The unexpected is what you get from soul singer Esnavi whose name means “Eclectic, Soulful, Natural, Authentic, Vivacious, and intriguing.” Indeed it’s has been a new “Morning Dew” for Esnavi who lives in New York City but hails from Milwaukee. Although new to the mainstream, Esnavi has been on this journey for years. From musical performances in high school, talent shows or spending times penning songs around local studios, Esnavi has embraced her new found self with confidence, love, strength, passion and determination.
With “Exit E,” a 16 tracks album that she co-wrote with music producer, Michel Kunz, the soul singer has paved the way for herself by electrifying audiences and media critics alike around the world. As her voice and image become more and more recognize by music lovers Esnavi has taken her career to a new level, new day and a new attitude.
Her new project inspired by love and real life experiences will be sure to touch everyone’s lives with “Unexpected Love,” and happiness. What a privilege for a young woman whose music and incomparable talent has been compared to the likes of India.Arie, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill. Fans can rest assure that this new singing sensation has all of the right ingredients to become one of the best voices to watch for and with her second single “Morning Dew” which was released on February, 28 the fun has just begun.
Singersroom: What was your creative inspiration for “Exit E”?
Esnavi: When we started working on the album, pretty much every song was born out of an impromptu session… and each song is sort of taking me to a different place… “Exit E” kind of symbolizes my stop on the music highway and when you listen to [it] you’re taking that ride with me. You are experiencing my musical journey that complies with the 16 songs on the album.
Singersroom: Is there any songs that you wanted on “Exit E” that did not make the cut?
Esnavi: Ironically, every single songs we recorded made it to the album on the last track which is number 16 “Exit E,” there’s a song that kind of play at the end of it just a snippet of it, we just actually recorded that in full for “Morning Dew” my next single… and I am including that song as a bonus track on that single. Because it was part of that album but it wasn’t like you [can] hear the entire song… So every single thing we worked on felt [good] to us and when we felt that OK, this concept [was] complete…
Singersroom: Let’s talk about your second single “Morning Dew”; can you walk us through the birth of that song and the story behind it?
Esnavi: Since everything just sort of a concept [“Morning Dew”] parallels with what I was going through with my life at the time while I was working on “Exit E” and all of the stories, just real life experiences. The first song “Unexpected Love” is about, [me being] in a place, I was not looking for love, I encountered an “Unexpected Love.” And “Morning Dew” was the follow up to that but it also touches a little bit on the spiritual side of just being blessed to wake up every day and see the sun rising; and to know that you’re love and to be in love and to be with someone you love. Just to be able to live in a place of love… every day is a blessing that we are here on earth so “Morning Dew” talks about the feeling that love is inside [all] of us as human beings…
Singersroom: Was there a time in your life when you felt like you didn’t want to be a singer anymore?
Esnavi: Of course, let me bring that up. Because everything I go through, I write about. There’s a song on my album called “Someday,” its number eight and what I was experiencing [was like] I have been out here for some time and I felt like oh my god. I felt like everything that I needed to do to arrive, [was finally] in place. Now I am starting to get a little notoriety, a little bit more buzz and at that time I was just like when this is going to happen, I’ve basically given all of my energy to this music…I am still focused, it [has] driven[ me] to complete this album. When I wrote “Someday” it was like myself therapy… if you listen to the lyrics what I am saying is life is struggles, we gonna go to struggles and strives but we have to believe that what we’re fighting for is worth it and as long as we continue to believe that “Someday” every single thing that we’ve imagined in our lives will happen. It is really an empowering song and that’s a true testimony to my life…. Yes I was at a point where I was like; I am doing the right thing? I had to question myself and I pushed through that.
Singersroom: What keeps you motivated amid the struggles and tribulations?
Esnavi: I don’t do this for money because if I did this for money, I would have given up a long time ago. I have been struggling for years but I am so passionate about it. It is the only thing I see myself doing with my life. That’s why I am so driven about it and I am like if it does not happen by this way it will happen this way. There’s no plan B for me, this is it so my whole mind is like I am going to keep doing it and keep doing until I am in a place, where I am like ok this is actually happening to me.
Singersroom: Is there any singer(s) that you admire at the moment?
Esnavi: There’s so many artists that I admire; I really don’t even know where to start, so many great vocalists, so many great songwriters that have wonderful careers. Right now as far as artists that I would like to work with Robert Glasper of the Roots because I am very versatile as an artist and I am really to dive into a hip-hop fusion if you will.I really like the direction that Robert Glasper musical [has] its touches more of a jazz area and I love Hip hop and the [Roots] they’re big on it…I adore Patty Labelle and Chaka Khan all the greats who are still till this day singing so if there’s someone that I admire to be like it’s one of the legends…
Singersroom: How do you organize your life around your music career?
Esnavi: Fortunately I have a real business side in me so I’ve been raised in organizations. I’ve worked a few jobs that have prepared me for what I am doing now. So I am extremely organized as an artist and as a person in my personal life and due to that it definitely [keeps] me grounded… and still be able to write a song and go recording and rehearse , do all the artistic side of my career in [my] life. Being organized and having that foundation prior to be in the business that I am in now has kept me kind of grounded of putting everything together. It is difficult, like you jungle a lot and I am very involved in all layers of my career. Everything that I do from photo shoots, from the make-up to the fashion , I am very hands on so I approach it like a business and that’s how I am able to stay organized and keep my life together and still wash clothes, cook and clean ….. I m very schedule oriented that’s the only way I can find balance, I have to be structured.
Singersroom: Do you have any advice to new aspiring singers?
Esnavi: I will say to be true to themselves and to be true to who they are. Another reason why I am happy is because I have creative control over what I do, no one’s really telling me what to do. We have opinions but no one saying oh you should sing it like that or oh you should write a song about this or oh you should wear this and that. I am not clouded by others opinions of what I should be, I am very clear of who I am and who I should be and I am able to share that with the world without having someone else trying to make me something that I am not. So to any artists starting off [like I said before] I would say to just be true to themselves … because it’s not about money at the end of the day. Money comes and goes but what’s going to bring you happiness, of course we need money to survive, it’s a tool but your happiness is everything, it’s priceless. There are so many people I know who are well off, millionaires, billionaires but guess what they’re unhappy … So it’s about doing something that you love and doing something that you are passionate about. Every day you wake up, you’re happy knowing that you are doing what you want to do with your life… Do you and the rest will follow.
Singersroom: What are the next steps for Esnavi?
Esnavi: More good music, I expect to continue to write songs, record songs, perform and take my career as far as I can take [it]…
—— By: Interview By Valerie Varasse
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