Keida….. Flow
Stamping her mark of prominence as a member of the emerging contingent of young conscious roots artiste, with hits such as ‘Stand for Something’ and ‘Ganja Tea’, Makeida ‘Keida’ Beckford’s new EP, “Ebb Flow” is definitely a summer record. Keida entered Jamaica’s music scene with more of a dancehall influence, but her love or roots reggae is no secret and is vividly displayed in this her most recent effort. We sat down with her to talk her EP, art, and her love of the ocean.
Well, it’s a seven track EP, it has productions from Rory Stone Love, Royal Order (based in California), Natural High (who just put out their collection Urban Trees), Anju Blaxx, Suns of Dub and others.
Tell us a little about the making, because everybody who decides to make a project or put out a collection of things, has made a decision and has an intention, so tell me a little about that.
The intention of this EP was to focus on doing my roots music, more cultural music, but still have a balance, because I’m…..….. Multi-genre……. (Laughs)….. I like to experiment, when it comes to genres but I always wanted to do more rootsy stuff. When I release my first mixtape “Wickedest Ting” in 2012, that was the intention I had but it didn’t work out that way, so when I did this one I was more focused on that vision and getting it exactly how I wanted it. More cultural, more roots reggae and not just strictly dancehall.
Talk a little about the artwork, it’s very symbolic and to me any piece of art tells a story, so what is the story behind the cover and the album “Ebb and Flow”.
I always try to do my own artwork, unless I’m working with people who have their own thing going. As an artist I always try to merge my music and my artwork, so I had taken a photo that my manager really liked, and he wanted to that to be used as the cover but the resolution was to poor so we tried a shoot to recreate image but it didn’t work out either. So I said you know what, I’ll stick with my original plan and do a painting and I wanted to have more elements of music and water, so that’s why I ended up painting it. But really and truly it was meant to play into the theme of “Ebb and Flow”, the rhythm of the beach, and you know I’m a beach baby ……. (Laughs)….. I grew up by the beach and it’s always been my inspiration and healing and everything.
You still surf?
No I don’t, not anymore, you know surfing is a full time job……. (Laughs)….. “Ebb and Flow” to me, as you know ebb and flow is the rhythm of water to and fro as it washes on the beach, so ebb when it washes in and flow when it washes out.
Oh interesting, I didn’t know that.
You didn’t? …….. (Surprised)….. Well, that’s what it is. To me, because I go to the beach a lot to reflect, it’s one thing I always think of. It come een like life you know what I mean, sometimes you come sometime you go, but it’s always constant. Always come and go, so nuh matter if you down now, you going be up again. In terms of my music, sometimes I’m coming and going, with my style or presence, it’s a back and forth kind of rhythm, so that’s where it stem from.
You ended up touching on my next question earlier in your response so when you do more than one form of creating that are spiritual there are places where they intertwine so speak on that.
Growing up surrounded by art, music too but, there’s no musician in my family, I’m like the first to do music.
So you’re the pioneer?
Yeah. It’s mostly fine art, my parents are artists and so I always had that influence and that passion for art. So when I started doing music, I was studying at Edna, and it just kind of created a balance for me because whenever I’m doing my artwork I have to have music, like it’s almost impossible for me to paint without music. The type of music affects my work and stuff like that so. I’ve just created a balance with it. Sometimes, there is give and take like anything, and you have two things you are passionate about and they take a lot of time and dedication, so I don’t know I just try to strike that balance.
I know that can be difficult, because like you say each form takes time and dedication to master. Which is why it’s interesting to me that you are able strike such a good balance.
Yeah, it’s not easy at all, in fact- Music is my full time, it’s not something you can put on the back burner, you either doing it full time or you not. So my music obviously takes that priority, but in terms of art, it’s something that’s very rhythmic as well. Is not just a jump on one day on demand and just do a painting, or else you’ll have a canvas sitting there for three months and not touch it. Is one of those things that have to naturally flow into the rhythm of your everyday life.
Your final year exhibition at Edna Manley College went pretty well. You re-branded your family business.
Yeah, basically the study I was doing at Edna Manley I had a long break from it, out of school for like three years doing music and focusing on that. So I went back to finish my final year and in doing that you have to do an exhibition. For my exhibition, I chose to rebrand my family company, which is basically a family of artists who do art and art services. We never really had it all under one umbrella and that’s what creating ‘House of Jeshurun’ really facilitated. So I branded it as a design company, offering three lines; a line of miniature benches called ‘Seat Deh’, a line of wall hangers called ‘Hangon’ and a line of driftwood mirrors called ‘Seashore’, as well as fine art. It’s supposed to have the feel of walking into a gallery space but also a workspace.
Photos, Video & Illustration done by THE PHVRVOH
Words by Gladstone Taylor
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