By Michael Mondezie
From the time you hear that unmistakable “mmm, mmm”, you know the dance tun-up. Lady Lava (Keisha Harris) has the hit song of the Caribbean “summer” with her zess-fuelled ladies anthem “Ring Finger”.
You can’t walk ten steps without hearing the Aaron Duncan-produced track, which features on his popular Single Riddim. Lady Lava’s Trini update to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” blares from bars, cars and houses alike. She sings:
Ah sure ah outside with meh girls dis summer
Yuh doh have a ring then yuh doh have a mister
Hands up, leh me see yuh finger
Up up, leh me see yuh finger
On Thursday, Kitcharee found the Cunupia-born singer beaming with gratitude for the widespread love her music is receiving.
“I feel happy and thankful for the success that I am experiencing because creating a song that resonates with the masses is a dream of any artiste. ‘Ring Finger’ has become a favourite not only for women but men also, which is great because sometimes we see songs being favourites for one gender but it’s not the case for me.”
She revealed, however, her initial intent was to support an upcoming producer rather than create a hit when she agreed to be a part of Duncan’s riddim project. Duncan’s own 2024 hit “Single” featuring UK travel vlogger Zoë Reeve, also rides the riddim.
“When Aaron pitched the riddim to me I felt that it had potential, but more so I wanted to support his efforts as a young creative who is trying to navigate the industry. When I sat with the music I was able to come up with the final product that is being enjoyed now and the rest is history,” she shared.
Zess music can be empowering
Creating a zess song that empowers women, proves that positive themes can be communicated through the genre in a way that still connects with the audience. Zess, the lighthearted, fun counterpart to Trinibad music, has been criticised for its glorification of crime and objectification of women.
But for Lava, the music has never been about violence or degrading women. She believes its connection to the everyday T&T experience is what has made the music so popular among youth.
“Music is an extension of reality and zess/steam for me has always been about having a great time, while discussing real scenarios. Looking back, the word “empowerment” was not in my mind but in retrospect that’s what I was thinking. I was thinking about creating a song that had a great storyline and one that they can own and sing out to. When I was done creating it, I felt strongly about it and I am happy to hear and see women describing it as their anthem,” she said.
All of Lava’s music is deeply personal, drawing from her own life or stories shared by family and friends. The Carapichaima Senior Comprehensive graduate, surprisingly, grew up in a strict religious household and first discovered her voice in church.
“My first mentor at a young age was from church and she was a writer and poet who allowed me to read her work before being published, this was how I discovered my first love: poetry. I started to love expressing my thoughts through writing and started doing poems as well.”
Lava later began pairing her poetry with dancehall beats after discovering former Jamaican dancehall legend Lady Saw (Marion Hall). She recalls memorising Saw’s lyrics and performing them atop beating desks in the classroom.
“After school I started to write music with some of my old schoolmates under the name Queen Freak. From then to now I have developed my craft and skill into what it is today.
At a time I wrote a lot of reggae and used to be around a lot of Rastafarians and they would always use the word ‘Lava’ when referring to me and my music. The Queen Freak is pretty much explanatory right? If you listen to some of my lyrical content in the zess/steam genre it would make sense,” she chuckled.
Create music you would be proud of
Lava’s advice to budding entertainers is to make music that resonates with them personally. As she has done throughout her thriving career, she chose to block out the critics and focus on creating a sound that best reflects her true self. “I really do not have time to address the naysayers but my message to the youngsters is to create music that they are proud of and music that is a clear representation of them. I would encourage anyone entering the industry to work on perfecting their craft and learning the industry. It’s important to keep working at it even when things get tough because I believe that eventually the sacrifices and hard work will pay off,” she said.
As for her next step, Lava is excited about expanding her brand. She recently became the first local female artiste to sign an official brand ambassador deal with a regional tonic wine company.
“I am always creating, so new music is on the horizon. The music video for ‘Ring Finger’ is coming soon. I am looking forward to more travel and other exciting opportunities,” Lava concluded.
