Anzzia: Very true. Is your album dedicated to anyone?
Cha Cha: No, it isn't dedicated to anyone. I would dedicate it to myself because I have always wanted to have my own studio. I remember I had in college this friend from Kazakhstan and she was legit from Kazakhstan. She had a CD of her singing and I listened to it, and I was like, “That's so cool! I've always wanted to have my own CD.” I think about that and I'm like, “I still don't have my own CD. How come I still don't have it?” So, I would just feel really accomplished, even if nothing happens with the music. I will still feel accomplished for having completed it. Something that I've always wanted to do. Something that is like a childhood dream of mine. To have like, my own musical CD. My own album that's all my music. That's something that I've always wanted so I would dedicate it to myself. /laughs
Anzzia: That's awesome! You worked hard for it so, yes. Let's circle back around to Bougie. What inspired you to write that track, specifically?
Cha Cha: I think because I talk about having staples in my right hip and stuff like that. I have arthritis. Around that time I knew I was going to need a hip replacement.
Anzzia: Oh, wow.
Cha Cha: So, I was just like, kind of going through the emotions of that. Because I had a lot of surgery on my leg, ever since I was younger because when I was younger I dislocated my hip. I had to get it penned and it just created a snowball effect of leg problems. Something that I've always prided myself on was being able to, after each surgery, get back on my feet. I think this song was a lot about that. About being able to get back on my feet. Having to slow down at times and not tripping about it and getting back up. Just kind of like, I don't know like, boasting a little bit. Telling people not to take my kindness for weakness. Sometimes I shy away from saying like, I'm a strong black woman. Because I feel like people take that in a, almost a negative type of way. As in like, you don't need anybody, you don't need a man. That's not what I'm saying! I wouldn't mind a man helping me out with some things. I'm not like that. I'm a resilient person. I'm very resilient. I've had some very low, low, low,
low, low, dark moments in life and I would say by the grace of God, good family, good friends and I've been able to get out of those situations. But, also it has made me a resilient person over time. I needed people but, at the same time, at the core of who I am, I am a resilient person.
Anzzia: I like it. Do you have an official release date set?
Cha Cha: I don't. /laughs I don't have an official release date. I'm hoping to put it out, you know, mid-July. I don't have a date though, because I might change my mind. /laughs I don't want to give a specific date but, I'm going to say, definitely in July because I want to release it this Summer. Because I have more shows coming up and I want to be able to perform the new music.
Anzzia: So, July of this year we'll say?
Cha Cha: July of this year and I'm going to title the album Bougie off of, you know, the song that really just kind of really starting kicking things off for me even more so than the first song that I released. When I look at my speedy baby 41:18 stats, that one gets the most spin. That's my song about being a resilient person. I want to put that as my album title.
Anzzia: When you do release it, where can we find it and the whole nine yards?
Cha Cha: It will be on everywhere where I am now. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play and I have a music video for Bougie that I shot on June 3rd. I kind of what to release the album with the Bougie music video.
Anzzia: you said that you do live performances and things of that nature. Do you have any specific places that you usually perform?
Cha Cha: I've just been looking for gigs. I just did a thing called Live Art DC, that was on Saturday. My next gig might be the, have you heard of the Raw Artist Shows?
Anzzia: Yeah, I have.
Cha Cha: So, I'm going to do the DC Raw Artist show. After that, I hope to do my own little mini-tour. Do like, New York Raw Artist, Atlanta Raw