Tiki Black is an award-winning singer and songwriter. Born in Paris to Cameroonian parents,
she has drawn inspiration from some of the best names in the industry to create memorable
albums. Tiki now bares her soul with her first book, The Sound of the Broken Wand. This
unique accompaniment to her second album is a collection of heartfelt poems. She weaves
the wealth of her life into each line, from bouncing around the world to experiencing different peoples and settings while evoking a sense of magic we sorely need in our lives. Her unique voice blends Western and African cultures in a soothing way evoking both inner strength and fragility. She has been hailed as a true visionary and now gladly shares part of her innermost self for the first time.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I always felt it was something I was, not something I chose to be. It was the only way to
express myself without the sound of my voice upsetting the status quo. I decided to be an author to share my thoughts beyond music.
How long have you been writing?
My mother’s mind must be filled with the poems I wrote to her for birthdays and other
celebrations. I always wrote so it’s hard for me to truly pinpoint when that started.
However, the first poem I remember sharing with strangers was “My Alexander”, at 17.
That fictional piece tells of a bond between two lovers and that transcends death.
What inspired you to write The Sound of the Broken Wand?
Stories in general but particularly fairy tales. This is about breaking the spell of
bewitchment and embracing the magic of the resulting emancipation.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Erecting borders around the creative mind so that I can complete a book or an album in spite of having more ideas about the theme than I end up putting in.
What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book?
That a life led without creativity creates the borders around emancipation. That creativity
that wallows in its own juices and does not expand beyond it becomes stale and
constraints emancipation too. That emancipation is a lifelong process of asking questions,
researching the answers open-mindedly beyond the close circle of our routine, and not
treating any answer as the final one just out of misguided pride.
Who is your favourite author and why?
I don’t have a favourite author. I love a lot of pieces for different reasons and not
necessarily all creations by the same author.
What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I think that the reasoning from the 17th -18th centuries of Enlightenment has marked me. I got and still get to read and reread anything from Voltaire to Montesquieu. In many ways, my style has inherited a lot from the 18th -19th century Romantics. It will be easier for me to incorporate my sense of humour into my next endeavour as did some of my favourite post-colonialism novelists in sub-Saharan Africa. This way, I too will be able to see in a worn-out shoe just a shoe laughing in the imperfect tense.
If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
being, becoming, creative
Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring
writers?
Don’t stop writing, don’t compromise. Look after your mental, emotional and physical health
in parallel. Meditation and silence are a part of honing your skill.
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers
about?
I am working on several books, as I usually do. Which will come out first depends on which
progresses faster. I tend to not put pressure on myself to keep stress and frustration at bay.
Follow me on Instagram for more updates.
The Sound of the Broken Wand: Amazon.com
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