Tee Slaves is a play on her real name, Tahyira Savanna. Her idea behind the branding of her music directly coincides with her roots. Tahyira has done extensive research on her ancestry, dating back to the 1800s when slavery was first recorded in Trinidad and Tobago. She is a first-generation born American, and her music covers themes found in the neighborhoods she has lived. She went to school in Brownsville, Brooklyn. She went to college in Brookville, New York. The duality of her experiences has led her to become a writer both in journalism and film mediums. She has traveled the world, getting inspired by the music she heard in London disco clubs, to African trap music she learned in Paris, to the reggae dub music of Tobago.
Christina: How would you describe your SwagHer? What makes Tahyira, Tahyira?
Tahyira: My SwagHer is defined by walking as a light in the world. I love bright colors, I speak very loudly, and I love to engage with different types of humans. Originality and creativity makes Tahyira, Tahyira. She doesn’t care about other people’s perceptions of what she says and does. She is fearless, and it shows.
Christina: What inspired you to make this music video?
Tahyira: I made this lyric video because I wrote the song, and I wanted the words to come to life for others to truly grasp my message. The state of my race is under attack, so I painted a picture of what our life would look like if all black Americans were removed. Take us all out, and there’s not much left for whites to be entertained by. We have power, and it’s continually exploited.
Christina: Do you feel your music will help make a change in our community?
Tahyira: I amplify my voice so that others know that it can be done. My music is all about the stories I’m telling melodically. The stories are about our ancestral gifts. I also use my Criminal Justice Masters of Science degree knowledge to drop facts for the youth. Stay out of gangs and stay in school. We’re living in a system designed to hold black people back.
Christina: What motivates you?
Tahyira: Life, really. I have so many thoughts and ideas. I’m a thinker, like an idea-bank, and I believe God made me this way for a purpose. My purpose motivates me. He also gave me the power of manifestation. It’s less about me personally and more about exploring why God put me here and keeps me here.
Christina: If you have multiple projects on your plate, how do you manage them?
Tahyira: I used to be a manager first before I was an artist. You have to keep lists, agendas, and goals no matter what you’re working on. I think your attitude about it is important, so I turn most of my work into fun. If I need to record, I pretend I’m working on a huge project that millions will hear and use that energy. The beauty I find in art is that there are no wrong ways to do it.
Christina: In your bio, it states that you have traced your ancestry back for generations. Can you tell our readers exactly what you found and how that affected you as an artist and writer?
Tahyira: My family is from Trinidad & Tobago, so it was a little easier to trace my tribe back to the Igbo. They were taken from the shores of West Africa but dropped off in what we now consider the West Indies. Those slaves were rebellious and warrior-like. They didn’t listen that well to Massa. My research is still ongoing, and I need to visit libraries in the West Indies to carry on honestly, but it made me feel strong. I am not religious, but I knew there was a deep spiritual realm that existed for us prior to slave ships so I wanted to find out. Orisha is more closely related to the “religion” of my ancestors. As an artist and writer, I need to know the reality of my past to map the destination of my future clearly.
Christina: Do you have anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Tahyira: I think SwagHer is an amazing platform for both men and women of color to find like-mindedness. We are losing a lot of our culture on social media, and its cool to see websites that curate a black family feeling.
Connect with Tahyira below:
Business Website: www.tahyirasavanna.tumblr.com
Instagram:Â @TeeSlaves / @Iletthegoodtimesroll
Facebook: facebook.com/writerdreamweirdo
Spotify: Tee Slaves
