Pura Fé: I think I was born with a fist in the air
Photographer: purafe.com
It’s not everyday you get to talk to artists you admire and then they turn out to be even more wonderful in person. I’ve been listening to the music of today’s guest for many years now and every time I return to it I’m reminded of why I love music from authentic voices.
Pura Fé (meaning ‘pure faith’) is a musician, songwriter and activist originally from North Carolina but raised in New York. She is in many ways the embodiment of America’s rich and complex ancestral history - with her Native American Tuscarora Indian, African American (specifically Yoruba and Ebo), North Carolinian, Scottish, Puerto Rican roots - all of which is also expressed in her music.
We talk about growing up in a family with 8 generations of singing sisters who sang opera, a mother who sang with the likes of Duke Ellington, how piano legend Thelonius Monk is also a relation, about falling asleep in all night church services where jazz trumpet legend Miles Davis among many others would come to play.
We talk about her musical education at Lincoln Square Academy in New York and why Pura Fé chose not to sign with Sony and label exec Tommy Mottola (the person who signed and married Mariah Carey) or any major record label for that matter. We talk about singing with Anita Baker about singing at an event with Lena Horne in the audience.
We talk about what is American music and particularly the story of Native American people and their music.
Guest: Pura Fé
Title: ‘I think I was born with a fist in the air’
Website & IG: @pura.fe.9
Songs all by Pura Fé: Great Grandpah’s Banjo from the album Full Moon Rising, Mahk Jchi from the Ulali project band, My People My Land Pt.2 from the album Hold the Rain, Red, Black on Blues from the album Full Moon Rising, My People my Land Pt 1 from the album Hold the Rain, Let Heaven Show from the album Hold the Rain
Trailer of RUMBLE: The Indians That Rocked The World
The history of the banjo with Rhiannon Giddens
Artist on her playlist: James Brown