"I would like to give an example to someone" Interview with TÄRA
TÄRA arrives in our spaces along Milan’s Navigli, bringing with her an almost meditative calm. We had been wanting to sit down and chat with her for a while, and the interview does not disappoint. Behind the petite and delicate figure of the Italian-Palestinian singer lies a depth of soul that we can glimpse on the surface, just barely touch, but we’re sure holds so much more. You can sense it in her answers, of course, but above all in her music: a mix of R&B and pop with an ancient soul, where Arabic sounds and pop-inspired influences emerge.
Interview with TÄRA, between Mezzaluna and the future
The first question is about what - at the time of our meeting, spoiler alert - was her latest single, titled Mezzaluna. It’s an identity manifesto for anyone who has never felt represented, suspended between two worlds, with a deeply political imprint, but political in terms of identity and society, not parties. "Lina Makoul said: I didn’t choose to have a political life, I am this, and maybe sometimes it’s a privilege for others to see my choices as political. I want to quote these words and say that this is who I am. Representing myself and talking about my experience is the most natural thing there is, it can be the experience of so many people in Italy."
She is, among other things, also an Italian-Palestinian artist, subject to interpretations imposed from the outside but also engaged in a constant effort of self-determination. "At first, it wasn’t easy to accept being something dual, this duality. As a child, it’s not simple, you have to deal with racism, you feel a bit left out, like you don’t fully belong anywhere. Growing up, though, what I’m trying to do is learn to love that duality, not feel like I have to choose one side or the other, but to be both and carry them with pride, represent them with pride. I didn’t see that growing up, I didn’t have that example, so I’d like to be that example for someone."
And this message - of example, of duality, even of resistance - can also and above all be conveyed through music. "Music is resistance, and you can see that in all Palestinian songs that have been passed down orally from family to family. It’s proof of having left something on this earth, a trace of a story, a person, a culture. It goes beyond anything." And if we go deeper into TÄRA’s own music, she tells us: "What comes first in my music, the sound or the message? It depends. Music is also work, so sometimes you try to create something as if you were painting a canvas. Other times you want to explain something, and you can only do it through the search for new words and new sounds. And many times, music comes from a personal need, to express an emotion, like a stream of consciousness. It depends on the specific creative process. I try to bring my own experiences, but also to tell stories I’ve heard, from my family, or feelings I’ve carried growing up, even if I didn’t experience them firsthand. It’s what in genetics is called generational trauma. I like exploring that part of myself, I feel like I can discover so much."
Among her inspirations, one stands out: "Life," the singer says. "I see something artistic in everything, anything can spark an idea, a vision, an inspiration to create something in return." Life that inevitably also passes through social media, for work or pleasure, sometimes blurring the lines. "I love social media, I see so much potential and so much art in it," she says. "So everything you see on my profile is 100% me. I enjoy using them, I enjoy reaching people. I’ve met amazing people, incredible artists, stories to tell that sometimes I’ve told on their behalf, and I’m really happy about that."
This attitude of constant exploration is the common thread of our interview. TÄRA explores life, music, her roots, writing, the past, and even fashion. "I like exploring fashion without a fixed style or labels," she tells us. "Each look communicates something, it connects to a phase I’m going through, even artistically or musically. It’s another voice." And when it comes to makeup, she explains: "My relationship with makeup is just starting now. I’ve never been a big fan, or maybe I just wasn’t good at it, but I’m learning. At the moment, the one thing I can’t go without is moisturizer."
The final question, as always, is about the future. "I’ve been working on a project for a long time, it will close a chapter I started about a year ago. I’m happy to finally share it with everyone. I’m working really hard on every aspect: creative direction, art direction, the concept, the vision, there’s always a part of me in it. It feels like my own project. And then there will be the summer tour." So, a new single? Of course. "It’s a highly anticipated single that has already generated so much warmth and love. I can’t wait to give it to you in what I believe is its best form."
