On Prosperity with Ëda Diaz
Produced by Sergio C. Muñoz at Intelatin, LLC for ZZK Culture. Fifth in Series.
This interview was produced by Sergio C. Muñoz at Intelatin, LLC. It is distributed by ZZK Culture. Special thanks to Wil Dog of Ozomatli and to PBS Studios (KLCS) for their pilot feature on our effort for the financial wellness of musicians. AMA: sergio@zzkrecords.com
Ëda Diaz
Author’s Note: I received the EPK for this artist from my friend, Duncan Ballantyne. I spun the album several times and became entranced with the track, Tutandé. I interviewed Ëda and walked away thinking about one aspect of her story in particular: To be a young Franco-Colombian woman in Paris that neither rents nor owns. Rather, she was more focused on the distance to culture for a musician to benefit from all of the opportunities and privileges that exist. Ëda tells me her ideas about prosperity in the interview that follows.
Sergio: Please describe your childhood home?
My father was Colombian from Medellín. He immigrated to France when he was young because he had ideas about Colombia that were too open at the time. Medellín was very conservative at the time. In the 80s, he went back to Colombia and I was born shortly thereafter in the Pyrenees and then a few years after that, my mother and I went to live on the outskirts of Paris when I was six years old.
In what I remember as my childhood home, it was an orange skyscraper tower and we were on the fourteenth floor. It was popular housing that was built in the 70s for a wave of immigrants from Algiers that came to work in France. It was very mixed with people from Africa first and then Asia next. We had a piano in the apartment. This was the place where I found some stability that I was craving after having moved a lot as a child. I lived there from 12 until 18 but my mother stayed there until I was 27 years old.
Sergio: When did you begin to fantasize about prosperity and did you tie your vision to an image of a home?
I went to a school that was outside of my barrio. It was a public school that was set up for international students. My educational focus was very much built up around my background with the Spanish language. I traveled annually to Colombia to be with my father’s family. Even though I was in Paris and I was learning French, it felt like Spanish was my primary language. I felt privileged to be going to this school and there was a lot of social stratification at the school that was not present in our apartment tower. When I would visit homes from some of my classmates, I noticed a big difference between the homes where some lived in one bedroom lofts and some had a lot of space. I also noticed the distance that it took to get to the homes. Even though my barrio was not privileged, I felt privileged just because of my association with the school. Still, its important to note that when I made my way to Paris, like the real Paris, and yes I did have thoughts of what it might be like to live in a big spacious apartment in the real Paris but even then, it was not in the 16th barrio where it was very luxurious, it was just in the Paris that was near to all the cultural hotspots. To make it even more complicated, when I went back to Colombia, my privilege shot up tremendously. It was such a contrast! In Colombia, we had a lot of space and big houses and fincas and wealth. It was alarming for me to see how much space we had because I wasn’t used to space in Paris. It is important to note that this wealth didn’t necessarily come from my nuclear family but rather it was because of aunts that married well. We also had a wealthy circle of friends. I remember the heat, nature, the lack of having to live through winter. Colombia was a dream for me. I did fantasize for quite some time to live my life in Colombia but abandoning Paris at a time when my musical career was beginning to take off. The resources for music in Paris and Medellín just aren’t the same. In France, the arts in general and music in particular, have a strong support system. Still, I graduated from the university with a degree in urban planning but music was my passion. I felt very supported to start my career in music while I lived there.
Sergio: Given your physical attributes, did your family ever push you to marry well?
On my Colombian side, there was talk about boyfriends, marrying, having children and I think being financially successful, a push to be very successful. To make a lot of money. On my French side, I did not feel those pressures.
Sergio: When did your music career begin?
When I was 18 years old. I play contrabajo and the piano and I also sing. When I was 25 years old, I began to record professionally. In 2017, I produced my own first EP with Anthony Winzenrieth. There was a concert hall in my barrio and I received support to produce and perform my music with funds from the City Council. I also won a talent contest at the time which came with a scholarship. My real name is Eleonore Diaz Arbelaez but I record under the name Ëda Diaz.
Sergio: What does your home look like present-day?
Today, I live in an apartment inside Paris that is typical of nineteenth century architecture on the roads that lead to Montmatre. The building is grey. The streets are cobblestone. It is a one room apartment. I am not the owner and I do not rent. It is owned by a companion of mine.
Sergio: Is there a connection between your former fantasy and your current reality?
There is an immense difference between Ëda at 12 and Ëda at 32. Still, we both love music. We both are curious and always questioning life. We are both very social. We both love connecting with people around us. When I was young, I was anxious for stability but in my life present-day, I found a career in music that the younger version of me never dreamed possible. I found a confidence in myself that I never knew existed. I came to understand and appreciate my talents. It used to be a nightmare to perform Mozart on the piano in front of four people. Now, it is a thrill to perform in concert in front of 2,000 people in France but I am still at an early stage as an artist. I long for the days when my fanbase can transfer over to Latin America. Since I sing mostly in Spanish, it would make sense to travel with my music to Spanish langauge destinations.
Sergio: Can you tell me about your song, Tutandé?
Tutandé is a mantra but its made up word in my imagination. I had an ilusión sonora. There was a woman on the metro that was singing in a language that I did not understand but what I heard was Tutandé. I was moved to write a song about being a part of two worlds and unifying them. I based my song on traditional songs that were sung at christmas time. I explored and experimented with synthesizers to create the sound. I produced it with Anthony. We layered a lot of stems to create that sound. When I perform this song live, we play as a quartet and I play the contrabajo and I sing. There is a fun call and response section of the song.
Sergio: I feel that your music and your presence and the Tutandé video are very immersed in the world of fashion.
Yes. My mother worked for Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Louboutin. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression that she worked at the same level as those designers. She was a worker but the product that she would work on was very high fashion like the red sole heels. I grew up with those references to haute couture. My mother was very sensible when it came to fashion and clothing. When she was with Louboutin, she was one of 20 employees and now there are over 1,000. I myself have never modeled but I do like to see the process of manufacturing shoes, clothes and hats. My mom has been working for herself for the last three years making shoes.
Sergio: How many places have you performed your music?
Ten countries. In 2024, I will spend some time traveling the world but my focal destinations are in France and England. I think I will also get to Colombia this year.
Sergio: It didn’t seem to me like you think much about your personal economics?
I do not want to be a business owner or a property owner at this stage of my life. I do want to have a space of my own, be it small or large. The most important thing for me right now is to be able to move freely and having a home feels like it would limit my freedom to a certain extent. Paris is a tough place. There is no nature, there is no space. But there is lots and lots of culture. At this stage of my life, I still want drink up that culture and I’m not invested in my own comfort just yet.