Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A) My name is Tuzee, I am a Canadian Gospel (pop, r & b) singer-songwriter, born and raised in Liberia, West Africa. I am a full-time nurse, a mom of two beautiful girls, a wife, survival of civil wars, a daddy’s girl☺ and believer of Christ. Growing up my entire family sang (I’m the fourth of seven) so it was like having a choir at every devotion. I started singing at church at a fairly young age, became a worship leader and lead singer, I also sang in a couple bands. Music was a part of my family, it was fun, joyful and I loved it. When I moved to Canada I continued singing. Music became my go-to, it gave me a voice when I had no words, it somehow connected me to the past, present and future. Music truly is my happy place. So yes, I would say my childhood love for music did impact my musical direction.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Tuzee”?
A) By asking everyone reading this to please follow me…haha☺. I plan to continue to create new music that’s authentic, relatable, and inspiring, do more live performances, concerts, tours, in-person connections, collaborate with other musicians and use professional advertising companies (God willing I will have the funding). You are in for a treat ☺. My music is powerful, life changing, authentic, uplifting, inspiring but also fun and full of the Truth. I guarantee you will come alive when you hear Alive!
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A) I am inspired by a lot of different artists and styles of music but if I had to pick one artist that inspires me right now, I would say CeCe Winans. I find inspiration everywhere and in everything, but I especially love creating from experience.
Q: You were recently nominated for a JUNO Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year. Can you tell us about the story or message behind the nominated album, “Alive”?
A) Alive is my debut album and it’s truly been an honour to see how God is using it. Every time I write, my prayer is that I will inspire, give hope, and give life but I especially prayed this for Alive. Although Alive was inspired by many things, quite a few of the songs on this album were written during the pandemic driven by my desire to give hope especially when all hope seemed lost. I worked as a float nurse during the pandemic and there was so much hopelessness, not just from patients, but from coworkers, fellow Christians, etc. Alive is a reminder that Christ has set us free, we are no longer slaves, because of Christ we can have hope no matter what. My prayer is that anyone listening to Alive will be awakened in spirit and experience a rebirth of hope and life.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A) Inspirational
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Alive”?
A) Yes, absolutely, there were challenges, but God is faithful and what seemed like a roadblock at the time He’s turned into a testimony. Being an indie (unknown) musician is not easy. I remember when I thought of releasing Alive, I had everything calculated, from release date to my budget for the album and my plan for how I was going to raise the funds I needed. I applied for funding but that didn’t work, set up a GoFundMe account which made less than a quarter of what I needed. So, I found myself working a couple jobs and a lot of overtime. Alive release date was moved a couple times etc. I am yet to have a release party for Alive, but I am so grateful by God’s grace and a lot of hard work, Alive is alive!
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A) The message of my music is to give hope, inspire, give life, and help one find their own strength but especially showing and reminding them from whom their strength comes from. Our strength comes from our faith in Christ. As an artist I pray that music will be more than just a song but a lifestyle.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A) Oh, my goodness, this is a tough one, I honestly could think of more than 10 artists I dream to collaborate with. Hmm…I would have to say Whitney Houston!
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A) I would say, go for it, there will be challenges but stick with it and trust God especially
if it’s something He’s called you to do.
If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would
they be?
A) Don’t be too hard on yourself, trust God and enjoy the journey, your experiences
make for great songwriting.
