I got the chance to sit down with Saphirah Jamerson, a local musician and Victoria School alumna. She has been singing and creating music her whole life, but has gotten more serious about it in recent years.

Can you describe your sound for people who have never listened to you?

I love to genre-bend, I don’t feel bound to a sound or genre, but for the most part I have an affinity for neosoul, gospel, as well as house, so that will probably be what people hear the most from me.

Is there a genre you’re interested in getting into?

Saphirah Jamerson, local musician. Photo: The Absurd Collective

I really want to make a completely soulful song that’s really deep in it’s feeling. Something that comes from a more powerful, full-body voice rather than a lighter voice, like a head voice or something like that. [For] my next project, I hope to release something in that realm of evoking feelings of emotion and tenderness with that genre, with that sound. Eventually, I want to create more house but ultimately just keeping going between sounds for sure.

What is your favourite part about the songwriting process?

When you start to feel proud of a song. When you’re creating and it starts to sound good. You start to feel excited like “I can’t wait for people to hear this”. As the sound and the melody starts coming together and you yourself are being stimulated by what you’re trying to do; it evokes something in you. Even though it’s only in it’s beginning stages and there’s still so much time and work to be put in but you’re just like “I want people to hear this tomorrow.” Despite how it may be received, you’re just excited for it to be heard.

What advice do you have for young Black artists in Edmonton?

Just go for it. Putting yourself out there and putting your music out there is a big part of it. It takes time to make music that fully and truly represents yourself and the visions that you have but just start somewhere. Try not to let insecurity stop you from putting your music out there, it needs to be heard. Also, creating a community and connecting with artists in the city because that helps with getting more people listening to your music. When you start supporting another artist, they’ll start supporting you, and you’ll both get on new people’s radar. But still, just make sure you’re putting music out that people can hear.

“ It’s one thing to say you’re making music and it’s another thing for people to actually hear it. ”

Do you have any new content that people should keep an eye out for?

I don’t have an exact timeline with the current restrictions but in the next couple months there will be a few singles or a few tracks I’ll be putting out and I’m really excited for people to hear them. They’re definitely different in content and different even from what I’m doing as a vocalist style, they’re both more tender. But yeah, I’m really excited for people to hear them.