We recently connected with Truvi and have shared our conversation below.

Truvi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My mom and I have been besties since she brought me onto this earth up till today. I was her only child and she had very badly wanted a daughter to play dolls and paint nails with. No matter how much she tried to persuade me to be, I definitely wasn’t that. But honestly, my divergence from what she thought I would be never made her draw back any of her love for me. She always encouraged me to be exactly who I am, no matter how weird or silly I chose to be. She built a shield around me from others’ opinions by always telling me that I was smart, beautiful, talented, and good-hearted. When other people would tell me otherwise it would bounce right off my shield – if the person I loved the most thought I was so amazing, then I was sure I was. I had a deaf ear to it and I grew up blissfully being my most authentic self. I think this gave me the courage to make really honest music, that I pour my actual feelings and experiences into. I’m not afraid of what people might think – I lean into what feels right when making my music because that’s how I was raised to be. My upbringing also gave me the courage to pursue music as a career. Growing up, my mom always reminded and assured me that I excelled at anything I put my mind to, and whenever I have doubts about my career I draw back on that foundational self trust my mom instilled in me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a singer and songwriter from Kingston, Jamaica. My music is part of a new wave of creative works coming out of the Caribbean that’s heavily influenced by our heritage but ties in other international influences. The Caribbean is thought of as a melting pot of cultures, so I think it’s fitting, as a Caribbean person, to mix an array of different genres into my music. I draw from R&B, Afrobeats, Reggae, Dancehall, Neo-Soul, and Pop primarily.

I have always been a singer – I was singing before I could speak. I started writing songs when I was 14, just to let out my angsty teenage girlie emotions. It felt amazing to create something, so I kept doing it. Now it’s all I want to do professionally. I moved to New York from Jamaica last year and I’ve been blessed with a number of performance opportunities, one of which was opening for Dancehall legend Sister Nancy. Now I’m excited to release my first EP on November 17th. I plan to release many more songs and projects in the future and keep riding this music wave till it kicks me off haha.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Since seriously pursuing music I realized my innate attraction to it has dwindeled because I’ve been so focused on the business aspect of it. I wouldn’t say I want to unlearn what I’ve learned about the industry, but I want to go back to thinking of making music as something I do for myself. I want to unlearn the idea that I have to make music that will appeal to the masses. From all that I have gathered in my study of the industry, making music that is purely an expression of you is just as sure a path to success as making music that is purely meant to be catchy.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The feeling of creating. The feeling of seeing something that was just an idea turn into something real, that you and others can enjoy. There is no better feeling than making a song and having people tell me that it made them feel something. I’ve been blessed to receive encouragement from so many people, including other artists that I have looked up to since I was young. It also just feels good to chase a dream – to do what you said you would and surprise yourself with your progress.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.goofytruvi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truvi.music/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/juli_truvi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@truvimusic
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1N8Iu7UNyNLPkpzdXClOvj?si=YCwS4n0_REW7EMH8EFafaw
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/truvimusic

Image Credits
Rakeem Burrell Destinee Condison Asia Chung