This impressive artist has held down performing in this country for a minute now
Hit songs collabs and a zillion performances across the city and the globe
Based on time spent, one would consider her a veteran performer and one I would easily label, a standard bearer, with consistently great fashion sense and performances
I have always found her to be a boss, so I asked her to allow me to interview her and she thankfully agreed
I do hope to do a face to face with her at some point but in the meantime, I sent her a few questions that I felt folks needed to know about this talented woman
These answers were truly from the heart
Thank you Ammoye
Also, keep a keen eye on her process as well as her progress on her website https://www.ammoye.com/ for information on her new album “Water”
Which artists locally or internationally have you collaborated with?
Answer: The artists I have collaborated with locally are Exco Levi , Cocoa Tea, and Lord SassaFrass. I have also collaborated with some of the most finest of producer legends in the industry like Sly Dunbar, Mickey Bennett, Donovan Germain, Natural High, The Senior Allstars, DJ Agile, Thomas Blondet just to name a few
Who would be your dream collab?
Answer: My dream collab would be Sade, Lauryn Hill, Andre3000, Missy Elliott, Chronixx and or Damian Junior Gong Marley & Stephen Marley...
How long have you been at this as a performer?
Answer: I have been a process performer now for about 13 + years now.
Who / what inspired you to perform (influences)
Answer: My biggest influences in music are Bob Marley, The ITrees, JC Lodge, Carlene Davis, Clarke Sisters, Cocoa Tea, Sade, Tina Turner, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Micheal Jackson...
Your style blends reggae, r&b, hip hop with a reggae tinge to most projects... is this an accurate assessment?
Answer: Yes growing up in Jamaica I was exposed to not just Reggae music but the different genres of music was played on the radio. So therefore I fell InLove abs was inspired by all of it, from Soul, Gospel music, which was a strong base for me because I was raised on the church and sang in the church choir. I heard other genres like r&b, pop, jazz, funk, rock etc... Then migrating to Canada after my grandmother who raised me passed away. I was introduced to other other genres like house music, electronic, reggaeton & Afrobeats to name a few. I’m a lover of good music I don’t discriminate as long as the music resonates with me on a certain level and moves me some way I appreciate it and the art of it all. So I tend to do which comes naturally to me is I fuse all these different elements and genres of music with my Reggae and make it my own. I call it Reggae-Fusion
I believe once I heard you toured through Serbia. Where else have you performed internationally?
Answer: I have been blessed to tour around the world and I intend to travel with my music to all the other places I haven’t been to yet but I look forward to in the future as we move and progress forward. Some of the places this far that I’ve toured are Serbia, Shanghai, USA, Mexico....
What motivates you to write?
Answer: What motivates me to write is Spirit, life, love, consciousness, relationships, culture, nature and everything else in between. I write about anything and everything that I see & experience within me and outside there in our world
You fashion sense cyaa touch... I find that truly inspirational over the years. You have made it your calling card somewhat. What's the story behind the fashion?
Answer: Fashion definitely plays an integral part in my artistry. Growing up around a lot of beautiful powerful ambitious women in my family, because my mom/grandmother had 13 children of which only two were boys. These women along with my grandmother influenced my fashion sense grateful. I watched and learned how to make your visual aesthetic be an expression of who you are and what you represent. As an artist it’s important to not only be sonically pleasuring by visually pleasing and expressive as well. My fashions tells my story of being fierce, powerful, energetic, multidimensional, edgy, colourful, free , empowered & unapologetically me
{The gallery below are ony a few of the many styles of Ms. Ammoye}
Answer: That’s an extensive list but to name a few here for you would be some of my most ultimate favourites like Bob Marley Sade Tina Turner Chet Baker Lauryn Hill Dennis Brown Tamia Blessed Michie Mee Tony Anthony Chronixx but honestly it’s a very long list but I’ll name those for now...
As a seasoned Canadian performer, what could we improve as a genre / industry to create more opportunities to sell our music?
Answer: I would just we need to all be more supportive of our artists here in Canada from commercial radio and mainstream media... the lack of support is overdue especially when it comes to the reggae scene. If we could somehow figure out to get rid of those bad habits of tending to show more support to International artists and bring more of balance out entertainment industry on a whole would thrive in unprecedented ways. A lot of our own Canadian population don’t know who we are from the local scene and that is a tragedy. Change we need change when it comes to that. It’s truly sad that a lot of Canadian entertainers most times have to leave our own country to get appreciated, noticed & respected. Give us better and fairer air time so the country at large can get to know who we are so then they can go out and support us at shows and in purchasing our music
What message would you care to impart to your fan base at this time in history?
Answer: My message would be, you are not alone in this world. We are all supported and loved in ways seen and unseen. Stop looking outside of yourselves for love and validation. Look within yourself and start to see yourself with new eyes. All you have to do is take the time to be still breathe and contemplate on what going on within. Follow your heart that will lead you to your Higher Self and then you can give permission to Spirit to show you all that you need to know. This process will transform you completely unconditionally and this is where Heaven on earth for you will begin. Spending quality time with yourself within yourself, this is where you will find the truths that will open your eyes and the veil removed. Also spend a lot of time in nature it is very healing for the soul. Insights will be revealed to you and help you to find your Soul’s path
Blessings Ammoye for your time
~
This is model / artist, Konjo Uhuru, supporting the brand 876ers
876ers for me are people who seek a better outcome for Jamaica than is currently offered, away from the colonial hold and finding a path to elevate Jamaicans for generations to come
royal-tease.ca/collections/rfl for this and other merch