Tamia

Tamia’s Elektra debut is more than a welcome respite from the cookie cutter fare bouncing off the airwaves these days. It signals the arrival of a superstar. The compelling 12-song disc moves like a series of seductive snapshots, providing tantalizing glimpses into the charismatic artist’s soulful demeanor. Tamia is assisted by a few friends – all superstar talents in their own right. Producers Missy Elliott, Shep Crawford, Dallas Austin and others, hold it down for the beautiful singer/songwriter/actress, enabling her to unleash one of pop music’s most distinctly passionate voices. Tamia’s effortless vocal style is punctuated by an emotive presence that recalls other female superstars.

But make no mistake, this album is all Tamia, from the left-right hook of its opener “Dear John” to the fully-flexed-but-revealing “Stranger In My House,” Tamia’s songs flare between heart wrenching ballads and soon-to-be R&B classics. When asked if the songs reflect any past real life scenes, the affable artist just laughs. “I have a lot of girlfriends who go through a lot of drama. It happens. You have to kiss a few frogs before you get to the prince. I know I did.”

Fairytales might be a good place to start when perusing Tamia’s own story. Born in Windsor, Ontario, she began singing in church at the tender age of six, signing up for vocal lessons by age ten. “Church is always the best place for a young person to start,” she says. “Everyone is so supportive when you’re singing for God. You can make a few mistakes and it’s still all right.”

But it wouldn’t be too long before Tamia started garnering secular fans, as well. She began performing in local theatrical productions, winning over audiences in talent contests throughout Canada. Bigger accolades also appeared on the horizon. In 1993 she was granted an esteemed Canadian broadcasting prize, the YTV Vocal Achievement Award. In 1994 she won the Steve Ross Music Scholarship at the American Academy of Achievement’s Annual Salute to Excellence.

Her big break came when she was featured on Q’s Jook Joint album, with her own solo effort following a few years later. During that time frame, this previously unknown singing sensation received three Grammy nominations: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “You’ve Put A Move On My Heart;” Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocal for “Slow Jams,” which she performed with Babyface and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for her work with Brandy, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan on the single “Missing You” from the Set It Off soundtrack. To top it all off, the amazing Tamia was also nominated for her fourth Grammy in 1999 for her duet with Eric Benet, the #1 “Spend My Life With You,” which they performed on the final episode of Beverly Hills 90210.

Cut to August of last year, when she met Elektra Chairman Sylvia Rhone. The two hit it off and pre-production on her new album began soon after. “Sylvia is the perfect executive for a singer like me,” says Tamia. “She’s so supportive and knows what it’s like to go the distance in this business.”

It was Sylvia who recommended she hook up with Missy. The two stars became fast friends. “She has such a great work ethic, it’s contagious,” says Tamia. “I was nervous in the beginning but she made me feel right at home. I loved working with her.” The two completed five songs together, including “Long Distance Love” and “Can’t Go For That,” which caroms off of a tasty sample of the Hall & Oates classic. Tamia also penned “Tell Me Who” with Shep Crawford on the new disc. “It was exciting being able to write with him,” she says. “One day he brought in this cut with these little beat drops. I loved it so much we sat down and wrote the lyrics in an hour. The whole process was like magic. We recorded it that day. Everybody fell so in love with it, we used that original demo on the final album.”

It’s exactly that kind of spontaneity that Tamia inspires. “She’s fearless in many ways,” says Missy. “And she’s as dedicated as they come. She was a joy to work with.”

Tamia had no problem spreading that joy onto the grooves. She points out, however, that working with such accomplished producers was more than an inspiration to her. “It’s like when you’re working with Shep, every song he pulls out of his bag is so good. I was like ‘I want that one, and I want that one, and I want that one.’ Producers like him make you want to be better.”

When Tamia is asked if she has any specific goals for her Elektra debut, she reflects thoughtfully. “You can’t control some things. So I only worried about what I could control-my vocals and the quality of the songs. When I got to the studio I just let it go.”