Zariya is the type of classically trained artist that makes being really cool, beautiful and talented look easy. The artist expresses herself in a variety of ways that have all earned her merits in the arts. The Los Angeles based actress, poet, and singer/songwriter has performed at esteemed venues such as the Library of Congress, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Women in the World Summit at Lincoln Center. Her musings have been published in NiiJournal and Nasi Mag, as well as the brand new anthology, Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World, alongside writers Roxane Gay and Mindy Kaling.
Today we premiere Zariya’s latest piece in her catalog of brilliance and chat with her about her music ventures.
How did you get into music?
Both of my parents love music, so it was always around me. I would sing in plays and at school when I was a kid, but I wasn’t pursuing it professionally, I just really enjoyed it. It wasn’t until I was maybe 15 that I actually started to make my own songs, just as an outlet. The writing came first. I’ve been writing poetry since I was young–– I was always so shy and I found a lot of power in words. Its just grown from there.
Who is “Too Bad” inspired by?
For a while I was really in love with a boy that treated me like shit, to put it plainly –– there’s a lot of different feelings tied up in something like that, but its mostly about learning to not be so masochistic and just let go of the things that aren’t good for me.
What is coming up next for you?
I’m in the planning stages for another video right now that I’m really excited about.
What was the experience like working on this video?
Really sweet. It was a small crew, about 6 people and we just shot all night in this old motel. It was a lot of fun. Music is usually a pretty solitary thing for me so it was cool collaborating to create the visual. Especially because we had an all-female crew, that was really important to me. There was just great energy on set the whole time.
Who are your music and visual muses right now?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Fugees lately. I really love serpent with feet though. He’s a big inspiration for me right now, just in terms of how honest he is with his lyricism and how fearless he is with his image.
ZARIYA – TOO BAD (Official Music Video) from Natalie Fält on Vimeo.
CONNECT WITH ZARIYA:
SOUNDCLOUD/ INSTAGRAM // VIDEOS
DIRECTED BY NATALIE FÄLT
PRODUCED BY WOMEN AND FILM
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ANISSA AMALIA
EDITOR NATALIE FÄLT
COLORIST CAITLIN DIAZ
MAKEUP AUTRY HAYDON WILSON
COSTUME DESIGN AUTUMN RANDOLF
GAFFER HANNA RADJAWANE
SECOND AC ABBEY SACKS
