The life of a bi-racial Caribbean woman is often filled with compelling contradictions and misconceptions. It’s immensely frustrating; when people credit everything that’s endearing about you, to the color of your skin. Zia Benjamin abhors myopic, traditional thinking and she uses her art as a weapon to destroy these stereotypes. Despite the edgy, ‘rude gyal’ persona she embodies, Zia Benjamin is a product of love. Her life story reflects the power of Jamaican music and the power of love; from her conception, to her fascinating experience being raised on the idyllic island.
The multiculturalism embedded in Zia’s family background is effortlessly reflected in her music. She is mixed, Black, White and Kalinago (Caribbean Indigenous), and was born in Jamaica, to a German mother and Dominican father but she is 100% a yaadie. Her eclectic sound fuses roots reggae, jazz and cinematic soul in increments of pure perfection. Zia Benjamin has been compared to many international singers but in my immodest opinion, she is truly incomparable. Jamaican music has rarely cultivated an artist as uniquely poised and culturally aware as Zia Benjamin. The amalgamation of her social disappointments, personal loss, passion and relationship challenges, blend seamlessly into her sound which she terms ‘Rum Shop Blues’
“The rum shop is a place that I always thought was interesting. It’s a communal space that is so magical and profound beyond what it seems. People go there to breeze off dem head, listen to different genres of music and have passionate discussions.” If you understand Jamaican culture, you understand the emblematic significance of the rum shop. It’s more than a place full of drunkards consuming alcohol but it’s a therapeutic space. Some of the most profound conversations about the socio-cultural and socio-economic state of Jamaica happen in rum shops.
Jamaica hosts the second highest number of churches in the world, only second to the Vatican and Zia jokingly drew this interesting parallel by asserting that “Jamaica is special because we have a ton of rum shop and a ton of churches and they both provide ‘spirits lol’ Rum shops are usually found in lower income and rural areas communitties but no matter where you are in Jamaica, a rum shop is close by. Being the culturally authentic woman that she is, Zia understands all these nuances associated with the ‘rum shop’ hence why she wanted to channel into her music.
“I kept on getting asked what’s my sound and I found it difficult to describe in words because it is really this mix of Jazz bar and Rum bar, sultry sensual, introspective, edgy and commentative. I began thinking about where my inspiration came from and I would think of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe at The Mocambo. Jazz bars are one of the spaces that inspire me, then I would think about the mystique and texture of a Jamaican rum bar, the sense of sanctuary that these spaces provide and I thought it would be amazing if someone fused those ideas artistically.”
Even though Zia is a martyr for meritocracy; she definitely isn’t naïve that her physical transcendence, adds a striking dimension of appeal to her creative pursuits. Her glabrous, bronze skin and gorgeous eyes. She is 100% Jamaican but her refined stylistic sensibilities, may very well draw influence from her Eurocentric background. Zia’s taste in fashion just as pristine and pure, as her taste in music and visuals. Undoubtedly these are factors that have contributed to her marketability, yet still Zia’s magnetic beauty is the least interesting component of her intriguing existence.
Her artistic pursuits also include film and TV production, in addition to journalism. Zia has produced noteworthy television shows in Jamaica such as Business Access and Mission Catwalk. Her directorial and production background has given her the unique capacity to direct her own music videos and she deems herself a D.I.Y artist. Principled, poetic and purposeful! – Zia Benjamin is equipped to represent Caribbean Culture in a more holistic and consummate way, and there is a refreshing yet fierce intellectual side to her that cannot be denied. .
