“O my heart, ask not where the love has gone
It was but a citadel of my imagination that has collapsed Pour me and let me drink of its ruins
And tell of me as long as my tears flow
Tell how that love became past”
Oum Kalthoum, “Al Atlal”
“When I sing, sorrow is never too far away. Melancholy... I find it romantic. And it carries me to feelings that I can’t necessarily grasp in everyday relationships. Music helps me transcend reality. If I’m this way, it’s definitely thanks to the female singers I’ve listened to since I was a young girl.”
It’s an incredible story, one where magic triumphs over cynicism. The story of a voice – a voice capable of summoning the most dizzying emotions – that nobody had ever heard. La Zarra
would sing at home by herself, for herself, and within herself. In Montreal, city where she was born, she sang with no witnesses, when no one was around to listen. Barbara, Édith Piaf, Billie Holiday, Céline Dion, Mariah Carey, 2-Pac, Puff Daddy, Arabic music, middle of the road – she never dismissed anything. She shied away from labels and would let her heart have the last word, always. It was her mother who first initiated her to songs. As a young girl, she remembers Piaf most vividly – she recalls not being fond of the way the French singer rolled her “R”s. But then, she fell under Piaf’s spell. Intensely. Up until her recent cover of PNL’s “À L’Ammoniaque”, which she seamlessly blended with Piaf’s “Mon Dieu”. The result is simply mind-blowing. Her cover of SCH’s “Tirer un Trait” is equally overwhelming.
“When I hear all these songs again, so many feelings come back to the surface, and nostalgia takes hold of me. These melodies will forever reside within me, in my heart”, she explains. Urban pop – the ultimate catchphrase. Practical and ridiculous. As if there was something called country pop...
For La Zarra, we must come up with something much better. Attaching a half-hearted label to her obviously won’t cut it. In La Zarra’s case, hip hop crosses the line into song. The waltz whisks us away to uncharted lands. The bossa nova ripples under a silver moonlight. La Zarra has an intricate way of mixing genres, of dissolving eras, and of tracing a new path where clichés implode and ultimately disappear. What if she’s the one – La Zarra – who could finally sign the armistice between middle of the road and rap? Between past and present? Between parents and their children? Thirty years ago, rappers were ashamed to speak of song, wary to admit they enjoyed listening to Goldman or Brel. By contrast, singers considered rap to be anti-music, only meant to celebrate the ‘hoods and to shake up the established world order. These two positions were absurd, of course. They sought to oppose one another while they were, in fact, intrinsically linked – and had always been. When listening to La Zarra’s voice, we quickly come to realize that this opposition is no longer relevant. She represents more than the missing link (she would undoubtedly blush at such a compliment, seeing as she prefers instinctive beauty to contemporary narcissism) – she is, rather, the junction. Yes, quite precisely. The junction.
“I never took singing lessons, and never intended to become a singer. I felt it was perhaps a calling, but not my first choice. As a teenager, I wanted to be a professional dancer (laughs). All of this began by mere coincidence. I crossed paths with a composer called Benny Adam. He heard me sing one night and invited me to drop by the studio the next day. And that’s how I found myself writing “Printemps Blanc”. That was in 2016...”
In the age of singers who are anything but talented, in today’s world of discarded artists who get signed based on their number of followers, La Zarra is nothing short of an apparition. An exception. She exudes a modest sense of eagerness that is absolutely admirable. Through her songs, she tells her life story. These songs must not only be heard – they must be listened to attentively in order to truly discover her. In order to explore her music that takes no prisoners, and that invites listeners into a space where there is no room for lies. La Zarra has indeed grasped something crucial: just as in love, you shouldn’t give away all your secrets on the first date. You should keep the mystery alive, and build bridges that, one day, open you up to the world. La Zarra lives her life by proxy through songs that have the ability to heal, to soothe.
When Billie Holiday tears apart reality and dives into the depths of our soul – her songs like strange fruits that hang painfully from their trees – we are left feeling neither fear nor hatred. We rise. We soar. Our tears turn into pearls, and our ghosts into traveling companions. La Zarra has this power within her as well – the ability to overcome pain in order to breathe anew. Music as a cathartic experience. Aristotle was onto something – something very important. Songs are anecdotal. They last but a few minutes, yet have the power to uproot Man from himself. We look to them to write the soundtrack of our lives. They are precious and indelible, like small tattoos.
La Zarra is mainly driven by instinct, much like all other self-taught artists bestowed by some form of grace. It is in 2019 that she chose this name – La Zarra. A name that recalls her roots, that is almost superhero-like. A name that lends to the imagination. It conjures up the image of a lady whose velvety voice enthralls a cabaret audience, on a Parisian night in the 19th century, before she runs down the streets of the capital city on a nocturnal quest for sensational adventures. A lady that could have been brought to life by Hugo’s pen, or by Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintbrush. La Zarra is an enigma. A promise. A signature in phosphorescent ink. When talking to her via video call, her parrot (Chloé) and her cat (one of three feline companions) invite themselves effortlessly into the conversation.
“I admire all these women who, at a time when it wasn’t easy being a woman, managed to stay strong, independent, and to make their presence known. Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe... all these women inspire me. But I can’t see myself going on stage dressed in underwear (laughs). That’s just not me.” La Zara dresses much like the way she sings – with undeniable class and depth. A free woman, a femme fatale... it’s not a choice she needs to make, and she knows it. And that in itself is moving and impressive.
She is currently working on her debut album, scheduled to come out in spring 2021. Several songs have already come together. She admits having written over forty of them. Song selection is already proving to be a challenge, but one she will rise up to. Although the album title is still undecided as of yet, “The Bridge” could be a potential lead. Very fitting. The link between two entities – hip hop and song – which have for far too long given each other the cold shoulder, as she put it, through a disarming smile. La Zarra is both a peacemaker and a pioneer. An old soul and an ever-curious child.
She took her time, not wanting to rush things. Not wanting to trample on anything. She was right in doing so. Now, she is ready. She has something to offer. And expects nothing in return. Well, maybe not nothing... a little love would be nice. Make that a whole lot of love. A connection with the audience. Her audience. The one she – she who has incredibly never walked the stage – awaits almost feverishly. An audience that will come to life when hearing her voice. A bright voice like no other. One that can tear away the darkness that currently seeks to divide us, to swallow us whole.
