Gospel music is adored overseas and one of the genre’s best kept secrets, a London-born artist, is catching the ears of fans on this side of “The Pond”. New Urban Contemporary Gospel Artist Lateefah (pronounced la-TEE-fah) has been embraced by the United Kingdom with her song, “Here I Am”. Flaunting reggae beats and her St. Lucian heritage on the record, “Here I Am” has been a chart-topper on the Reverbnation R&B and Christian/Gospel Charts for St. Lucia. Recently introduced in the States, the single has been welcomed by fans due to the vibrancy of the feel-good song. “Here I Am” has hit the Top 50National Airplay Gospel Chart, monitored by Digital Radio Tracker, in the US.
Receiving airplay in London and other countries, “Here I Am” is a song about total surrender to God. “Initially, when I wrote the song, it was a ballad,” recounts Lateefah. “It wasn’t until I went back home on holiday to St. Lucia that I got in the studio with my producer and we changed the arrangement. We thought it would be great to give the song a Caribbean vibe, something that reminded me of home.” The inspirational message and tropical feel of the track is a perfect complement to the strong and persuasive vocals of the artist.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Lateefah is already putting the finishing touches on the follow-up record, “Love Me Through”. Spreading her musical wings, this song showcases a throwback groove, reminiscent of the days of soul. She is greatly influenced by soul music, but not for the reasons many would think. “For me, soul music is whatever music my soul wants to write,” she shares. “What comes out of me musically is the color of my soul. To me, if what comes out of me sounds classical, it’s still soul music. Music lets me express every side of me.”
Born in London, England, Lateefah comes from St. Lucian and Dominican parentage. She honed her musical skills at the St. Lucia School of Music and the London Centre of Contemporary Music (LCCM), where she received a bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in music production/performance. At an LCCM workshop, she sang background vocals for mainstream artist, George Clinton, known for his work with Parliament Funkadelic. Her live performance experience came as one half of Gospel rap duo One 2 One. She also has backed PP Arnold, known as one of Tina Turner’s “Ikettes”, and shared the stage with Gospel artist Carlene Davis.
Lateefah understands that music has power and she wants to uplift others who have dealt with low self-esteem issues. She says, “Although I have always been gifted with a talent for music, I struggled with low self-esteem. Even though my parents encouraged me to get on stage, there were experiences in my life that made me doubt myself. But my faith helped me. The difference between being born again and not being born again is how you deal with situations. As a Christian, I have my faith in God. That has changed me forever. Now when people see me on stage, they can’t believe I was ever fearful of the stage.”
