Artist Soapbox * Audio fiction + Creative Process

Artist Soapbox * Audio fiction + Creative Process


088: Songspeller and multi-disciplinary artist Kamara Thomas digs into the American dilemma. [Durham 150 Artist Spotlight]

October 07, 2019

Mythology, music, geography, spirituality, North Carolina, and the creative process with Kamara Thomas! An episode rich with questions and contemplation, and the first Durham 150 Artist Spotlight interview. Enjoy!

Kamara Thomas photo by JLange

Kamara Thomas is a singer, songspeller, and multi-disciplinary storyteller based in Durham, NC. Kamara was named one of the “14 Artists Proving Black Americana is Real” by Paste Magazine. She is currently working on “Country Soul Songbook,” a musical documentary project exploring race and place in Country music. Kamara’s video “Good Luck America,” from her forthcoming album and storytelling work “Tularosa: An American Dreamtime,” was featured at the 2019 Hayti Heritage Film Festival. She wrote and produced SOAPBOX, a traveling public space performance commissioned for Downtown Durham Inc.’s Public Space Grant. 

The intro and outro to this episode is Good Luck America, the first track from Kamara Thomas’ upcoming album TULAROSA: AN AMERICAN DREAMTIME. 

2019 is a year-long celebration honoring Durham North Carolina’s 150th anniversary. Artist Soapbox received a grant from Durham 150 in Support of the City of Durham’s Sesquicentennial Commemoration. This episode is one of three Durham 150 Artist Spotlights in which I interview a few of the many brilliant artists living in here. Happy Birthday, Durham! Thank you Durham artists. Thank you for the grant, Durham 150. Listeners, support local artists and help them and your community thrive!

This episode is brought to you by the Soapboxers, the official patrons of the Artist Soapbox. If you like these episodes and want more, get on the Soapbox! This episode was recorded at Shadowbox Studio. Artist Soapbox theme music by Bart Matthews. Additional audio editing by Merrybelle Park Productions.

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QUESTIONS FOR KAMARA

BACKGROUND

How did you find music as a calling (or how did it find you)?  What about your musical taste — what music do you like to create? Is that different than the music you’ve played with others? Is it different than the music you listen to? 

You identify yourself as “a singer, songspeller, storyteller, multi-disciplinary artist and mythology fanatic” — we’ll talk about some of those more specifically — but what is it like to have an artistic identity that encompasses that breadth of language? How do you accommodate all of those interests and how do they work together/feed your work? 

Songspeller — what does this mean? What is a songspell?