soul: nurturing your creativity through music with aruba red

Music is a universal language. A life long soundtrack that twists and turns with the memories we create each day. From subtle early morning bird song to the rumbling bass of an atmospheric thunder storm late at night. It connects us not only with each other but to this incredible and ever changing planet. For many years, sound has been used to heal, there to pick us up on the days that seem tough and to form a euphoric backdrop to some of our most treasured achievements.

Aruba Red is a London-based alternative soul artist. Having toured with her musical family, she grew up in studios and wrote poetry from a young age, then went on to become a regular on the London open mic circuit. Her rich tone, signature vibrato and fusion of influences led her to touring with the likes of Maverick Sabre, Ms Dynamite, Plan B and Riz Ahmed. Having recently grown through a very challenging period in her life, she has re-emerged with her most recent EP ‘Shadow Work’. She redefines tragedy and trauma within beautifully evocative creations, fusing the mystical and sensual with her own candid insights into the human psyche. She has channelled her personal journey into the bodies of her work, using music as a form of healing and transformation. In this open and heart felt feature, she shines a light on her journey, offering inspiration and reflection for anyone who may need it.  

Pic: Simon Burlo

“Be blue for him

Be blue for you

Be blue for everything you thought was true

Be blue for everything you thought you had

Be blue for all the things that you crave so bad

BUT

Make sure this Blue is used for painting”

“These are some words taken from my song Blue. I wrote this as a single mama of an eight month old baby, having being severed from being creatively or musically active for quite some time. I was grieving. Grieving the last decade of the toxic relationship and marriage I’d been intertwined in with my manager, as well as grieving the idea of family, for which I had been longing, for an eternity. I was a tangle of emotions, relief, joy, disbelief that I’d been left alone, anger as well as gratitude. It is said that there is a fine line between love and hate and I can certainly vouch for that. I felt so incredibly liberated with my new-found freedom, yet so desperately sad.”  

“My son would turn his little head when he heard the front door to our building, expecting his father to walk in after having been with him every day for the first eight months of his life. He never did and it broke my heart. Even though these were old cycles repeating, for some reason I had fooled myself into thinking things would change. I had been manipulated to stop making music for several years. I had somehow internalised the negative remarks about my talent, or lack of talent. That the hooks in my songs weren’t catchy enough, that I danced weird on stage, that if it was going to happen that it would have done so by now, that I was too old, that I’d been “trying” too long, that my music wasn’t connecting with people. I had forgotten that I had begun writing lyrics, poetry and music as a child for the sheer release of it, for the need to be creative, the necessity of letting my emotions out not for radio play or chart success.

But now I was free. With a young baby and limited support, I wasn’t able to go to open mic nights, festivals or showcases anymore and it was difficult getting together with my musician friends, but I was able to write and this was a blessing. I used the opportunity to get down on paper and in my voice notes all that I’d been feeling. This was my journal, my meditation. Songs were pouring out of me and I was reminded how good it felt just to create with no end goal, simply for the act itself. I also remember reading through old lyrics that had never been used and listening to unreleased demos from years past. It blew my mind!” 

“My subconscious had known for so long how desperate my situation was yet I had been unable to accept the truth or admit the abuse to myself. These old demos told me otherwise. My own music was screaming at me to “GET OUT!” I have believed for a long time that some of the most beautiful art isn’t really created bythe person but that they are merely a conduit, allowing something greater to flow through them. All of the messages I needed were in these songs. 

After a few months, my brother-in-law Marrik Shearer gave me a gift note for a Christmas present, inviting me into his studio to record some songs, in his own words “you need to get back to doing what you love.”From this, my Holy Waters EP was born. A collection of songs delving into recovery from narcissistic abuse, the transformational journey of pregnancy and birth, celebrating the divine feminine and welcoming healthy love. Initially this was just a personal project, an opportunity to document and process all that had happened over the past ten years. But once Holy Waters was complete, I felt the desire to celebrate that I was making music again, to reconnect with my supporters and set these songs free.” 

“Without any industry backing and no real plan, Holy Waters reached number seven in the Best of Soul/RnB chart on iTunes which gave me a huge boost. I realised how much the creative aspect of my spirit was necessary for my very survival. Making this music was essential for my healing. As I progressed on my journey, learning about personality disorders and toxic love addiction, I committed to a two-year co-dependency recovery programme. My life truly transformed. Since making that commitment to taking responsibility for my own happiness, things have continuously become better and better. I practice gratitude and Reiki daily and also work with my shadow side, not allowing my emotions to get lost in the darkness any more, being more vocal and fearless in my need for expression. I certainly used my “blue” for painting and have reaped the plethora of rewards. I signed a publishing deal off the back of Holy Waters and am now in a beautiful relationship with a kind a gentle man who has welcomed my son as his own. 

I would advise anyone going through challenges or significant moments, to get creative. Journal, even if it’s just for five minutes each day, write poetry, sing songs, paint, draw, dance, shout. Creativity is an essential aspect of human nature and we need it to thrive. Practice boundaries with anyone who makes you feel too inhibited to express yourself or dims your shine and give yourself space to be free. You don’t ever have to share what you’ve created with anyone but you may look back in years to come and clearly see all the messages and wisdom that you already held within you, glimmering with hope and the promise of better days.” 

connect with aruba red and find out more…

check out her website and live album ‘Live at St Pancras Church’ out 11th March: www.arubaredmusic.com

buy her music: https://arubared.bandcamp.com/

follow her on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arubaredmusic/