Posted at 21:17h
in
Interviews,
Music
South London’s
Speech Debelle snuck in the back door this year with alternative Hip Hop album
Speech Therapy. This time last year, many of us had never heard of her. Then in September, having developing a media buzz surrounding the album’s June 1st release on Big Dada (British home to Hip Hop from the likes of
Roots Manuva and
Ty), the 26-year old proudly won the Mercury Prize 2009 awarded to the year’s ‘best British album’ for her unique blend of jazzy, soulful Hip Hop.
Admittedly, I’m not too satisfied with that genre description either – but this difficulty in placing Debelle is probably what attracted the Mercury Prize judges in the first place.
Roxanne Tataei’s musical journey began in church, encouraged by the choirmaster (“He’d make me go at the forefront [to sing] every week and I’d be shaking… It was the best thing that he could have done”). Primary school performances soon led to tours around England with the National Youth Music Theatre, which she describes as a “grounding” experience, before putting it all to the side in favour of writing her own music and experimenting with sounds.
Following an extended trip to Mexico she formed an acoustic jazz trio and gigged around London, which brought the A&Rs her way. Then last year, in stepped Rough Trade records and ROX's solo quest began.