By Jonathan Chubb
By Jonathan Chubb
Morocco World News
London, January 11, 2012
House music’s number one lady has been at the forefront of infamous vocal tunes for years. Following a non-stop tour of all four corners of the globe, Tara McDonald recently landed in Marrakech to perform a concert filled with her number one hits on December 17th, 2011.
Tara McDonald has collaborated in the past few years with the likes of David Guetta, Axwell, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Joey Negro, Mowgli, TV Rock, Nervo, David Vendetta and more – shaping her sweet sound to the masses and building an enviable profile to rival the biggest vocalists on the planet.
This month also sees Tara’s own weekly radio show kick off on globally renowned Radio FG. Tara’s show will be broadcast every Monday – featuring an hour-long episode of exceptional house music introduced by Tara herself. Forthcoming, Tara is looking forward to releasing her first solo singles during the early part of 2012, filming the music video for All Alone (Quentin Mosimann), and releasing new material with Nicky Romero.
Q: It’s good to catch up with you Tara! We saw you perform recently at So Lounge in Marrakech. Tell us about it. How was it for you?
Tara: Such an amazing night, it was the first birthday of the club and so I guess people really wanted to get crazy! It was a hot sweaty night with a really cool crowd…my kind of party.
How did you find the Moroccan audiences and fans?
I love performing in the Middle East and North Africa and its always a pleasure to come back to Marrakech. This was my first time at So Club, but I’m sure it’s not gonna be the last. During “I’m Your Goddess,” a track I made with David Vendetta last year, I pulled up a girl from the audience to dance with me. She told me she’s my biggest fan in Morocco!
Q: How does the style of music in Marrakech differ from that of your London hometown?
Tara: It’s the people that make the night for me as well as great music of course. I do really love the traditional Moroccan music, it’s the strings they use in the Middle East that give it that exotic sound, that’s why I wanted to collaborate on “I’m Your Goddess” with David Vendetta as we were really inspired by the Middle Eastern sounds.
Q: You’re famously known for your hits with David Guetta (Delirious) and Armand Van Helden (My My My). But you’ve been doing some incredible hits more recently. Which ones stand out for you the most this past year?
Tara: I made a new track with David Guetta and Afrojack called “Pandemonium” which was released on FMIF Ibiza mix compilation. This was actually the first track David released after being crowned the world’s number one DJ and it meant a lot to me to work with David again. I signed another track called “Dynamite” with Sidney Samson on Spinnin Records that we co-wrote together. One of the most exciting things about the promotion of this record was making the music video. It was made by the same guys who filmed for Christian Dior and Diesel, so we knew we were in good hands. Also I recorded my first ever duet with French pop star Quentin Mosimann called “All Alone” that will be released on Universal Records this year.
Q: Your recent hit ‘Dynamite’ saw remixes from the likes of producer superstar of the moment Nicky Romero. Will you be working with him again?
Tara: Yes, I hope so! Nicky and I got together in the studio in Amsterdam before Christmas and wrote a new song together, so hopefully this is something that will be released sometime soon this year.
Q: We heard you have just started filming for the Belgian version of the global talent search show The Voice. What’s your role on the show?
Tara: That’s right, I’m an assistant vocal coach with the French pop star Quentin Mosimann on this new show and my role is to help nurture the talented contestants, give them helpful tips from my years of experience and get them ready for their performances on live TV. I actually start filming again tomorrow in Belgium and am really excited about this new challenge!
Q: How has working in television differed from live recording hits in the studio?
Tara: It’s a very different medium and something that I was freaked out about before I started work on the show. I have to speak in French and English and my French is really bad, but I am improving. With live TV you may see me on camera but behind that camera is a room full of busy people and I really feel like part of a team. I have to let go of my urge to control everything and just trust in the process. It’s an amazing opportunity and I’m sure I’m going to learn a lot from this experience.
Q: Your tracks are played non-stop on radio stations across the world. Do you get much chance to be more involved with radio?
Tara: It’s crazy as now I’m on twitter (@TaraMcDonaldTV) and I get to see the amount of stations that are playing my music. I’m also very excited to now have my own show called “Shut Up & Dance” on Radio FG. It’s one of the most amazing dance music radio stations and the biggest in France and Belgium. Everyone from David Guetta, Laidback Luke, Bob Sinclar have their own shows on the station and I’m the only vocalist that has their own show so it’s pretty incredible. My show is every week from 1am – 2am on FG.
Q: I understand you’re embarking this year on a solo career, tell us more about it.
Tara: I’m as excited and nervous, as it feels like all the years of experience I’ve had all have built up to this moment. I will be putting out my first single very soon. It will be at the early part of this year. After a full year of songwriting in 2011, we have now decided on a song, which is such a difficult decision! That’s all I’m gonna tell you for now…I want it to be a surprise!
Q: When you were young, who were your biggest idols musically?
Tara: I love Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury and Prince. All three are incredible singers, artists and entertainers. I love Madonna for her drive, ambition and she has been going strong for so many years.
Q: Do you have any major gigs in the pipeline for 2012?
Tara: I’m really excited to be playing at The Loft in Paris on the 21st of January. It’s an insane club and one of the best places to perform in the city. Check out my tour dates on my Facebook page.
Q: Will you be coming back to perform in Marrakech again?
Tara: Yes, I’m sure I will and I hope to meet many of the readers of this paper at the next one!
Edited by Benjamin Villanti
© Morocco World News
