“I think Spain is the perfect place for my music”

A very young Brittani Washington learned that the star Beyoncé was hearing to include women in her band. As a musician formed in several instruments, especially bass and drums, he presented himself to the casting in the city of Houston. He reached the final in New York and was on tour with her for six years. «At first I thought it was a joke, but I gave everything. I was so nervous that the night I went to Times Square and bought a small keyboard, just to remember that I really knew how to touch and calm my nerves. It was six incredible years of tour, which changed my life completely. I met a lot of incredible people and traveled to places that I never imagined I would see, ”recalls Brittani, who now lives in Spain, where they work to fulfill a dream: succeed with his own musical project.

He was 20 years old when he went on tour with Beyoncé, who “was like a second mother.” It was not allowed to drink alcohol or companions in the dressing rooms. “I think I just took a tequila drink throughout the tour with it!” Then he worked with other American figures. He was a drummer of rapper Ceelo Green another six years and acted with the singers Alicia Keys, Patti Labelle, Erykah Badu and the R&B group in Vogue.

After those years in gigantic scenarios and television programs, it is committed to a more “intimate” show, called ‘The Present Time’, with a band of Spanish musicians. «I feel completely responsible for the wave, energy and message: live the moment, feed the soul with music, joy and healing.

Great night

The project was already tested against the public of Madrid, on one night in the tempo room that was extended until four in the morning. After his concert, ‘Saturday Late Night Jam’ began, an improvisation session of Funk and Soul with musician Taki Tekyurt as master of ceremonies, in which Brittani stayed, passing from the keyboards to the battery and song, reviving that spirit of the ancient jazz bars. «It was different from any other concert you have done. I wasn’t even sure if someone would come, but when I arrived there was already a queue outside. After all the great awards deliveries in which I have participated, that night gave me something new ».

Brittani came to Spain as “the next perfect chapter” of a love story, with wedding plans in autumn, to “chase our dreams and drink good wine along the way.” «I feel that I belong to this place. Spain is teaching me patience, humility already grow out of my comfort zone. I’m gaining weight and I love it! ”He exclaims. «I love tap water, it’s incredible, and every Sunday my new Spanish family makes Paella. But, above all, I love the acceptance that people here have, regardless of your origin or race. I think Spain is the perfect place for my music ».

Adrenaline and stillness

-Your childhood passed in an ecclesiastical choir, like other great soul singers?

-I thought of music in the church of a small town called Port Arthur, in Texas. My parents were shepherds of the Christ Temple Church, and it was there that I fell completely in love with music and instruments. I started touching the piano in the church at age six and, since we did not have a good sound system, I learned from a young age to project the voice. That helped me overcome scenic fear from a young age. I have never taken music classes. He has always lived in my heart.

-Of the celebrities you worked with, which one did you contribute more?

-Ceelo Green had a lasting impact on me. He offered me genuine support and helped me believe in myself. Since childhood, people hoped he was happy and ready to play at all times. Instead, Ceelo always asked me: how do you feel? Are you ready? And that meant a lot to me. But each artist taught me something unique and helped me mold the person I am today as an artist.

-How are you when you sing?

-As singer, I concentrate on connecting with the emotion of the music I interpret. It took me a long time to find my own voice, because I spent years supporting other artists. I have been with Beyoncé’s voice so much that it was easy to start capturing his style here and there. Once I heard Al Green say that he could sound like other artists, but I didn’t know how he sounded, and I felt the same. It has been a long way, but finally I feel that I am finding my sound. Better late than never.

-What do you prefer? Sing or touch?

-Well, I prefer to sing. If I sing as much as I play, maybe I would feel different, but I love it when other musicians give life to the sounds that I hear in my head and I sing freely. It is a gift to focus on a single instrument: my voice.

-How are concert nights?

-Ironically, they are the quieter for me emotionally. I spend the whole day waiting, anxiously, rehearsing mentally, feeling how energy grows. Then, it ends very quickly. An wave of adrenaline, followed by stillness. But when the public dances with music that he has never heard and feels it, that is magic. That’s why I do this.