.jpg)
What Dreams Are Made of:
Butterflies and Dragons, Adama's Story
By Linda A. Annan
Published: July 15 , 2007
A neat, chic afro; a distinct accent swirled in tints of British and Nigerian tones and perhaps something else pulsate from her songs. Think pop, but one stroked with waves of jazz and electronica, soul and rock all on one album. Adama Claire Susan Roberts, simply known to fans as Adama excitedly describes Delicate Dragon , her debut album to be released this fall, as her “baby.”
The album's beautifully designed artwork of pink and yellow dragons floating around ornate flowers not only draws you into Roberts' personality, it also primes you for a very fascinating album. “ Delicate Dragon is my emotion about another person and so it's kind of strong and fierce but at the same time it's fragile, vulnerable,” she says with a tint of humor at what she considers to be an interesting way of coming up with an album title.
“It's a stream of consciousness when I'm writing. I tend to listen back to the lyrics after I've written the songs and realize what it is I was writing about,” she says and describes the message of the album: “It's about transformation, kind of letting go of the old, moving to the new and moving through your fears to what you're born to be.”
Born to a Cornish father and Nigerian mother, Roberts grew up in the UK where she was raised by her mother. “It was quite interesting living in London , as a single parent mom from Africa ,” she stresses the “A” in a distinct cadence and continues to say with a laugh, “It was quite hard because I mean, I had like the thickest accent so it was really hard for people to understand me sometimes.”
There is some sort of strength exhibited in her songs in a very realistic and perhaps even empowering manner that gives you a sense of her character—fragile and vulnerable yet strong and fierce like she describes the meaning behind the album title.
As a child, Roberts admits to experiencing the ugliness of racism. “My struggle is quite interesting because I was very secure in my identity. It was never an issue that I was half black and half white but it is interesting to me that it was an issue for other people,” she says. The unpleasantness of such an attitude was something she had to live and struggle with while growing up, but none of that vengeful tone can be heard in her voice as she speaks about her career aspirations.
“My big goal is to take [my music] as far as God would let me take it,” she laughs, “There's no stopping.”
Like many independent artists not yet signed onto major labels, Roberts is diligently weaving her way through the masses. She has collaborated on an album with Tuatara, a Seattle-based instrumental music group, which will be released in September. Roberts co-wrote and performed on three songs for the group's forthcoming album since their four year hiatus. She also recently shot a video for her first single “Show me the Exit” in Israel and is now based in New York where she will be performing shows and promoting her album.
NATURAL HAIR AT THE WORK PLACE
Posted: July 12, 2010
CUT YOUR LOSSES
Posted: June 09, 2010
WHEN TO CALL IT QUITS
Posted: May 21, 2010
SHATTERING THE GLASS CEILING
Posted: Apr. 22, 2010
WISH THERE WERE MORE OF YOU?
Posted: Apr. 5, 2010
NAME ISSUES
Posted: Mar. 25, 2010