By
THIRSTY
Deva Mahal was born with the Blues
in her blood. She is the daughter of Grammy winner and music icon Taj
Mahal and dancer, artist and educator Inshirah Mahal. She first appeared
on her father’s Grammy-nominated album, Maestro,
in 2007, and released her first EP, Deva
Mahal, in 2017. Her first full-length album, Run Deep, was produced by Grammy winner Scott Jacoby and released
in March 2018. Her unique sound, with touches of Blues, R&B, Indie-pop,
Soul, Rock and Gospel, draws on her personal experiences of revelations,
cautionary tales and empowerment anthems.
Stay
Thirsty Magazine is pleased to present these Five Questions with her
and her video of the song, Snakes,
from Deva Mahal’s first album. She will be appearing at the Saratoga Performing
Arts Center’s 2018 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival in June. She is clearly a
force of nature in the making.
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| Deva Mahal (credit: Xavier De Nauw) |
STAY THIRSTY: You have said that your music “speaks a lot about pain and heartache.” What has happened in your life that gives such resonance to your songs?
DEVA MAHAL:
Well, I don’t believe I am special or
unique in this experience but in my time on this earth, I have experienced
more than a few traumatic loses as well as growing up in a challenging
household. In my youth, I was also not unfamiliar with being constantly
bullied and racially discriminated against. I am also no stranger to
heartbreak.
STAY THIRSTY: Have you been influenced more by the men in your life
or by other female singer/songwriters and if so, who?
DEVA MAHAL: I am lucky enough to
have had remarkable women around me for my entire life so I would most
definitely say I am more influenced by the women. My mum, my sisters, my
sister-friends, haters, women vocalists and instrumentalist, writers and so on.
They all have guided me, thus far.
STAY THIRSTY: How do you characterize your style of music? What
audience are you trying to reach with it?
DEVA MAHAL: My music is a mixture
of all the music that I’m drawn to.I recorded what naturally came out of my
mind and my soul. We decided to dub it “Indie R&B” and that feels pretty
accurate. My songs tell stories and speak from my heart so I think people who
feel a connection with them are my audience.
STAY THIRSTY: How did you choose the songs on your debut album, Run Deep? Is there a singular theme that
you are trying to express?
DEVA MAHAL: It was very important
that this album conveyed strength through vulnerability. So when I began
choosing tracks for the album, I wanted them all to feel like you were going on
a journey, like they were connected in some invisible way that requires the
listener to access their feelings.
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| Deva Mahal (credit: Xavier De Nauw) |
STAY THIRSTY: What do you want people to take away from your music
video entitled Snakes? How true a
representation is it of the music you are currently making and planning to make
in the future?
DEVA MAHAL:
I wrote “Snakes” to share my experience in
the world and remind folks to be wary of dark entities that lurk in every
corner. To hold on to your light and not let it be snuffed out. It came to me
as work song or yard hollers. Essentially, it’s a folk song infused with modern
Pop accents. The video visually reflects the levity and hopefulness within the
rhythm of the track while still depicting the danger that the lyrics describe.
My music will always speak from a real place and invite people into their
feelings and that is what you can expect from me now and hopefully always.
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