Liza Garza

“If we can be brave enough to be truly sincere, then it doesn’t matter what you express or even how you express your ideas, your passions, your pains, or your joys. It transcends words…all this of course with the intention of being in service to the most gracious and to the people. “These words immediately struck a cord.

Rather than acquaint you to Liza Garza as an artist who is not your ordinary superstar possessing qualities you do not have and who wears an “S” on her chest unbeknownst to the oblivious public, I write to present to you a woman who has loved and lost, a woman who is a mother that has the same worries and concerns for her children as all mothers do, and a woman who is guided and grounded by her faith. I will state it again; Liza Garza is not that supposed larger-than-life artist that you cannot identify with. She is truly a woman of the people and as evidenced by her work and this interview, for the people.

Emmy Award-nominated Liza Garza is a rare soul. An HBO Def poet and vocalist, Liza, possesses the uncommon ability to keep listeners captivated while provoking social change and action in the community. You Never Knew Until I Spoke, her first book of poetry, was published in 2005 followed by the release of her debut album ‘BloomBeautiful’ in October 2006.

Gracefully infused with the spirit of hip-hop and a tapestry of poems and ballads reminiscent of Mexican folk tunes, ‘BloomBeautiful’ brilliantly displays Liza’s diversity through song and spoken word. Liza has shared the stage with several respected musicians and luminaries including Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, Amir Sulaiman, and Jill Scott and was a featured poet on HBO’s ‘Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry’.

Possessing a degree in Performance Activism from the University of Michigan, Liza spends the balance of her time speaking on topics related to women, hip-hop and culture at colleges, universities and conferences.

With our time conscious, technology driven society where the few moments of respite you do get are during rush hour, it is a sad truth that those moments are not spent in sincere contemplation of our purpose and legacy here on earth. It seems Liza Garza is conscious of this and strives to bring that equilibrium to her art.

“I’m conscious of what I say in that words are powerful…but my desire is to be pleasing to the most gracious. That God willing my intentions are pure and a means or path to remember the most high. Other than that I can’t say that something else is of greater importance or of any importance at all. If I can be firmly rooted in my faith…then everything else falls away.”

During the course of our exchange, Liza shared her thoughts on her art, motherhood and hip hop in slow measured tones as if the implication of every word was foremost in her mind. Liza is Mexican-American, born and raised in Flint Michigan, a city that still carries the reputation as the murder capital of the US, even with its recent progress and lower crime rates. Growing up in this environment is understandably a factor in her outlook and continually informs her writings, “Regarding influences, I’m severely touched by sincerity, by truth, by reflection and discourse with the self. I witnessed so much being born and raised in Flint and a lot of my writings touch on motherhood and urban life. ”

Music was a staple in the landscape of her childhood and a backdrop for family gatherings. Liza comes from a family of musicians and has always had a fascination with written and oral language.

“From my understanding oral tradition is important to almost every culture, especially for our brown people, people of color. It was the only way to give to the next generation. There is still so much I am discovering about my own family but the music and stories were always a part of my life. It’s a mercy…songs allow certain things to be said that would never have been revealed in everyday conversations. Even the texture of voice while singing speaks to places words could never reach. ”

These constants coupled with her life experience have contributed to creating her unique sound.

“Music has always been in my life-since I was a little girl. It was the reason and the centerpiece of our family gatherings. My mother learned to play guitar by ear and before I was born my father played drums in a band with his father. Although it was a natural way of life, I’m actually the first to make a career of it. It is only the grace of the Most High to allow me this way of life. In addition to this influence I was always amazed with words, sounds, and just the basics of letters and their combination and their magic. This goes back as far as kindergarten. I have very fond memories”.

This foundation made it natural for Liza to find her personal expression in words and sounds not knowing that she would one day share her private thoughts with the world.

“When I think of a specific catalyst it would have to be a desire to express myself in the sincerest way and the encouragement and support of someone one who I trusted enough to share some of my personal writings with who urged “you have to share this” and gradually I did. That person saw something in me that I hadn’t fully seen in myself. It’s always important to have those people around…and always a great blessing.”

As any artist or writer will attest to, expression is not only for the sake of creating, it can be cathartic as well. This makes it that much harder to share your personal testimony to complete strangers and Liza was no exception. Her firm belief that honesty is always well received motivates her to continue sharing her work. “If we can tap into this bare and naked place and share the sincerest part of us…then this resonates with the people…and then we realize how close we really are…and what bonds us”.

Music is full of power and as with anything it can be positive or negative. There are several artists that immediately come to mind that are not maximizing on the potential that music has to do good, nonetheless, that is entirely another article. At its best however, music has the power to unite, evoke emotions that otherwise may not have been allowed release and to articulate sentiments that all people, regardless of background, can find common ground upon. Sam Cooke Change Gonna Come anyone?

Finding a balance is something artists struggle with, especially as of late. The industry is not for the faint of heart and being firmly rooted in yourself and sincere intentions is necessary for survival.

“Regarding balance-as an artist this is one of the many things that I must continually perfect but the answer once again comes back to sincerity because we are only sons and daughters of Adam and we of course must continually make an effort and an intention to purify ourselves but we can not do be so hard with ourselves if we haven’t yet developed a good mastery over ourselves”.

While on the topic of balance, Liza gives her take on the status of Hip Hop and its future.

“I think things are gradually changing for the better in hip-hop…and I think it’s because people are changing. It’s wrong to think that the people don’t want what’s good and pure and beautiful. We were created with this desire, this aspiration to ascend and this shift can only happen organically. We are starting to be more awake as a culture and there is more discussion and more room for artists that fill this void. .I was with a dear sis who is a hip-hop pioneer recently and we were speaking about the current climate of hip-hop. It was beautiful that she pointed out that right now it would almost be impossible for a Lil Kim or Foxy Brown to drop an album and be naked on the cover. The climate doesn’t allow for it and it more then likely wouldn’t be a good decision from a marketing viewpoint. The people just wouldn’t accept it. I have a positive opinion about the movement.”

In keeping mindful of the lessons in struggle and the blessings that surround us everyday through her work, her efforts to stay mindful of all she is grateful for rouse the listener to be mindful as a result. You may have missed out on Liza Garza in ‘07, but don’t sleep on her in ‘08.

For more information head to Lizagarza.com or myspace.com/lizagarza