interview
play the piano by sneaking into
the vacant music room during
breaks. By the age of 15, the
practice certainly paid off as the
ambitious singer entered and won
Ireland’s prestigious 3FM Song
Contest. Aged 17 she left school
and signed to Jive records,
but it wasn’t until she signed a
later deal with US label Atlantic
records that things would really
start to fall into place.
Let The Truth Be Told
Early 2009 will deliver the fruits
of the four years it took for Laura
to complete her self-penned
debut album, Let The Truth Be
Told. ‘The title felt like a strong,
almost biblical statement,’ she
explains. ‘I don’t co-write,’ Laura
adds. ‘I’m not knocking it, but
I’ve been in those situations and
it’s so formulated. It was great
for me to do that because I really
appreciated the freedom and
the natural approach.’ Although
Soul Singer: Laura’s songs
signed to a label which boasts
depict key moments in her life
some of the biggest chart-topping
names, including T.I. and Estelle,
Laura Izibor
Laura resisted the urge to feature
such artists on her tracks. ‘For my
first record I wanted it to be just
me,’ she says. ‘It’s like when you
The Dublin diva talks to Flavour about
go on a first date, you don’t want
to bring your best friend.’
her debut album Let the Truth Be Told
Each song is enriched with
an authentic and organically
soulful sound depicting moments
L
aura Izibor is, no doubt, Laura recollecting her childhood in Laura’s life. ‘It’s my truth, it’s
a diva in the making. The as a mixed-race girl in Dublin, what I’ve been through,’ she
songstress boasts an ‘but I think it made me better as explains. ‘I’m very spiritual and
impressive CV that makes other a human being – seeing people very in tune with what I feel and
newcomers look lame. Not only for who they are and not for what others do.’ She also has her
has Laura already supported the their colour or race. There are no own sense of style, ‘I wouldn’t
legendary Al Green and James better eyes to see that than by say I’m a trendsetter, but I don’t
Brown, but in 2006 she made someone who is a mixture of two follow what’s in [fashion]. If the
Irish music history by becoming races,’ she affirms. in-colour is purple, I wear red!’
the first unreleased artist ever to
be nominated for a Meteor Irish Discovering her calling The sky’s the limit
Music Award (the equivalent of Laura’s the first to admit that she With several of her tracks already
the Brits), and she has since being doesn’t come from a musical featured on hit US sitcoms
dubbed ‘The soul of Ireland’. background and it wasn’t until her including Grey’s Anatomy, The
‘It’s a real compliment,’ says mid-teens that she discovered Hills and The Nanny Diaries, not
Laura on the comparisons with music and eventually her calling. to mention the gospel-tinged
Alicia Keys. ‘But I don’t take it It took an ordinary drama single Mmm on the soundtrack to
much to heart, because I know I lesson to unleash the former Step Up To The Streets, it seems
have a long, long way to go’ she tomboy’s natural talent when she as though the sky’s the limit for
says modestly. Born and raised was asked to sing Mariah and this talented self-effacing star.
in Dublin, Ireland, Laura certainly
has come a long way, but the
rising star knows better than to “It wasn’t until her mid-teens that Laura
allow the world of celebrity to get
to her head. ‘Back home they’d
discovered music and her real calling”
be like: ‘Just coz you’re famous,
you’re not any better than me!’ Whitney’s 1998 duo, When You She’s not completely ruling
laughs Laura in her thick Irish Believe. ‘Everyone sat quietly and out future collaborations having
accent. Having grown up in a then they were like – Laura that already shared the stage with
tight-knit family helped the was good. I went home and told Angie Stone And The Roots, but
Irish-Nigerian singer grow into my mother, apparently I can sing.’ for now it’s just Laura Izibor – a
ds by Chanel Williams
a beautiful and strong woman. So that’s how a star was born. real diva doing her (own) thang!
or
‘There were times when it was Well, not quite. It took two years
W hard, I’m not going to lie,’ says for Laura to teach herself to MySpace.com/lauraizibor
13
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