Divine Essence is a poet, performer and creator who first came to the attention of the house community through her incredibly well-received collaboration with Osunlade on ‘My Reflection’. The record went on to become one of the Yoruba producer’s best-recognised songs, and introduced Divine to a whole new appreciative audience.
Seeing the potential in her poems, Defected’s founder Simon Dunmore approached her about releasing an accapella album of her poetry. Divine agreed, and the album – ‘The Bigger Picture’ was released earlier this month. Here, we speak to Divine about hooking up with Osunlade, her eclectic Encore project, and how she blends her art so successfully with house music.
When did you start writing and performing poetry?
In my home growing up I wrote a lot of notes and always felt more comfortable writing my feelings down rather than verbally expressing them because I was very shy. When I started writing poetry at the age of 12 I found a more creative way to say what I felt and eventually I began sharing my work at the age of 17.
How did you come to work with Osunlade on ‘My Reflection’?
I connected with Osunlade through a friend of mine, Santos. When I spoke with Osunlade about the track and what type of feel he was looking for I started writing a piece for it. When I finally went on to Youtube to hear it and saw how many versions there are I was like, REALLY? I feel totally humbled by it. I'm glad the people enjoy it.
Why do you think that house music and your poetry seem to work so well together?
When Defected came to me with the Franky Rizardo track ‘Time’, I didn't know if my poetry would work because the track was so fast. I said to myself, I can't write to this..but then I thought, wait a minute, a soul created this music so there has to be a voice in this track somewhere. After listening to it a few times it started to talk to me. So, I think my poetry works because I strive to find the voice in the music.
You used to work at a major Bank… why did you decide to leave that profession?
I left because corporate schedules conflict with my time with my children and limit my ability to create. I own a business as well and my time was needed there. I am not built for corporate. I don't do well in confined environments. I am a creator and I don't like to feel stifled or trapped.
Tell us about your current project Encore and what that entails…
Encore has been a vision of mine for years. After getting up the nerve to perform my work on stage in front of an audience I eventually started hosting open mic poetry nights but venues would request these kinds of art forms and then take them away if they didn't bring in enough money. The people need consistency and when events come and go like this you lose the people. So I said to myself, I will not host another open mic unless I owned the venue. So, once I got into position to do the research and invest in my vision I went for it. Encore is my performance arts venue. It’s a multi-purpose space where I am able to loc hair (dreads, twists), conduct my workshops and host various events throughout the month. I also rent the space out to the community for intimate gatherings, meetings, etc. It really is a beautiful space.
With so much production possibilities in music, do you think it’s important that the simple spoken word still finds a way to be heard?
I am big on listening to the words of a song before I enjoy the music that surrounds it. House music for example can be very inspiring. Aside from the fast paced music, the words, the few words that are called out in between that music can be very inspiring. I always find my way of pulling out the words from music in order to relate to the entire production. For me, it has to make sense. It’s not just one or the other. The entire package has to make sense. It has to blend the right way for me. The instruments, the sounds that make music should be created to carry the words and vice versa. So, yes, it is very important.
A lot of your poems seem to be very spiritual in nature…how important is religion and spirituality in your life and art?
I grew up in a home that didn't talk about God. We didn't pray at dinner time and we didn't go to church. So by the time I was a teenager I felt lost with no foundation to stand on when I needed my questions answered; questions about life, love, war, peace. I was an avid reader in my teen years and I loved reading about philosophy, self-help, Greek myths and psychology. I was reading these books striving to understand how the world worked. I was in NY at the time and I was blessed to have a mentor who introduced me to the culture of Islam. I immediately felt like I had found my nature. I learned so much about proper diet, my history. I learned about my power as a woman, a mother. I found answers to my questions and I no longer felt lost. It wasn't until I was introduced to the culture of Islam that i finally found my SELF.
I am not a religious person. I am a spiritual being who has been blessed with the gift to write poetry and uplift the people. When I first started writing I didn't consult with God because I didn't know who God was and still IS. It wasn't until I found my SELF that now before I begin to write a piece I have prayer time because I know that all of this is bigger than me and I know that the people are listening. My art and my life are one. I have a hard time separating the two.
What other projects are you currently working on?
I am preparing for my first gallery showing in July. I have been into photography since my oldest son was born, he just turned 14. Now for the first time I am showing my work to the community and some of my works will be up for sale. I keep everything updated on my website www.divineforlife.org in case anyone wants to follow my work. I am continually thankful for the opportunity to share my work with another part of the world. I am also very thankful for those who take the time to listen and support.
The Bigger Picture is out now – buy from Beatport
