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Unfortunately, Uika had neglected to remember our scheduled interview. The talented musician was deeply immersed in her work at the studio. “I was completely lost in my music,” she admits, after her manager reminded her and she finally joined our video call from the Dominican Republic. “Please forgive me.”
Can you tell me about her current project? “It’s quite intricate,” she replies, the sound of a ceiling fan spinning above us. “During the pandemic, it became overwhelming for me. I felt isolated and fearful. So my way of coping was to escape – I know it may sound crazy. But I decided to create an exoplanet.” She is currently producing 13- to 15-minute compositions that combine her musings with music influenced by her imaginary planet.
Sometimes, Buika has been compared to famous singers like Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday, and Édith Piaf. She has worked with a variety of musicians such as Santana, Seal, Pat Metheny, and Anoushka Shankar. Additionally, she serves as a judge on the singing competition show Operación Triunfo, which is broadcast in 33 Latin American countries through Amazon Prime. Talking to the 51-year-old is like traveling through space: she is unrestricted and spiritual, comfortable discussing both her personal life and her music. Every honest statement is followed by a loud laugh that comes from deep within her. However, it can be difficult to define who she truly is.
Is she still residing in Miami, I wonder? “I have a little secret to share with you, my brother,” she reveals. “If you spread love, you will always feel at home no matter where you go in the world!” From what I can gather, she is currently in Punta Cana, with plans to visit London during her world tour. She reminisces about the city, recalling “lots of chilly weather and lots of love”.
At the conclusion of each tour, Buika would traditionally get a new tattoo, but she has limited space remaining. Instead, she now says, “My heart and mind are my tattoo canvas.” On her arm, she has two butterflies to symbolize her flight which, like the butterfly, takes her in all directions before ultimately finding the right path.
She is difficult to classify when it comes to music genre. The self-taught performer, known as the “singer from everywhere” (New York Times), who can only sing with raw emotions according to Pedro Almodóvar, has explored a variety of genres including flamenco, Spanish copla, jazz, pop, rumba, R&B, and soul since her first solo album in 2005. However, she doesn’t like to analyze herself and avoids psychoanalysis. As a free-spirited and free-flowing musician, she believes that she can fit into any type of music from around the world, whether it’s from Russia, England, America, or Africa, because her voice can sound good in any language.
Buika is currently in her happy place, if you remove the intrusion of this journalist from the equation. The singer, who regards herself an introvert, is never more content than when sitting alone in her studio, naked, smoking and drinking mezcal. “I got to be honest, yes, I do sir. Every time I can.” She tells me she has never voted because she wants “to agree with everybody. I don’t really understand about right or left or red or blue. If a politician finds the time to talk about love and donkeys, I like them.”
Her producer of many years, Javier Limón, has characterized her in a somewhat conflicting manner, as both “an extraterrestrial” and “the most free woman on the planet”. Buika states, “I envision myself as I am. I unlocked my extraordinary abilities upon reaching the age of 50. They give me immense and powerful sensations of independence.” What did she have fear of before? “Oh, everything. That’s what we’ve been taught: to fear not having money, to fear not being in love.”
Traveling is a family affair. Buika’s son, Joel, who is 24 years old, serves as her production manager. Her boyfriend, with whom she recently reconnected in Spain, is her musical director. They first met when he was 16 and would come to watch her band perform on weekends. Initially, she saw him as a young boy who would order orange juice and milk in a blues club. However, after 20 years, she ran into him on the street and was pleasantly surprised by how he had grown up. She recalls, “I couldn’t help but think, ‘Wow, you look good. How old are you now?’ And he replied, ‘Old enough to make you happy.’ He just captured my heart.” She jokes, “My man is actually 10 years younger than me. But at my age, the dating pool is not exactly full of great options!”
Buika grew up in Palma de Mallorca, where she was part of the only black family in the area. She was deeply influenced by the music of flamenco, Gypsy, and African folk songs. Her father, a pro-democracy politician from Equatorial Guinea, left the family when she was only nine years old. As a teenager, Buika describes herself as a rebellious and free-spirited person. She recalls going on stage barefoot, chewing gum, and not wearing a bra. She also admits to making up stories in order to avoid dealing with her pain. However, when she first heard the applause from the audience, she felt saved. The audience gave her a sense of purpose and the possibility of becoming someone. Buika is forever grateful to them for everything she has achieved.
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Buika, a celebrated flamenco fusion artist, holds a Latin Grammy and has been nominated twice for a US Grammy. Along with her musical accomplishments, she has also published two books of poetry and appeared as a wedding singer in Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In. The artist shares a connection with her “naughty” hard-drinking, chain-smoking grandmother, who she shared a first name with, Concha. However, professionally she chooses to go by her last name.
Did Concha also sing? “Yes! My entire family sings. We are part of a small tribe known as the Bubis. Unlike in Europe where stories are written down, African tribes share their history through music.”
She began her career as a Tina Turner impersonator in Las Vegas while raising a young child. However, she eventually developed her own distinct and soulful voice. When asked about her thoughts on someone impersonating her today, she responds with a raspy laugh, saying she would probably go crazy. She acknowledges that being herself is not easy, but it’s a fun experience.
Source: theguardian.com
