Adi Oasis (aka Adeline), the French-Caribbean powerhouse, has released the second track from her upcoming album “Get it Got it.” She says the purpose of this tune, written as a letter from her younger self to her current self, is to remind us of our aspirations and what we actually desire.
Adi was born and raised in Paris, then relocated to New York to pursue her aspirations, settling in Brooklyn. Her bass playing is nasty, her dancing routines are sensual, and her voice is irresistible, captivating audiences worldwide. She has now toured globally, appearing with such artists as Anderson .Paak, Keyshia Cole, JUNGLE, Gregory Porter, Lee Fields, Big Freeda and more, and has performed at Central Park Summerstage, Afropunk, Funk on the Rocks (Red Rocks) and London Jazz Fest.
“I’ve taken many risks in my life but I still need reminders to not let fear in the way from time to time. This is something we all go through, and I believe it’s the only path towards growth. And turns out, whenever we take a risk for something we truly want, we never regret it.”
Broke Magazine discusses the upcoming album, Adi’s current tune, and goes back to fundamentals to go through her path up to this point.
How did you get into music? Have you always wanted to pursue a musical career?
I come from a musical family. I have 3 older siblings who all sang and my father is from the Caribbean, music is a big part of our culture. I’ve been signing and have been dreaming of making it my profession for as far as I can remember. I always knew that that’s what I wanted to do.
You were born and raised in Paris but now live in New York. Did this relocation affect your music?
Yes it absolutely did. I’ve been in New York for many years and all of my musical experience as an adult was shaped in the city.
My primary goal when I came here was to go to the root of the music I was inspired by to understand it better and not interpret it from afar. I didn’t know I would end up staying so long but today I consider myself a New Yorker.
And do you feel your music still represents your French roots?
I draw inspiration from French lyricism and I think the fact that French is my first language gives me a slightly different approach when it comes to writing.
Musically speaking, I am inspired by music from all over the world. I listen to a lot of music from West and East Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America and more..
All in all, however, I always want to pay homage to African American culture because this is where I get most of my inspiration from. African Americans have been and still are hugely influential worldwide musically. Soul, R&B and Jazz (and all pop genres derivative of the above) wouldn’t exist without them.
Your music is said to channel classic ’70s soul with a blend of jazz and R&B, can you elaborate on this and the sound you create?
My answer probably is going to resemble one of many artists but I don’t think in terms of genres when I’m creating. Sometimes people hear Jazz before I do and hear soul where I hear funk. The 70s is my favourite era in music so I definitely understand why it comes across that way. The sweet spot for me is live instrumentation and groovy bass lines and everything else that falls in between fitting in harmony (figuratively and literally speaking).
And, what inspires your music? Personal memories, art, etc.
Experiences, whether personal or from people around me. My music has gotten even more personal lately. There is so much to share as an immigrant woman of colour living in the world of today.. and I’m learning that the more personal I get, the more relatable it is.
You have just released a new single called ‘Get It Got It’ – it’s an instalment ahead of your album release. What inspired the theme and lyrics of this track?
Get it Got it happened during the time I was announcing my name change. The song talks about going passed your fears to fight for something you want. Let that fear melt and break away from it to free yourself and claim what you truly want. We all go through it at some point for various reasons.
In this song, I recall how fearless my younger self was and it’s like she’s knocking on my door to remind me that I can do anything.
How do you want people to feel when listening to the track?
I want them to bounce their head, then want to play it again, then after they’ve heard the lyrics a couple of times, feel empowered and reminded that they too can be anything they want.
Can you let us into what is to come from your forthcoming album?
My story. And a painting of my musical vision.
How would you like your music to develop, even more, over the next couple of years?
The more music I make, the closer I get to the definition of my own sound. I am continuing on this quest, indefinitely. I want to be fluent in the language of music and continually try to achieve and materialise what’s in my head.
Photography by Kendall Bessent