Rotana Tarabzouni and her voice from within

To do great things, one must always take a chance and bet against all odds to reach greatness. It takes guts, overcoming fears, taking chances, and going to places that one thought they could only visit in their wildest dreams, if it’s that dreamer’s time to shine then it’s time. Life is full of surprises and only the strong willed will prevail and show the world their potential. We all have had dreamt of being something or someone special, but when reality hits, it seems that that dream gets further and further away. It’s not for the lack of trying, life takes over and the path swerves to some place different. But there are those of us who do not give up, they go through numerous obstacles, struggle with the ups and downs of success and failure, overcome anxiety due to external stresses and the list goes on and on. One such strong and very adamant young Saudi has so much passion, excitement and energy in her that she went the extra mile, she took one of the biggest leaps in her young adult life all to fulfill her dream. Rotana Tarabzouni is her name and she’s here to stay.
Rotana is a singer/song writer residing in Los Angeles chasing her dream until it becomes a reality. She’s breaking all the norms and defying Saudi society’s stigma associated with singers. Male Saudi singers are accepted by society whereas female singers are looked down upon and are considered a social pariah by many. The somewhat acceptable job for a singer would be to be a traditional wedding singer, which still isn’t even considered an honorable profession. Naturally these singers would be singing in Arabic, so imagine an aspiring singer in English! That stigma didn’t move her one bit, she still went through with her choice and is following her dreams.
Arab News caught up with Rotana on her latest endeavors and heard her story. It’s clear from the start that Rotana is a very passionate young woman with a bubbly personality, who answers each question comfortably. A nice start to any interview.

How did your dream to become a singer come to be?
As a kid growing up in the 90’s in Alkhobar, I naturally sought after whatever record album was available in stores, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, divas of the era were the most famous of them all and I was hooked. It would usually be just me, myself and my music in my room, that’s how I learned how to sing, but due to lack of singing classes in Saudi Arabia, I wasn’t able to nourish my singing. At the time, I didn’t see it to be a career path or dream or anything, so I did the normal thing, focus on school and hang out with friends. I’m the type of person that would do my best, excel in school and go down the corporate world, and be great at what I did. I was very satisfied with myself and felt comfortable in my society, so singing was pretty much not something I thought seriously about. Until Boston. All it took is one audition and everything I thought about singing singly took a 180 degree turn.

How has that audition changed your whole perspective? Have you had other auditions before?
I have had a few before. I once auditioned for an open audition for the show “Glee” and I did send a video to the Ellen Show while I sang in the bathroom, a bit cliche but it works. So going back to the Boston audition, I had just received my bachelor’s degree and was getting ready to head back to Saudi Arabia to work, so I decided to visit my friends one last time in Boston before I head back. We were driving around one night and I heard that there was an open casting call for a talent agency and with the excitement of that night, I said I’d go the next day.
I didn’t even know what the casting call was for. I woke up at 8 a.m, head to Kinko’s, print out my Facebook profile picture and by 9 am I was in a room with 200 other people, all of them who were professional singers, dancers, actors and actresses with professional head shots and what not, while I show up with my Facebook profile picture. It was actually very funny. I decided to stay and not tether my vibe and once I was called upon, I sang to the talent scout for about 20 minutes. She cried, and it hit me that my voice was the reason this woman was crying! It was the first time I realized that my voice held a kind of passion that moves others’ emotions. That was the most powerful moment for me and an itch developed.

It seems that the itch you’re talking about was the trigger point for a realization of who you were meant to be, a path you were destined to take. Sometimes we are stopped by a blockade that prevents us from seeing the “what would be.” How did you break that blockade and see things clearly?
It seemed at the time that yes, that itch was growing, my curiosity peaked and I started to see signals or signs that were telling me I should be doing this not that. It’s very difficult to explain but they were there. I’ve always heard of the “inner voice” but I never for one heard it because there was simply too much outside noise engulfing me in its chaos. I decided to take time off of work and head to India alone for a month and a half to think things through. After so much thinking, writing and praying, it was unquestionable that I needed to do this, I needed to venture out and find myself as a singer and going back to the States was where I would find “the other me.”

So what came next? It’s a huge leap of faith you took there, a new start in a new city, new people, new scenery. How did your move start off?
I felt a mixture of fear, excitement, a sense of loss since it’s an adventure I’m partaking in, but I literally hit the ground running. I had good intentions and faith yet I would wake up every day scared of what is yet to come. I think because of my good intentions and faith, things started to take shape bit by bit and I was introduced to some very great people who know their way through the music world. I’m very fortunate to have a good circle of friends, and I owe a lot to them for introducing me to three amazing people, Dave Stroud of VocalizeU, Will Wells and Alex Wong. Their talent ranges from singer to writers to producers, vocal coaches and so much more. They each have their own range of talents that helped me understand and grow my singing. I owe them a lot.
Starting a new page and uprooting her life from a place she called home for so many years to a new environment might seem difficult to some. But young Rotana had a dream, something that many do not have the bravery to do so. The move introduced Rotana to the path she would be taking, paving her way into the music world, teaching her how to control her singing voice and recognizing her inner voice, document her thoughts properly in lyrical form and the music in her head started to take shape.

There was a lot of buzz after you released your video singing “Team” from Lorde’s album. What’s your take on all the feedback you’ve received?
I decided to address an issue that has always been headlined in Saudi Arabia — women’s driving. It’s a matter that concerns each and every woman living in the Kingdom, I chose the song and changed a few lyrics and melody to match my message, it’s not just the issue of driving, and it’s the issue of individuality. Individuality is something we lack and we are hungry for it, I felt passionate about the message I was sending. And as for the feedback, I’ve gotten negative and positive feedback but it doesn’t matter really since it’s already out there. I want my voice to be heard, if I can be a voice for a handful of women out there then I’m proud to have done it. Uniting our voices will have a major impact whether it’s now or later down the road, it signifies that we are resilient and tough.
After the release of her video, the world took notice of who this adamant young woman is, she’s been cited by the Huffington Post and the blogosphere lit up with her support to a controversial issue.

Your path is a passionate one; you voice strong issues hidden behind your lyrics. How do you find your voice?
I can pick any issue and pour my emotions on paper, it takes time and energy but both are worthwhile, I sing about love too, I sing and write about anything that moves me and is part of the human experience. My goal is to help people live the most fulfilled human experience they possibly can.

Your music is very thoughtful, full of feelings and emotions? What inspires you?
All the hate and all the love. I feed off that energy, it’s not my place to enforce my ideals onto the lovers and haters, I sense emotion through everyday life experiences and issues I feel that are dear to my heart.

You’ve been called a rebel, an artist, a social stigma, an activist. Who was Rotana then and who is Rotana now?
I am not a rebel, and I don’t try to be. I was an over thinker, a pragmatic and logical woman who went through life as a river flow, I was very reality-based and can describe myself as someone who over analyzes the way I moved through life. I can be named any of these things but I know that all I am is a speaker of emotion, I voice ideas and feelings and if people want to call me any of these, it’s their words not mine. I am a young women that is looking to live true to myself by following my joy and inspiration, and hopefully inspiring others in the process to do the same.
Dreams are infectious, many of Rotana’s followers on her social pages (Instagram: iamrotana, Facebook and Twitter) have been inspired to partake in fulfilling their own dreams and aspirations with the help of her story. She is indeed an inspiring young woman who is taking the world one song at a time. For the haters that are sending her any hate just shows the magnitude of her impact, it takes determination and confidence that is growing in young Rotana as she takes slow and careful steps in fulfilling her dream of becoming a singer. Be inspired, be brave, take that step toward your dream and good things will come. Follow Rotana on instragram for updates on upcoming shows and new music: iamrotana.
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