Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
Born Sami Riffi, in South London. 26-year old Saura, International self-proclaimed hybrid rapper & R&B singer/songwriter of Moroccan, Nigerian and Guyanese descent, learned at an early age that for him, music is everything. Saura was inspired to follow his passion after noticing other people making a living doing what they love and enjoy within the music industry.
Being an independent, self taught, hybrid artist has granted Saura the ability to integrate the best of his talents, without being boxed in. His brand “SweetSavage” highlights the vulnerability of Saura, creating an equilibrium between the extreme polar opposites of light and dark, Saura translates this narrative within his music to demonstrate that every individual has this duality within themselves.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
What sets me apart from everyone else in the industry is the fact that I am exceptionally, intentionally and unapologetically.. ME! I am the rawest version of myself, the most original version that I can possibly be and I will always stay true to this as has been demonstrated both in my musical career and in my personal life.
My DNA is made up of a range of elements; cultural curiosity, independence, positive thought flows, social scepticism, the dare to dream… you name it. I am extremely insightful and confident in my ability to listen, learn and then apply real life situations to my creative process to produce something worth listening to.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
I never had any confidence in becoming a vocal artist. I always used to write songs, rap and sing to myself but never thought I would be good enough to showcase anything in public. I started off as a DJ in in 2015 and slowly realised that it wasn’t enough for me.
My big ‘this is it’ moment came about in 2017 after I won a competition on Instagram which offered me the opportunity to be one of the opening acts for UK MOBO award-winning artists at a festival in Cyprus. I had only been recording songs for a few months and it had led me to the centre stage. I blinked and found myself standing in front of 600 strangers that were eager to listen to what I had to bring. The nerves and thrill of that moment made me understand that I am no longer a ‘bedroom artist’ but an International artist.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
The field of music is one of the most saturated places to work/live in. It is one of the most tiring places to be in. If you really want something, I believe the journey will drain you, but what keeps you going is the little wins along the way, I view these as little deposits of energy to keep me going. I have lost my way so many times (mentally) as an artist due to the questions of ‘is this really even worth it?’, ‘will anyone actually listen to me?’, ‘how do I know i’m not just wasting my time here?’ constantly staring me in the face. This is where optimism and belief in your creativity to just do that performance, just go to the studio, just write that song, just contact that DJ for that chance to get radio play really comes in need.
Growth comes from experience. If you truly love something, you won’t be able to live without it and this is the case with me and music. This is why i welcome challenges whether it be performing in front of a new type of crowd, pushing myself vocally in the studio or anything else relating to the progression of myself within music. The uncomfortable position I find myself in will only serve to teach me how to make the next experience more enjoyable and this is the key to growing.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
I would be interested in connecting with Songwriters as I have come to understand that the music industry works like a revolving door. If there is a formula that works (e.g. a specific songwriter/producer for a specific artist) then it would be silly to not return to them.
Songwriters that really catch my eye and I would love to connect with would be:
Jahaan Sweet
Eric Bellinger
PARTYNEXTDOOR
Drop your social media links.
Beacons.ai: https://beacons.ai/therealsaura
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealsaura/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/therealsaura/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealsaura/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealsaura
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/317M8QD5KzW5a5vn57lo0h?si=KV_iQiGNQZeOLYtyB8xjbw
Music Apple: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/saura/1491686935