How To Break Through: Interview With Singer Ntjam Rosie

 Happy monday readers! Elegancy101 was lucky enough to get some 101 time with Dutch Soul/Jazz sensation Ntjam Rosie! Ntjam Rosie's latest album is called ‘At the back of beyond’ . She has taught herself to play the guitar and developed a bright new uplifting, style. Ntjam Rosie has her own label: Gentle Daze Records  and she has been nominated for the magazine ELLE Personal Style Awards because of her unique personal style. Read the interview below:

Q. Who is Ntjam Rosie exactly (your age, origin, place of birth etc)?
I am 30 years old and I was born in Cameroon, Africa.

Q. How has Africa been your inspiration in your music?I was born in Cameroon Africa and I love my country. I was nine when I came to The Netherlands. I am more European that I am African but my roots will always inspire me. You can see that in my clothes and loads of other things.

 Q. How old were you when you first became interested in singing?
Well in Cameroon singing is a way of life and so is music in general. I always sang in church like everybody else. When I was in Holland, a few people start telling me that I had an interesting voice and that I should take singing lessons. So I did and my voice started to develop on a more serious level.

Q. How did you become a singer? Were you discovered by someone?
In the music school where I had singing lessons I started to improvise and later won a competition that I entered around the age of 14, 15. There was a producer from Germany who picked me up. He started to show me around in the studio and he was trying to sign me but I was too young. And that is how it all started.

Q. Did you always wanted a career in the entertainment?
Yes, absolutely!

Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the music world in The Netherlands or Europe?
The advantage is that I can help people with my music. That is the reason why I want to travel around the world to meet young and old people and inspire them the way I have been inspired with music. I love the way that music is my lifestyle, it is who I am and it is who I believe in. Music is about growth and it is a never ending story. The disadvantage is that you have to give up a lot. Depending on your goals for your music, promoting a record can be EXTREMELY time consuming. Arranging press, keeping track of sales, promoting the album, booking shows - it really is a full time job. You also have to foot the bill! A major label deal may bring a nice advance and even a small indie label is going to pick up many of the costs associated with releasing a record, like PR and pressing. I release everything myself through my own record label (Gentle Daze Records), so the financial burden will be mines alone, and that can be limiting when it comes to accomplishing everything I want to get done. It could also mean facing a mountain of debt if you don't sell as much as you anticipate.

Q. When you started singing, did you ever encounter people who said you wouldn't make it as a singer? How did you overcome that negativity?

I always knew where I was heading with my career.  I’ve always been confident. I must admit that in the tangible world it is difficult to stay positive especially when you start out young because you don’t know who you really are yet. It was difficult for me in the beginning; I struggled with my voice, with the writing, playing instruments. But negativity will always give you a thick skin, because the music industry is though. I would say; what kills you makes you stronger!

Q. How can you break through in the mainstream music world?

Good question, I have no idea! I don’t know because I am not mainstream.

Q. But do you want to be mainstream?

I want to be me! If Ntjam Rosie becomes mainstream or if one of my albums is labeled as that, it will be fine with me. For me it is important to be authentic, to really have my own sound. I always want to have the opportunity to develop my own style, the rest is up to other people who like and buy my album.

Q. What drives you?

I believe in God, so for me God is number one in my life! He gave me the obligation to enjoy this life and to use my talent to share it with people on an emotional and spiritual level. I want people to find my music inspirational. My songs need to inspire you, or make you nostalgic of a wonderful time in your life, it needs to be their for you emotionally and spiritually. I hope I can leave something behind that can help people to get some rest, peace and love and search for their divine life and feed their soul. Having all of this in my mind automatically drives me to reach more people and to never give up.

Q. Who are some of your mentors in the industry, or just successful women you look up to and what advice did they give you?

When I was younger I used to love Erykah Badu and Sade a lot. It meant a lot to me when Erykah told me to study my craft, although I was already doing it, she really gave me an extra boost! Alicia Keys is also someone that I really like. I love the fact that she is inspiring women in her music, that she is doing a lot of charity work and that she plays an instrument. I like artists who are independent and don’t put the emphases on sex all the time. 

Q. Your latest album is titled ‘At the back of beyond’, what made you go with that as a title?
It was used in the movie Black Narcissus and I just loved the saying! ‘At the back of beyond’ means ‘A place difficult to get to’!  Black Narcissus is actually a spiritual movie and I wanted my album to be more spiritual and deep, so I figured that this title would be fitting.

Q. What genre would you say the record is?
The genre is more on the pop side. I love indie pop a genre of alternative rock/jazz music. I wanted to mix that genre in the album with my own soul/jazz sound. 

Q. Did you handle all of the writings by yourself? How does it work?
Yes! Inspiration is a divine thing!  Before I start messing around with chords and melodies, I find it helpful to have an idea of what I want to write about, this helps me stay focused on one subject and stops my song veering off in too many directions. Learning how to write a song is a very individual process so just trust your process and let your creativity flow. There is no right or wrong way of how to write a song so just practice different songwriting techniques and with time, trial and error, you will find your own way of writing songs. For me everything comes naturally, sometimes I dream of a song and then I write it down, it can literally come up anywhere.

Q. If you were deserted on an island and you could only bring three albums, what would they be?
I would bring a Sade album, a Clark Sisters album and a SWV album.

Q. How would you describe your style?

I would describe my style as eclectic.

Q. Where are your favorite places to shop?

I love boutiques like Wendela van Dijk and all the vintage stores.

Q. Do you rather where a weave or your natural hair?

I mix it. I never wear weaves I do braid fake pieces into my hair. If I wear a wig or a fake piece I want it to look natural as in nappy because I love that look. Although nappy hair is like a no no, I always receive compliments from other people.

Q. You know the natural hair craze is taking over right now and a lot of our readers are really into natural hair. Any tips on how you maintain it?
Apply a good moisturizer to the hair and scalp every day, preferably one with natural ingredients. You should apply deep conditioner to your hair, cut the ends once in a while etc.

Q. What qualities do you think makes a girl truly beautiful?

That is definitely inner beauty. You should be nice, patient, friendly, open, and honest to yourself and to the people around you. Always stay true to who you are and respect others who also stay true to themselves. You should have a purpose in life and embrace your opportunities.

Q. What can people expect from Ntjam in the future (where do you see yourself in 10 years)?

I find it a bit difficult to think so far ahead, I always think about what I have done today! But it is important to think about the future. I do want my business to grow; I want to travel more and to have contact with more people around me. I think I want to evolve towards the future like learning new languages, getting married and have children, I want to be a good mother, I want to produce more music and I want to coach young ones and always put God first.

Q. New artists often have a hard time staying true to who they are when they first get into the industry, but you seem to have managed to overcome that. What advice would you have for aspiring artists who are now where you were not too long ago?
It is very important to know what kind of aspiring artist you want to be. Do you want to be an entertainment artist or a spiritual artist? Find out who you are or who you want to be, look in the mirror and study yourself. You should be realistic with yourself, because you can’t dream of something that you cant live up to in reality. The music industry is a though world and if you did not do some personal soul searching the record labels will throw things at you and you will get lost in a minute. 

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