When a name appeared in the sea of hip-hoppers two years ago Kurgashian behind which he stands Sara Kurgas, she already hinted then that she plans to devote herself more seriously to this genre. With her first song "Sara Tonin", Sara brought refreshment when it comes to the music scene, and she continued with the singles "Halal" and "Cunning". And her part in the track "Anemoi", which brought together Montenegrin rappers, left an impression on the audience, and now Sara's first album is coming.
It is an EP named after the current single "Mudra" which, in addition to the aforementioned, brings four more songs in which the author explores the themes of personal strength, identity and struggle, all through the prism of contemporary social challenges and with a clear message - it is important to remain authentic.
Kurgashian managed to break down prejudices about women in hip-hop, and this is supported by the fact that she is currently the only female rapper in Montenegro who can boast of an EP or an album. However, in an interview with "Vijesti" he reveals that he does not plan to stop, but that "Mudra" will grow into a bigger story not only through new songs, but also through live performances that he expects by the end of the year.
Sara, your first EP is finally on the air, and even though we had female rappers in Montenegro, this is the first album released by a woman involved in hip-hop. Being the first is always a double-edged sword, but how much was the fact that no female rapper has released an album so far a kind of pressure for you?
What is important to point out at the very beginning is that there was no intention to be the first in anything. Of course, before me there are women in Montenegro who initiated the hip hop/rap story, but this is the first time that one of us is packing her works into one meaningful package. That's why during all this time there was no pressure, but it is an honor and a privilege to start a story like this.
The album opens with "Oriental MNE", a track in which you touched on your strength and independence, you even say in one line "I'll create everything myself - independence queen". Nevertheless, you had the help of many collaborators, but do you think that female independence in music and art is more accepted today than it used to be?
There is no help, everything I can do - I do it myself. Co-workers from the Knowhere2Run team are here to listen, support and share their opinion. However, I am completely independent in my part, I even often interfere in their part of the work ("add this to the beat", "amp up that part", "shorten that", "we have to start over", etc.). Honestly, when we talk about acceptance, I can't say how it was before... female artists know that best. I have nothing to complain about today, because at the end of the day I am responsible for all my actions, successes and mistakes. There is room for everyone, it's just a matter of how much space you want for yourself.
It is in this song that you also mention boxer Imana Khelif, who is synonymous with combativeness and strength. How much fight and strength did you need to bring the whole project to the end, and is the real struggle just starting now, because the songs need to reach the audience and stay?
It took a lot of nerves and polishing to come up with the project I have today. Precisely for the sake of getting to know the audience, I included already recorded songs in this playlist. I think that everyone who presents something of their own must present it in the best light, but also make an effort to ensure that their product does not disappear. All the perfectionism invested in this package should be shown, starting from the musical material itself, over the cover and back of the album, and up to the music video. Therefore, now comes exactly that main part: seeing off, but also accepting the reaction of the audience. As much as we strive to create for ourselves and for ourselves, the performer becomes confident in his art or retreats after the collected impressions of the listeners.
Many expected that this EP would also include the track that opened the door to music, "Sarah Tonin". How much has your approach to music and writing changed since that single?
Sometimes we have to put our successes aside in order to gain new experiences. "Sarah Tonin" definitely painted one side of my character as the first track, but every artist wants to show all sides of their complex personality. We are growing day by day, and the song was released two years ago, so I believe I have outgrown it. The goal was not just to list everything that has been published so far, but to arrange the songs in such a way as to create one meaningful story.
Although curses are often found in rappers' songs, there are none in your songs, and you have shown that a story can be told intensively even without them. Do you think they are superfluous to convey the authenticity of the message?
Swear words can show intensity of feeling and definitely reflect some kind of displeasure. Nevertheless, a feeling of satisfaction prevails for me, but also pride when I realize that the age of my audience is from three to 73 years old.
In rap, the fight against the system often comes to the fore, and you yourself pointed out the problems of society through your lyrics. However, everyone sings, nothing changes, but as an artist, and art is also there to warn, do you sometimes think that fighting the system is futile?
Nothing is ever in vain, because every action or inaction affects how a situation will develop further. Of course, a person gets tired of fighting over time, but it is important that there is a source from which to draw inspiration and strength. Support and the feeling that we are not alone is important, because we are part of one society and we have to influence the same. I would like us to understand once and for all that tolerance and respect is the only way to survive. We must speak out loud about every injustice.
A music video was also released for the title single. How will the promotion of "Mudra" continue and do you already have performances scheduled considering that the best audience can relate to the song live?
The idea is to further develop "Mudra" into a larger format album, so there will be more tracks that I want to include in this project. There are indications of a live performance by the end of this year. The audience will be informed about the place and date as soon as possible.
Bonus video:
