Interview: Omar
- Posted on October 9, 2007 11:23 AM
- 0 comments
Interview By Katie Spain
Omar finally returned to the musical spotlight in 2006 after five long years, with his highly anticipated album Sing (If you want it). After five years of groundwork, it was obviously going to be an absolute classic – preparation and experimentation being the key ingredient.
Sing (If You Want It) is a funky sounding record, produced partly by Omar’s brother, Scratch Professor. It also features guest appearances from Angie Stone, Common, Estelle, Rodney P, JC Bentley, Canitbe, Ashman and the breath taking Stevie Wonder. If this hasn’t wet your Omar appetite, then we don’t know what will.
As one of England’s highly acclaimed soul musicians, Omar will be joining some of the UK’s finest black performers at The Royal Festival Hall for Celebration Of Life. The Celebration of Life is an annual concert celebrating all the positive elements of Black British culture and the vibrant life force that exists within the community. Omar will headline the concertwith Nate James. It will also feature Paulette Tajah, Zena Edwards, Wayne Clarke, Young Kof, the United Praise Choir and a street dance from Boy Blue. The event will be hosted by actor/comedian Curtis Walker.
If you can’t wait for a slice of Omar action before this, then see what he had to say when we headed down to Soho’s historic Ronnie Scott's to grill him about his album and what is was like to work with Mr Wonder.
First of all Omar, you're back! What have you been up to for the last five years?
I built a studio, I left the label that I was previously on and changed management about three times, I started my own label and I toured – so I have been quite busy!
You have got some really exciting projects coming up – one of which is the album which we will talk about in a little while. What with setting up your own label, free time must not exist for you at the moment?
No, and I am expecting twins in a couple of weeks too!
I knew you were expecting a baby, but I didn’t know you were expecting twins! I know that you have been over to America and the Far East, how did all that go?
Fantastic. America is one of my biggest markets. I just came back from Atlanta, Atlanta, New York and LA are my three biggest markets. It is just great to see fans and stuff. I am still quite underground, so it’s really good to get to a show which is sold out.
What was the crowd like over in the Far East?
That was quite crazy because that was for a Jazz festival. When I first got there, I got out of the airport and there were pictures of me on taxis and bill boards and stuff. I was totally unaware that people knew my music over there and I just flew there to do a set with Incognita. When we sang There Is Nothing Like This, there was about 5000 people singing the song back to me, so I was quite impressed.
Your sixth album, Sing If You Want It, is hailed as one of the funkiest so far. Has it been a long time in the making?
Well, yeah, it has been five years between this album and the last, but, as soon as I got the studio up and running, the tracks kept falling into place. I actually recorded that track that I did with Stevie Wonder back in 2000 and it needed a proper vehicle to get released on. While I was working on the album, Angie Stone was in town. She called came down, the first two songs she heard, she started singing on. We also used Estelle and Rodney P…I was really happy with the final result.
What kind of direction have you gone with this time sound wise?
I just wanted something a bit funkier this time where the beats were stronger. This time I wanted a sound that people could dance to. I tried all kinds of things. My brother is also a producer so I have got him on a couple of tracks which for that harder, edgier beat because he is a hip hop master. But, then I tried something a bit different on a track called It’s So, which was heavily influenced by a guy in the afro beat scene. I went to Notting Hill Carnival and heard all this calypso music coming out; it was then that I decided to mix the two together.
You mentioned your brother, what is it like working with him? Is he your biggest critic?
Well, yeah, we do clash in that respect, but that is the whole point in working with somebody else. He uses the studio 24/7, where as I will work on something, get bored and put it down. He has actually just won a Grammy for working with Damien Marley.
Was music a big part of your life when you were younger or was it something that you found yourself?
Our father was a session drummer in the 60’s and 70’s, my middle brother is a rapper and drummer, my youngest brother plays keys and everything and my sister is a singer as well. I had a kind of formal music training because I studied classical percussion, piano and played in orchestras, brass bands and choirs – I did the whole thing really.
Family affairs for you guys must be a pretty, loud affair?
Yeah, there is always somebody that wants to have a little performance too. I have got some cousins that have just been doing X Factor, five sisters called Chance, they usually come down and do their thing.
Stevie has been a fan of yours for a while. He promised a while ago to write your first number one, not a bad claim to have – do you think it is going to evolve?
It is number one for me! He promised me that in ’92 and in 2000 I got the phone call. I didn’t even believe it was him; I’m not on the phone regularly with Stevie Wonder! He is going ‘yo man, it’s your boy’ and I’m like, ‘who’s that?’ He goes ‘Stevie Wonder’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah right – sing me something!’ The first track we put down was nice, but I wanted something a bit more old school Stevie, so I took him to a friends studio where they were all jamming. He got on the drums and the keyboards and had a good time. The next morning, he called me up and told me that he had another song – two songs in one weekend, fantastic. That is the track which is on the album.
It must be unreal being in the presence of somebody that I assume you looked up to? Was it an over whelming experience or did the music whip you up and get you into it?
It wasn’t too overwhelming because I have met him before but, being in the studio with him was for the first time. I was calling all my friends and telling them to come down to the studio. But, with Stevie, you have got to be really patient because he takes his time over everything. He was supposed to be in the studio at 11, but he didn’t get there till about 5.30. There were about thirty people to start off with, but by the end, there were about five. Once he came, it was well worth the wait.
Do you still wake up enthused by what you do?
Absolutely, especially since I found out that I was going to be a dad. When I found that out, for some reason, I just started writing music and now, I have got album seven ready to go. I enjoy what I do. I don’t have the constraints of chart positions and play lists, I get to experiment with my music and my fans seem to like what I do as well.
You have got a big gig coming up for Celebration of Life at The Royal Albert Hall – what can we expect from that?
It is always lively when I do a set, you have always got to bring a towel because you are going to get sweaty, and it’s just always good fun.
Make sure you catch Omar live in London, it might be another five years before you get the chance again!
The Royal Festival Hall London, 26th Oct 2007 20:00
Neighbourhood London, 27th Oct 2007 20:00
Neighbourhood London, 28th Oct 2007 20:00
Stratford Circus London, 15th Dec 2008 20:00
Jazz Cafe, London 7th Mar 2008 20:00
Jazz Cafe, London 8th Mar 2008 20:00
If you can't make it to see Omar live, then get a copy of Sing (If You Want It) and recreate the Omar vibe in your own house.
If you have a message to leave Omar after you have heard the album, or seen him perform, then be sure to leave a comment here.
Or, you could always watch our interview footage...
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