POWERFUL PRINCESS CHANGES MUSIC FOREVER! This is the headline our feature artist, FLOetic Lara, wants to see in 10 years time. But I figure why wait? This girl is making the right noise in the right places right now. FLOetic Lara was gracious enough to sit down with Lovesexy on a sunny morning to give us an insight into what keeps this Nubian Queen motivated and doing her thing. For the uninitiated, FLOetic Lara is a poet, songstress, and educator, who has amassed a following in the spoken word scene and music circuit. Whilst she may not like to blow her own trumpet, FLO has a regular slot at Smollensky's on the Strand (as well as some of their other branches), has contributed a piece on a soundtrack to a recent British film, and sung privately for none other than her idol Erykah Badu.
When I meet FLO she is exactly as she describes herself "cute, chubby and brown, with a big afro". Look squarely into her brown eyes, however, and you will see this is a woman with both experience and knowledge.
Raised on a variety of music from opera to reggae, hip-hop to jazz, FLO says she loved music from as far back as she can remember. When she was not listening to her mother's latest music purchase, FLO would be quietly reading book after book, acquiring knowledge and escaping. "I loved reading when I was younger, in primary school. In one of my pieces called 'My Story' I mention that I used to sit at break time on the school benches reading my books". However FLO was no geek; growing up in Brixton (right next to Angel Town to be exact), FLO was book smart and street smart, and knew there was a time to study and a time to enjoy life too. Far ahead of her peers educationally at secondary school, and not satisfied with the standard of work being offered to her by teachers, FLO became slightly sidetracked. "In secondary school I was hiding in the playground smoking weed. So there was a slight shift in my life to being 'rebellious' for a period". This alongside issues with teachers led to FLO being expelled from school, but rather than this being a cause for more angst and falling into the trap of disillusionment, FLO started to soar higher.
She started by performing at the Brixton Art Gallery, where she responded to a sign in the window about artistes wanted for an open mic show. She impressed the director of the show, and the rest is history. Ok so that's a lie, FLO worked hard at her craft to get to where she is today. "Yeah I journeyed through that [open mics]. We were out virtually every night going from one open mc to another, and then handing out fliers for our events. Basically going out there to get as much of a feeling for the stage as possible. It wasn't always about getting ourselves 'out there'; I wouldn't say I ever really tried to promote myself in that way. It was just that I love spitting, I love singing, I love coming down to do my thing and that was it." She wowed audiences with her vocal abilities, and heartfelt poetry, and at 17 became a UK Youth Ambassador, allowing her to work with General Colin Powell in Washington DC. From there FLO started working with young people in workshops around London, helping them to release and increase their artistic skills and energy.  Then the unthinkable happened- the creative juices stopped flowing. "Definitely there was a stage when I had major writers block. I became conscious of the fact that there was so many good lyricists, so many good singers I thought "What could I bring to the table?" It was a lot about comparing myself to others, and I came to a point where it clicked one day and I wrote a poem called 'How I Write'. It explores that everyone is an individual and has their own way of writing, and you can touch someone through your style. The poem also explores how I choose to write about certain subjects". FLO's philosophy now is "If you don't like my style of poetry don't pick it up".
FLO is definitely a polished performer, and excels at what she does. She has performed for royalty, students, rich city workers, and at charity events. "I have a lot of different musical styles and things to say. However I understand that when I am at particular venues such as Smollensky's I am there as a singer, so I don't share much of my poetry as it's not the right environment. When I am there I am there as a jazz singer, and it's a dinner jazz entertainment show. Me and the pianist just sit there and play and jam for an hour and a half. I love doing that. At different arenas you will see different parts of me, but it's never that I am trying to put on a different face". There is more to FLO then just a singer that can wow an audience. "You have to understand FLOetic Lara is not just a hard core poetic, or just a jazz singer, or someone who just loves funk. I'm all of those different things. At a particular venue you will get a little touch or taste of all of them, but one may be more extreme than the other". At this stage I thought FLO would burst into Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman... but she didn't.
Just a few months back FLO was the UK representative at the Winter Soul Flex, which hosted two of America's premier soul artists Jaguar Wright and Dwele for a two-night extravaganza. "Headlining with two great artists that I have looked up to was a big thing, and seeing my friends and fans was really nice. I struggled in knowing what to do in my set. I had only 25 minutes, and I wanted to show so much more of me than I did". FLO says she really enjoyed the experience, as she was able to get on stage and sing with Miss Wright herself, a real treat for anyone that was there that night. However FLO explained how she learnt more in the lead up to the performance. "I don't usually do a lot of rehearsals with musicians. If I am at an event, and if there are musicians there we just fling it down. For me a proper musician is someone who is able to flex with another musician that they don't know or have never seen before, and just jam and come up with something sweet. So it was an experience getting a band together and getting them all to rehearse. That was just crazy. It showed what it takes to get a group of musicians together at the same time- it can be quite a big thing."
With all the buzz FLO is getting, I wonder if she could be the next artist labels are vying to sign up as 'UK Urban'. At a time when true music fans are looking to independent recording artists, I asked FLO if she would sign to a major music label? "If I had a contract with a company I would be willing to be within the contract as long as I have a certain amount of creative control. As long as they were willing to accept me as the artist as I am, and the sound I want to bring. At the same time when you are working in a partnership there is give and take, and I know they have been in the game for a long time so they will know more about it. At the same time the game right now is not that great. So much of the music industry right now is rubbish to tell you the truth. No one is saying anything; no one is about the real sound of music. It's about dashing stuff together to you get a beat that sounds ok."
FLO knows her stuff and knows the sound she wants, which means her album will be blazing hot when it does come out. "Trying to record the album or thinking about the album, I went through a stage of 'What way to go?' In that I love live musicians, and I wanted to record the album with a whole band in the studio, but it's very expensive, and it's sometimes not the best way to go. So I had to learn to get myself across on just the instrumental track in the studio, where there is no audience to hype you up, and no energy coming from the crowd. I had to learn sit there and visualize myself and what sound I want to come across on the CD." The working title of the album is Just Let it Flo. "The album is long overdue. It's only the last few months that I have had more of a real understanding of where I want to go with it. I am working on it now, so I am hoping for it to out in the next few months. I want it to be out before my 22nd birthday which is July- it definitely has to be finished by then. I am constantly, constantly thinking about it. I would love for it to be finished and in my hands" And so would your fans love. The album is being recorded totally independently by FLO, but she plans to get a distribution deal which will release her album in major record stores, and not just sold at her gigs.
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