor pay off. I am blessed when others want to know more about me, and take interest in what I do. David, I want to thank you for being a friend on Twitter, and for this interview. I am honored that you took interest in me, and my music. I am looking forward to sharing more with you in the future.

Blessings and love,

Yahaloma

www.twitter.com/yahaloma
www.myspace.com/kimthomasramos

Short bio:  Multi-talented, World Recording Artist, Yahaloma is bringing us closer to the roots of our faith with songs of worship, “YHWH’s Prayer” (The Lord’s Prayer) in Aramaic, the same language used in “The Passion of The Christ”, which is the spoken language of our savior Yahshua (Jesus). In 2008 Yahaloma released her 2nd solo project “My Everything” where she sings in English, Hebrew, and Spanish. “There is so much to learn from the Aramaic and Hebrew language when it comes to our savior. When I learned the prayer in Aramaic, it was the highlight of my life. Speaking the prayer in the same language as Yahshua, I find that fascinating, and necessary for all who want to feel closer to YHWH (God) by using the same language Yahshua used.” Yahaloma says. Yahaloma, was born Kimberly Thomas, in Chicago, Ill to multi-Platinum, international recording artist, Evelyn Thomas. At a young age, she toured with her mother, dancing, acting and singing on stage and on television in New York, London, Paris, Brussels, and more. In 1990 Yahaloma joined a band that would ultimately be called “Natures Vibe”, and found herself opening up for George Clinton and P-Funk, and doing many, highly requested, local shows in South Florida. She has also co-written songs for Bishop J, and Craig Deanto (Child Activist) which received eight 1st round Grammy Ballot Nominations in 2003, independently opened for Shabba Ranks, Black Panter, and more. In 2008 alone she has been featured on the Bobby Jones show airing on BET and the Word Network, performing at the 3rd Annual Feast of the Nations, Da Gospel Factory, and the Miami Music Conference.