Interview by Christine Thompson

AMFM: You are a filmmaker, an activist, a feminist, and a voice for an opressed gender. Youāre taking on a lot. Ā There are hundreds-no, thousands of years of history. Itās a very difficult thing that youāve chosen to do. So Iām sure youāve faced backlash. What Iād like to know first is why you made the transition to Los Angeles? Ā Itās known for eating itās young, a very tough place.
TAMTAM: Ā Thatās true. Ā But my family is Saudi, and theyāre open-minded. They wanted me and my sisters to see another perspective of the world, and then come back home and bring that with us to see it too.
I went to UC San Diego, and Iāve always wanted to do music since I was eleven years old. Ā In the beginning, my family thought in the beginning I was just going through a phase, or it was just a hobby. Ā They didnāt see it as a career.
I think subconciously Ā I came to California because I knew I wanted to be in Los Angeles after school and pursue music. Ā So I studied economics so that I could do that. I knew that if I studied economics they would be more inclined to let me try what I wanted to do.
So then I moved to L.A. Ā I donāt know why I chose L.A., because when youāre in another part of the world and you think about music…I grew up watching Michael Jackson. Ā He was before my time actually, but I loved him so much even though he was from the 80ās. I really admired him, and all the people I admired seemed to be in L.A.
There are so many musicians in L.A. Ā Itās crazy, Iāve never been in a city where you meet so many musicians, producers, managers. Ā Itās good and bad in that way. Itās great, but on the business side, it can be tricky.
AMFM: Ā Tricky is a good way to put it. Ā Fortunately for you, you met Andrew Cole, heās a good guy. Ā So Andrew produced the song āBlue?ā
TAMTAM: Ā Yes, he and Siren co-produced it and Siren, Andrew and I wrote it.
AMFM: Thereās an overarching theme that comes through your music…and by the way, Iām a mother of an artist, itās not just your culture that doesnāt want kids to be artists, because itās a difficult thing to do. Ā You are a voice, and you will express your opinion, regardless of opposition. I was looking at your other videos on youtube, and the comments seem to be overwhelmingly in support of what you are doing. They are applauding you. Ā There were a few negative comments, and they were of course, men. You have to push through that. How do you mentally prepare yourself to push through knowing that what youāre doing is going to create a little bit of controversy?
TAMTAM: When I see those negative comments, I understand them. Ā I know what kind of mentality itās coming from. I donāt think theyāre right and Iām wrong. Ā Thatās not how I see it all. I just see it that we think in different ways. And itās time for every human being in the world that we live in a world where not everyone is going to agree and think the same way. Ā You canāt start thinking āOh, Iām right and theyāre wrongā – thatās what causes war and hurting other people. Thatās why theyāre writing these negative comments, they think that Iām wrong, and they are right.
So I ignore it, I donāt think that they are wrong, because I know how they grew up. At one point in my life I thought similarly, because I didnāt see the world the way I see it today. Ā You canāt blame someone for growing up the way they did, or believing what they do. I respect their beliefs, but I donāt want them to change their beliefs, because you canāt do that, you canāt tell somebody to believe something else. Ā So I just want them to learn to respect other people.
AMFM: Ā Yes, and your supporters are overwhelmingly positive. Ā Ā The few comments that I saw werenāt positive actually werentā nasty or terrible, which as you know trolls Ā on youtube can be awful – they actually seemed to be respectful. So what youāre trying to do is bridge not just your culture, but a belief system – whoās right and whoās wrong – by using art. Ā Which is what art is actually for in the first place.
So your parents were the ones who decided you should have an alternate view, and to be a world traveler and bring it back. Ā So your friends at home that you grew up with, what do they think about all this?
TAMTAM: Ā They support me. Ā Theyāre always excited to hear new things that Iām putting out. Some of them choose to live a more traditional lifestyle, and mine is so not-traditional for a Saudi woman. Ā I mean, to my face they support me, and I appreciate it. Iāve known so many of them since I was 5 years old.
AMFM: Ā I know that every little drop in the ocean feels so tiny, and yet adds up. Ā What do you hope for your music to do, first of all for the people in your country that are your age, and then what do you hope it does for the rest of us?
TAMTAM: Ā I have to give the example of my song āGender Game,ā some of my friends and family did not want me to put out a video on youtube for a song called āLittle Girl.ā They didnāt want to show my face or my name, so I changed my name to TamTam, and I put out the video blurry. Ā After that happened, I wrote āGender Gameā and again itās because something happened to me. When I was filming that music video, all these women from all over the world, they came up to me and said they really related to that song.
I wrote Ā āI wonāt share my face, I wonāt share my name in this gender game.ā because of something that happened to me. Ā But when I shared the video for āGender Game,ā all these women from different parts of the world – different ages, different races, and they grew up in different places all came to me and said āWow, I really relate to this song.ā
That amazed me. I wrote this because Iām from a more conservative culture, and they didnāt want me…they thought it would be dangerous for me to show so much of myself on youtube, a public place. Ā But then all these other women from other places, including the U.S., which is so liberated and you think people are free to do what they want…thatās when I knew that even though I write my music based on my experiences, other people in the world could relate to it. Ā We all go through similar things. And the degrees to which we go through them are similar but different according to where we grew up.
Someone in Saudi feeling that women donāt have as many rights, is the same degree as someone in the U.S. because they experience similar things. Ā Does that make sense?
<AMFM: Ā Yes, each culture has itās own definition of a womanās place. Ā Youāve probably found out that there are some similar things in America – of course, look at the #metoo movement. Ā Weāre not actually as liberated as weād like. Yes we can vote, yes we can drive,but thereās still some basic things going on between men and women that transcends any culture.Ā Your family is very progressive, no matter what country. Ā They allowed, even encouraged you to travel to different places in the world.
Your voice is amazing, Ā How did you develop your voice?
TAMTAM: Ā When I was 11, I really wanted to pursue music, so Ā I started voice lessons when I was 13, while in boarding school in Switzerland. Ā Then I took a break for three years from ages 15-18, and I was learning guitar instead. Ā When I moved to San Diego and L.A., I was taking voice lessons.
AMFM: Ā Now a personal question, how do your parents feel about it now?
TAMTAM: They support me and theyāre excited, they want to see me succeed. Ā A lot of times, people who are on the outside of the music business or the art world…or any business actually, like for example it takes a long time to be a doctor, years and years school and training. People can be impatient because they donāt see it in that way.
AMFM: Ā Yes, Iāve seen people become impatient with artists because they want a product from you and they want it right now because they need to sell it. Ā What they donāt understand is that what it takes to create something original is very difficult, and not an easy process. Although I know sometimes you can write a song in five minutes, although thatās true, to really refine it and master it takes a long time. Ā Your voice is so beautiful though, and you have a network of people like Andrew, so youāre ahead of the game there.
I did see your music video at the Austin Music Video Awards a few years ago…it was great. Ā Are you going to be coming out with any more music videos, and will you be directing?
TAMTAM: Ā Yes, I am. Ā But no no directing.
AMFM: Ā So letās get back to the bridge youāre providing between cultures. Ā Youāve experienced our culture, and youāre singing to people whoāve not experienced yours. Ā What is it that youād like to bring out about your culture to Americans?
TAMTAM: Ā I want people to see that Saudis are…when somebody thinks of Saudi Arabia they think of one person, and thatās what people think about any country, they just have this one image in their minds. Ā I want to change that. I want people to understand that there are so many people. There are so many perspectives, and there are really open-minded people. The arts are flourishing there, I think now is the time for artists from the Middle East, and itās amazing. Ā I would love for people to see that and have an open mind when they are thinking about Saudis and Saudia Arabia.