JUNO Nominee Anjulie allures fans at Anokhi Gala
Check out MyBindi.com's interview with Anjulie whose hit single "Brand New Chick" has gone platinum in Canada.
Anjulie is “brown like Pepsi” – a rising pop star of South Asian descent. Her hit single “Brand New Chick” has gone platinum in Canada and she has recently been nominated for a Juno award for best dance record of the year. Currently on tour to promote her self-acclaimed album, Anjulie graced Toronto at Anokhi’s anniversary party inside Maro Supper Club. Dressed in unique attire (outfit #1: a bejeweled army top and bottom which she designed herself; outfit #2: a sleek gold unitard) she enthralled fans with a smashing, eclectic performance.
Raised by immigrant parents from Guyana in the Toronto suburb of Oakville, Anjulie was influenced by the multicultural vibes that surrounded her household. The youngest of four siblings, Anjulie landed her first break at age 17. She got an internship at Metalworks recording studio in Toronto where she met Jon Levine, the keyboardist from the Philosopher Kings. The dynamic duo eventually became songwriting partners and wrote tracks for teen pop singer Emma Roberts' debut album, along with the Philosopher Kings' album Castles, both released in 2005. Three years later, Kreesha Turner would have Canadian Top 10 hit with the duo's song "Don't Call Me Baby." In 2009 Anjulie released her own single, "Boom," a teaser for her debut album scheduled for release later that same year.
MyBindi.com’s Ashna Singh caught up with Anjulie on the red carpet at Anokhi’s Gala for some more insight from the artist herself.
Q. What sorts of rituals or preparations do you practice before a performance?
A. I do push-ups. I do 25 push-ups every night…just right before my show just to get me really amped.
Q. Do you do anything just directly before you go on stage?
A. I just kind of dance around like a crazy person with my dancers just to get me hyped.
Q. So a lot of people today would classify your style of music as dance/pop/contemporary. What would you classify it as?
A. I’d say it’s global pop. You know I’ve worked with a lot of producers from all around the world on this record and I really like to use a lot of different influences in my music and it’s pretty eclectic so I’d definitely call it global pop.
Q. Who are your favourite pop stars or music idols?
A. Alanis Morissette, who’s always been a big one for me, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Janet and Madonna…all women.
Q. Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
A. Madonna. I just heard about her new video with Nikki Minaj and M.I.A and I got really jealous.
Q. Would you ever consider pursuing other genres of music? I know your parents are from the West-Indies so perhaps you would be interested in venturing towards Caribbean music.
A. No. I don’t think I would do it justice. I was born and grew up here [Canada]. I don’t think I’d be the best person to do that, really. I’ll leave that up to Shaggy.
Q. What types of challenges, if any, do you face being a woman of colour in the music industry?
A. If I face challenges, I don’t associate them with colour, even if maybe they are. That’s just the type of person that I am. I’ll never assume that someone is judging me based on my skin colour. I was lucky enough to grow up in Canada, which is a really accepting environment and pretty tamed compared to the U.S. and some other countries so I’m grateful for that because I am colour blind.
Q. I’ve noticed you are very active on twitter and find your twitter page very interesting. For example, your twitter bio reads: “brown like pepsi”) How do you think social media has influenced the industry and more specifically, your career path?
A. A lot. I think word of mouth is incredibly powerful and if you knew something that people would respond to, it can go everywhere. It’s something that’s really important to me…to keep in touch with my fans and stuff on facebook and twitter.
Q. Just out of curiosity, do you actually update your professional social networks yourself?
A. Oh yeah, every single message and I always respond. If I see a comment, I respond to it. I don’t let any comment go without a message back.
Q. Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
A. Maybe with a baby and a farm. (laughs) No. Well, I definitely dream big. I really want to conquer America, UK, and Europe and have a world tour. That’s my biggest goal.
Q. What advice do you have for young people who desire to break into the music industry?
A. I think, you know, just keep trying...if it’s something you really want to do. Like I've worked really hard and I’ve had a lot of failures but they didn’t knock me down and I think that’s the secret.
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