Interview with IMAJ
by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Lamitschka: Who inspires you musically and how deep do your musical roots run?
IMAJ: Some of my favorite artists include Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, Bobbie Gentry, Etta James, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Hank Williams Sr., Charley Pride, you know. My heart is in the golden age. My roots run back to my mother who would listen to Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt while everyone else was jamming to the Funkadelics. The roots also run back to my father. Before he was the 80’s TV icon that everyone today knows as Tubbs from Miami Vice, he was a happy hippie fulfilling his destiny as a broadway singer in the original Hair musical.
Lamitschka: What does it take to be a music icon?
IMAJ: Honesty, simplicity…when your foundation is simply to be true to yourself the longevity of your image is inevitable.
Lamitschka: What can your fans expect to see when they see you in concert?
IMAJ: They can expect the class and glitz and glamour of the golden years of country western, combined with foot stomping and body swaying. I adore the theatre, so for my major performances there’s lots of costume changes and audience participation as well. Together we’ll laugh and sometimes we’ll even cry, either way we always have a fabulous time together!
Lamitschka: Do fans mob you everywhere you go or do they respect your privacy?
IMAJ: I wouldn’t say mob, haha. It’s very humbling to meet so many people from all walks of life who can relate to what you do.
Lamitschka: What hopes and desires do you have?
IMAJ: My desire is to be one of many contributors to world peace through not only my music but through listening…Listening to the humans who walk this Earth, the animals, the environment. I feel that if we take the time to open our arms, our eyes, our hearts to the world around us, the awareness from that will be beneficial to ourselves and each other.
Lamitschka: As an artist, you do so many tasks such as recording, touring, interviews. What do you like best, what’s your favorite activity?
IMAJ: I love it all because every step of the way you connect with people who can relate to you. With recording it’s the engineer who listens to your voice and integrates it through the system, with touring it’s people who take your music to heart and with interviews, such as this, it’s a person who is interested in the discovery. It’s the coming-together that I love most.
Lamitschka: When you get time off, how do you like to relax?
IMAJ: I like to relax outside in nature which is aways very calming. But mostly I just write to get away from it all. I’m currently writing for the sequel to my novel HARLOW which I wrote in my spare time. It’s a trilogy of literary fiction about true love and freedom. The story takes place in 1937 England, in the fictional, posh country side of Mortalis, where a bi-racial girl is
confined to her father’s castle in a labyrinth of secrets, surfaced by the hidden agenda of a global elite. Writing this was a way to get away from the “go! go! go!” lifestyle of the music industry and step into an entirely new world. The novel, HARLOW, is available at Amazon.com worldwide and Barnes & Noble. You can learn more about HARLOW on http://www.harlownovel.com
confined to her father’s castle in a labyrinth of secrets, surfaced by the hidden agenda of a global elite. Writing this was a way to get away from the “go! go! go!” lifestyle of the music industry and step into an entirely new world. The novel, HARLOW, is available at Amazon.com worldwide and Barnes & Noble. You can learn more about HARLOW on http://www.harlownovel.com
Lamitschka: Many European fans travel to the United States to attend several of the music festivals for the opportunity to see so many of their favorite artists, bands and celebrities. Will you be participating and how will the fans be able to find you?
IMAJ: Yes, I will be floating in the CMA Fest Kick-Off Parade on June 6th starting at 11am CT. My CMA Fest performance is June 9 @ 12pm on the Chevrolet Roadhouse Stage. Come on out, we’ll have a blast!
Lamitschka: Is there any place you haven’t played that you would like to?
IMAJ: It’s funny that you mentioned Europeans coming to the states. My team is working on booking me for Europe. I would love to travel there again as I used to with my parents. They were basically gypsies for a long time, living in Italy, Germany, England. The gentleman narrator that formed my audiobook to HARLOW actually lives in England as well.
Lamitschka: Many music fans today get their information about artists online. Do you have your own website and what will fans find there?
IMAJ: Yes. My website is http://www.iamimaj.com – There you can find my tour schedule, music, videos and links to all my social networks where we can become friends. You can also signup via an electronic form to receive my monthly newsletter that updates my fans on activities as I tour