Interview: Oleta Adams - Singer, Songwriter and Producer - Page 4

My favorite song off of Let's Stay Here is "Picture You the Way that I Do." What insight can you give me on that particular track?

Have you ever complained about not having something that you wanted? And have you ever talked to your folks about feeling inept in some sort of way? Like you were upset that you didn't have something that somebody else had? Or maybe you're tall and you wanted to be not quite so tall. Or maybe you're short and you wanted to be taller. This or that and the other. Today, the pressure to conform is a pre-conceived idea of what the perfect human being is, They talk about, "Oh wow, so-and-so is gaining weight now. She's getting too big." We never thought of that when I was coming up, you know? My mama was big and I loved it. To me, it meant she could cook. I couldn't even conceive of having a skinny mama. Skinny mama? You got to be kidding! Do you ever think a skinny mama is somebody who can really make a pound cake? [laughing] We just never really thought in terms of size. People are just beautiful and that's what you want to put across to folks. It's that you don't have to be like anybody else. You are already gorgeous the way you are and I'm sorry if you can't see that when you look in the mirror. How many times did your folks tell you, "You know what? You're precious." I've taken about five trips to South Africa. When I step off of that plane, something goes through me. When I look out at all the people, it's just a rainbow of folks. It's so much fun. When I come back to America, I love it, because in America we have so many different cultures and we've all mixed it up together here. I see how beautiful we really are. It's perception and that's what I needed to put across. So that song is also written from God's perception. 

While I was listening to your album, that song really spoke to me. I immediately put the song on repeat and listened to it over and over again. 

I'm so glad. That makes me feel good, because it's meant to let you know that you don't have to measure yourself by anybody else's measuring stick. People try to pressure you into doing that. Have you ever felt whatever line of business you're in, whatever it is you're saying you want to do, a certain portion of your peers will say, "Yeah, well if you're going to be successful, you got to be just like so-and-so." They tell you you can't do it. The truth is you can. I've been told I can't for so many years because I had a low voice when everybody else had a high voice. I sing serious, slow songs when everybody else is jamming and dancing. I like to dance, too. I play the piano when everybody else was standing up and shaking their thing. They tell you what you can't do. But when you're persistent and understand that what you offer is unique, it's up to you to take the chance and say, "I believe in me. I believe that I have something to contribute and I'm staying right here. I'm going to be true to my dream." Stay right here instead of jumping around from one thing to the other. I think about my husband and I. We've never had other jobs except music. I've never been a store clerk or a waitress or a shoe salesman or anything like that. All I've ever done in my life is play music. To this day, I still have people say, "No. What do you really do?" That's my life. I'm very happy that I stayed on the course and remained faithful to it because I have belief in myself. In life, you just have to appreciate where you are. Enjoy the present right now and be very present in this present moment.

Article Author: Clayton Perry

Clayton Perry's mission parallels that of John Hope Franklin, Marcus Garvey and Carter G. Woodson. As the founder of the NUBIANO Project, Perry facilitates the design of projects that give voice to the Black diaspora, empower the Black community, …

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