When: Saturday 25 February
Where: Havana Bar, Wigan Street, Wellington
Featuring: Silva Emcee, Israel Starr, Heart Offishal, Undercover, Paradox
9pm start, free entry
Born and raised in Auckland City, Silva Emcee AKA Tanya Dyer spent her earliest years exposed to ‘Sound System culture’, and live bands through her parents involvement in the Rastafarian movement during the eighties.
At 17 she recorded her first single “Hook Up” in collaboration with Darcelle “Lioness” Beach for Jah Remnant Records. The single went on to win radio station Mai Fm’s, “Rhythm Nation”. Soon after, she was performing with Lioness and other childhood Hip Hop and Reggae heads throughout the city.
She then tried her hand at a regular hosting gig for Batucada Sound Machine in 2006 and soon met up with Hip Hop producer DJ Furious. Silva’s first solo gig of originals with Furious was supporting the Queen of Dancehall, Lady Saw at Auckland’s Galatos. The pair went on to support other NZ acts such as Ladi6 and House of Shem.
After two years of touring and beat-making, Furious and Silva went their separate ways, as Silva was looking to grow into more than just a Hip Hop artist, but a reggae artist too.
Silva continued to play live in and outside the city for the next 3 years with DJ Art Official, supporting acts like the Black Seeds, Earl Gateshead, Mungoes Hi Fi, Deadly Hunta and DJ Skitz. It was during this time she finally decided to start working on her debut. “Turning writtens from an old notebook into your first album isn’t easy” Silva says, but she’s doing it.
Silva has had the privilege of touring with one of NZ’s favorites, and as close friend and mentor, Ladi6 is a great example of what it takes to break stereotypes as a female in hip hop. “Ladi helped me realize the realness, and understand its’ ok to be who you are, in fact, that’s the only thing that’s gonna get you respect”.
The genius collaboration between producer Iron Will, and SilvaMC has proven to be unstoppable in the underground reggae/hiphop scene in New Zealand. Together, they have shown their ability to deliver a fresh, international approach to the mashing up of Reggae, Dancehall and Hip Hop, consistently, and consciously. All the while, staying true to Silva’s Jamaican/Samoan roots. Silva and Iron Will are in the final stages of their yet to be named debut album, which includes the single “Here We Go Again”.
More info:
Silva MC Facebook
