Swaying to the Rhythm of her single “I Love You” from her freshmen album Come Out Come Out, Suenzel Washington, better known musically as Suai (pronounced Sway) rocked the teen masses at the Ultimate Prom 2008. Dressed in a trendy-strapless royal blue party dress complimented with gold accessories, her unique sound and easy-going air made it easy to see that the stage was her home. Suai, meaning beautiful in Thai, is the perfect word to describe the experience she and the prom goers were having as she worked the stage. She had an image that any onlooker wouldn’t dare to change. In an interview conducted via email, Suai gives an inside peak into who she is as an Up-and Coming artist and her experiences.
“I’ve definitely felt the pressure to change my image. And I even succumbed to the pressure at the bequest of my label and those working my previous project.” Suai said in regards to her experiences when she was still green in the music industry. She felt that some of the people she worked with tried to change her into the artist that they felt she should be. Being a Black woman in the industry had its difficulties and to continue doing what she loves, Suai constantly reminds herself “I’m here for a reason and that my artistic contributions are just as valid and important as the next person’s.”
Suai is no gimmick, and refers to her self as a “bare-boned” artist. “I’m a self-contained artist. Meaning, I can write a song, produce it and perform it, on my own. I don’t need fire ball explosions and twelve dancers to get my point across to an audience” she said when asked about what set her apart from other female R&B artists. She believes her honest music is what draws in her frans. This term, she affectionately coined by combining friend and fan , because she considers fans,friends as well.
“As I adjusted to the industry and became more sure of the artist I wanted to be, I started to ignore those pressures and ‘do me’ ” She said. After almost 5 years at Universal Motown Records Group, Suai decided to leave Motown. There were no bitter feelings only fond memories. “My time there was an amazing learning experience. I worked with the most talented and well known writers and producers.” Suai said recalling her time at Motown. “I spent one on one time with the president of the label and got a chance to see and experience things that I’m grateful for and will never forget. Lots of wonderful memories were made during my time there.”
Her deal at Motown allowed her to the opportunity to be a part of what she likes to call “epic” projects. One of those projects was President Barack Obama’s Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement album.“I received a signed letter and vinyl album from him and I just stared at the two pieces thinking, ‘OMG, Barack touched this’.” Suai said recalling how much it meant to her.
In early 2009, Suai had the opportunity to tour with two of her favorite artists Solange Knowles, the songstress of the album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams and Estelle who has recently released the single “Freak” from her third album All of Me. “Warming up the stage ,for them every night, was an honor” Suai said about touring with them. It was her first bus tour and first time doing radio promotions at every stop. Suai even mentioned that her dream collaboration would be with Solange Knowles, saying “I’m sure we’d come up with something amazing.”
Hailing from Michigan, Suai recalled a humbling childhood, growing up on the east-side of Detroit. “Detroit made me,who I am and I’m so grateful to my city for that.” she said. Her mother kept her submerged in copious lessons and activities which included cello, piano ,ballet, to keep her mind off of her immediate surroundings. Her many instrument lessons enabled her to gain a diverse background in music which is represented on her album.
Along with her background in music, Suai also finds inspiration in a plethora of artists like Le Roux, Billie Holiday and even Rhianna. With her current project entitled Almost Wrote You a Love Song,which is set to be released this summer, Suai hopes to capture the cohesiveness of Lauryn Hill’s album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. With this album Suai hopes to portray the progression of a relationship, with “Safe” and “Almost Wrote You a Love Song” being her favorites to perform. Suai is more than ready to get her new stuff to the world.
“Black music is evolving. The lines between genres typically dominated by African American’s are blurring and I think that’s a good thing. It promotes creativity!” she replied when asked how she felt about the current state of “black music”. Suai is aware of the exploitation of black women in popular black music, and her views on change are very optimistic, saying “Hopefully, as music continues to evolve, artists will become more socially responsible and begin to celebrate black women.”
Suai’s music can be found at www.Myspace.com/Suai and http://www.almostwroteyoualovesong.com . You can also follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/Suai
