I started my musical journey in the late 90s with the Jahringa Reggae Band. Up until that time, I had a phobia about my voice. People always thought I was a man on the phone or teased me because my voice is low and deep. I believed that as a female, I was supposed to have a different or more feminine voice, making me extremely self-conscious. Despite this, many years later I co-founded Jahringa Reggae band with a friend and began writing songs.
I vividly remember asking the sound man at a gig once to turn up my mic because I couldn’t hear myself in the monitors. He replied that I wasn’t singing loud enough into the microphone for him to dial me in. I was surprised because I thought I was singing loudly, but my friends all said they couldn’t hear me. Fear and anxiety controlled me.
Although my family background was in jazz—my great uncle Clifford Brown was a renowned trumpet player—I was drawn to reggae. This shift happened when my best friend returned from Jamaica with Bob Marley’s "Catch a Fire" album. Initially, I was unsure about the sound, but over time, I appreciated its unique message, and catchy riddims which I hadn’t found in jazz or soul music.
This musical influence sparked significant changes in my life. I had stopped straightening my hair and wore a large Afro for many years which, turned into the dread locks I would grow for 40 years! Back then it was huge for a Black woman to stop combing her hair and let it be wild and wooly until the natty dread locks formed. I was Black & Proud sporting my Fro but, this unstylish look actually, brought me inner strength and confidence, not trying to fit in society.
Years later, I had a head full of beautiful locks, became vegetarian, and listened exclusively to reggae music. Reggae’s message of roots and rebellion against oppression inspired me to write and sing my very own redemption songs, focusing on humane development and black identity. Today, reggae remains central to my life because of its compelling message for unity, and its undeniable rhythm.
Check out Sahra Indío Music on YouTube.
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