Courtesy of Music at the Intersection
Katarra
Katarra
Singer-songwriter and pianist Katarra describes social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic as “hermit mode.” In the leadup to 2020, she had felt like the universe—or maybe it was God—was pushing her in a certain direction. Katarra, known for her jazzy, soulful sound, was a Kranzberg artist in residence in 2019–2020. She released an album, Cocoa Voyage, in 2019. She performed the Black National Anthem at Mayor Tishaura Jones’ inauguration ceremony. But she’s a self-described introvert, and she felt she couldn’t reveal her true self. “Putting out personal songs to masses of people is something that's extremely vulnerable—especially with the intensity of the emotions I feel,” she says. “I put everything into these songs.” So just like the private retreat of a hermitage, her hermit mode allowed her to sit with her thoughts and feelings, to ask herself, truly, what she most desires and to think about her purpose in life.
Katarra knew that purpose is to create music—she’s known that for a long time—but quarantine let her see the ways she’s been too quiet, or has allowed other people to take her voice. The result of this time spent in hermit mode is two new songs, “Sudden Clouds” and “Loathe a Rose,” that showcase her power and authentic self. And now Katarra will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on September 11 at The Sheldon as part of the music festival Music at the Intersection. Music at the Intersection will showcase more than 60 acts at six different venues throughout Grand Center.
Fans of Katarra appreciate her sound for its mix of influences, and the new tunes are no different. “Loathe a Rose,” a deeper, jazzier song than “Sudden Clouds,” is about letting go of society’s expectations. Katarra hails from Wellston, and the song is meant to call out the systems that she feels repress people born into poverty. She calls these people “lotuses that bloom from mud and roses that grow from concrete.”
Katarra is not only singing about these communities, but also working with them. In addition to performing at Music at the Intersection and recording her two new songs, Katarra is now at Pianos for People, an organization that provides free piano lessons to St. Louisans. The self-taught musician describes the nonprofit as everything she needed as a kid but never got. “I’m near tears every time I work with these people because I see what they're doing for the community,” she says. “I see how they bring in music and the love and appreciation for pianos to children who would never even have a chance to be near a grand piano. Or they are going into these neighborhoods and lifting people's spirits via music. It's a dream job for me.”
As for her Music at the Intersection performance, Katarra says to expect to be emotionally moved in whatever way you need. “My whole thing about performing is putting it all out there, being vulnerable with the things I talk about, singing about things that a lot of people go through but don't really have the confidence…” she pauses. “We're not in the type of world where you can openly talk about mental health and struggles with emotions. I feel like me being just an authentic artist makes me an authentic performer. That's the one thing above all else: If you didn't come to be moved in some kind of way, to hear music that lifts you up, then you're at the wrong show.”
For more on Music at the Intersection, see our Fall Arts Guide.
