New York-based but Sierra Leone-infused artist YATTA (a.k.a. Yatta Zoker) self-released her debut EP Spirit Said Yes! last November. And although the world knew very little about her at the time of its formal premiere, the video for the track “Desert Song” provided a compelling visual hint as to what Yatta was all about. Filmed in Sierra Leone, the West African nation wasn’t just the backdrop for a cool clip; it was also a huge component of a larger conversation about Yatta herself as an artist. “Don’t need no one to tell me what do,” she remarked, as scenes of parties and independent indulgence interweaved. But — as press from the PTP label (formerly Purple Tape Pedigree) highlighted in its appraisal of Yatta as an “explorer of cultural, emotional, and identity history” through her vibrant yet unpretentious folk efforts — her artistic process seems to be simultaneously asking, “But…who am ‘I’?”
In an attempt to at least take a stab at answering such an impossibly ponderous question, PTP will be reissuing Spirit Said Yes! on cassette March 31. This new reissue will do its best to help fill in some of the” Who is Yatta?” mystery with the addition of two new tracks, one of which is a nearly half-hour-long live recording (so, for those who had their curiosity piqued last year, her live persona is sure to be bit more on display this time around). But for a a few even-more-personal insights, let’s cut to the woman herself:
When I began writing these songs, I was back in the South for my namesake’s funeral. Many of the samples within the EP come from recordings of burial hymnals and conversations that I had during my trip. The making of this album served as heart balm. It was my way of mourning and trying to construct meaning from family. It helped me ground myself in who I am, what I have to offer, what the matriarchs in my family have offered, and who they are guiding me to be after their passing.
Relive “Desert Song“‘s lovely and heartfelt audio-attempts at constructing meaning for yourself down below, and direct your eyes to PTP’s Bandcamp page for ordering info, cuz the cassette’s limited to an edition of 100, and let’s face it: “who are you” not to want one?
Spirit Said Yes! tracklisting:
A1. intro
A2. heart2home
A3. desert song
A4. ain’t misbehavin
A5. your glory
A6. cyborg
A7. ritual
A8. we never went to church
B1. live document - 2.10.2017
More about: Yatta
