Since a very early age Lakota Silva has done it all; dance, drama, art, she even joined the school’s jazz band. So I couldn’t ask her when that defining moment was when she decided that she was going to follow the path of a performer, entertainer and musician. That would be a total waste of time.
She is a definite powerhouse and has released her solo album POP- The MixTape, which is already an iTunes chart squatter.
She is vivacious, attractive, charming and uber talented.
How did you choose the genre of music?
Lakota:
“I define my music by describing it as Urban-Pop; it’s not hip hop and it’s not bubble gum pop. It’s not something I really chose. I create the music that I want to create. I was first doing a lot of EDM stuff, so I was first trying to get on the scene and do as many features as possible, just to learn the industry works. I knew my art, but the industry is completely different. You learn it through experience.”
“I did a lot of AU Paring and saved money, so that I could put it towards my own music. This means hiring a studio, getting an engineer involved, getting a producer, and pitching my idea to them. That is how the Urban Pop came about. I always knew I would be in the pop genre, because I am a hip hop dancer, with that gangsta feel, but I gave myself a time and space to be creative.”
“I just worked on it song by song. Every song is quite different; some happy, some twerky. I describe my music like a box of Smaarties – you don’t know what colour you are going to get, but you know there is a Smaartie inside.”
When you write your lyrics, how do you come up with the idea for the song?
Lakota:
“I work a little differently. I write a lot but not necessarily as a song. I write pieces; if I have had a bad day, I write it down, If I am feeling strongly about something, I will write it down. I never think that I will turn it into a song. How I write music, is that I often have moments where I am inspired by things, I could be in a car, or on a plane. I usually record melodies. If I get a beat that I like, I have to record it the first time I hear it in my head. Only afterwards do I then think about what I am going to say. For me music is all about the sound and the rhythm, and then I think about the words, and what I want to say. That is usually how I write the song. I always say that the lyrics are the mathematics of the song. So I usually write the music first in my head and then think about the lyrics afterwards.”
“That is how ‘Do Re Mi’ was born. I had this melody in my head. As my debut song I had to think about what I really wanted to say. I wrote the lyrics on the plane, I wrote the whole thing on the plane, not in any lyrical content. I was feeling very anxious at the time and I wrote it and a while afterwards I read those words over the music and beat I had written, and thought well this is it, and that’s how ‘Do Re Mi’ was born.”
So who are your influencers, who are you listening to at the moment?
Lakota:
“I am a big Rhianna fan, I love her edginess, her outspokenness and I love her music. She always has a message. I love Beyoncé as a performer.I love Lady Gaga’s artistry. There are so many different artists that I love for different reasons.”
“But I am listening to Lana Del Ray, and Jhené Aiko. They teach me how to listen to music. Music is all about what you are saying but you must always listen as well. People say I look like Gwen Stefani, but never really took to her completely. I love Christina Aguilera’s voice. But the people I listen to are not the people who do the same music as me. I am also a big Lorde fan.”
What I loved, was the quality and production of you stuff, specifically with your music videos. You are very involved with film. Why is this such an important element in your music?
Lakota:
“I wear a lot of caps; dance, acting, film… I love them all. People always told me to choose one. When I got older, I realized that I am a performer and so shouldn’t have to choose. I want to master it all. They all marry each other and compliment my brand and art. Acting and dancing is also a big part. I got a scholarship in high school where I could do dance, drama and art as subjects, and then I took a gap year after school, in Cape Town to suss out the music industry. I then joined film school and started a degree in directing. At that stage I was fueling all three passions, but this is the first time in my life where I have married the three. I was in a dance crew, singing in a jazz band, and acting in film school. That’s where the film thing got heightened, where I was actually creating film. I won best film in first year. I couldn’t continue with directing as they told me that I couldn’t do the music with it, so I left it. I then got my degree in live performance. But I still have that knowledge and desire to create film.”
“Having this knowledge in film is a blessing and curse. I knew what gear was, what the shots were and what I wanted. But I was also a pain, as I knew what I wanted, so there was this creative conflict to an extent. I believe that if I hire someone then it needs to be my vision, as I am paying them to work for me.”
Lets talk about ‘Revelation’, the music video and song?
Lakota:
“It is one of my favourite songs on the album. I was in studio at the time, and we had just recorded ‘Sweatt’. I was excited. I am very influenced by Eastern instruments, tribal instruments. I was working with the producer and told him that I want a very Indian influenced song. I was in the shower and came up with the beginning of the song, and wanted to sing it. We left the song and were mixing the other stuff. That evening, we were chilling and I was feeling very blessed. We put the lights off, we put the music up and I free styled that whole chorus – it is the take I did right there and then. I hadn’t written it down. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. It was from the chore. When I eventually finished the chorus, we stopped it and the producer and I were amazed at it. We couldn’t believe it. That is why it is called a ‘Revelation’, because it was a revelation for me. The whole song is about being thankful for where you are, right now. It might not be what you want now, but you are where you are meant to be. Just enjoy the journey.”
“With the video, I had worked with the same film crew for ‘Sweatt’, and they were keen to work with me again. I wanted to show a bit of acting in this music video and I wanted it to be about the message of the song. We worked for 3 days on it. The story Is about two angles, and it is their last day on earth, but they are just enjoying life without money, and are focusing on each other, and at the end the wings come out and they go to heaven.”
In the pop industry, especially in your genre of music, there is this big stigma around a lack of role models for young girls. So you have a young girl watching your video, and you are gyrating, and are sexy, how are you portraying yourself as a role model?
Lakota:
“When I perform I am naturally a sexy person; I am female, I like being female, I like that women have a sexuality. Men have the stigma of being strong, like women have that sexuality and sensuality. I think that there is a very fine line between being sexual and knowing your sexuality. A lot of pop artists, especially in the international world, cross the line because sex sales. If you make a sex tape, and are half naked, you get attention. Those are the things that go viral on the Internet, so I understand why they are doing it, but I don’t necessarily agree with it. I do believe in sexuality, you have to own it. I like to focus on power. I want girls to feel powerful and inspired. I don’t want them to go have sex with everyone. They must feel sexy, beautiful and empowered. I will twerk, but know the line. I never want to cross that line. I have a 15 year old sister. You can be sexy in a classy way. I am a big T-shirt person generally, but in my video I will wear drop tops, but there is a time and a place. You need to know what you stand for. I want people to get that from me. I create music for women.”
Watch Lakota on:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Lakota+Silva
Follow Lakota on:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/iamlakotasilva
Twitter https://twitter.com/lakotasilva
Instagram https://instagram.com/lakotasilva/?hl=en
Pre-Order POP- The MixTape now available on iTunes – https://itun.es/za/AxL58
