BULGARIAN ARTIST RUTH KOLEVA RELEASES ‘SALTY’ – A LOVE LETTER TO SELF, FREEDOM, AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

INTERVIEW: IRVIN RIVERA

Electro-soul pop music artist RUTH KOLEVA released ‘SALTY’ a powerful, catchy, pop anthem promoting female empowerment, self-love, body positivity and trans and queer inclusion in media. Salty is the first Bulgarian music project that openly and visibly represents drag and trans.

As Ruth notes, “We are trying to break the stigma and the false representation with the best tool we have – art.”

Ruth continues to challenge the old school regime in Bulgaria and fight for her generation - recently catching the attention of the Prime Minister who she met with to put a COVID-19 relief program in place for her fellow (struggling) musicians, making headlines across the entire country.

The highly promising rising star has become a major cultural disruptor in Bulgaria. Growing up there and eventually moving to New York to pursue her career in music, Ruth continues to hone her artistry while pushing the boundaries given her multi-cultural backgrounds and environments.

In this exclusive interview, read on and let’s dig deeper into RUTH KOLEVA’s music journey, the story behind SALTY, projects that inspire and excite her, the Sofia Live Festival, and more.

What’s the story behind Salty?

Salty is a song about self-love and fulfillment. It’s about loving your true self, without the stigma or laws of the so-called “beauty standards”. We created this song with the beautiful Chili AF (a singer-songwriter who has written “Entertainer” by ZAYN) and producer Georgi Linev, who has worked with anyone from Thundrcat and Moses Sumney to Arctic Monkeys and Lianne LaHavas. I am proud that we did this project with an all-Bulgarian team, since one of the issues I want to raise awareness on is that of Eastern-European representation. Eastern Europe has a population of close to 400 million people and we still largely face prejudice and discrimination in the western world based on outdated and discriminatory stereotypes. We have a lot of talent that we can showcase and we are all very proud of our culture and heritage, so “Salty” is also a dedication to that love we have for our roots and background.

How did you come up with the concept?

The video of ‘Salty’ has a very deep and special meaning for me, since fighting for human rights is the core essence of my artistry. We worked with director Georgi Manov and DOP Krum Rodriguez in Sofia, with the goal of telling a story of self-love and acceptance and breaking the beauty stereotypes by presenting a “beauty pageant” in which we had women from different backgrounds – a Roma girl, а mother of 3, a trans woman and drag queens. All of them had volunteered for the video through a social media casting call. In the so-called pageant in the video all the women are winners, because they have tapped into the inner beauty of their true self. We partnered up with LGBTQ+ organization called GLAS and The Bulgarian Fund for Women, which helped shed light on the fact that Trans representation in media and entertainment in Bulgaria has been completely alienated and this is the first music project that actually has drag and trans representation.

How would you describe your music/sound?

There is a huge influence from black culture in my music. I grew up listening to jazz and soul music and so it is very much a part of my musical taste and preference. I started up as a performer on Drum&Bass music, so if I have to put it in a short description I’d say “Electronic-Soul-Pop”.

Where do you get your inspirations whenever you create music?

I am very much inspired by the world that surrounds me. Doesn’t matter if it’s the personal experiences I have or the general picture. It’s very hard for me to tolerate any sort of injustice and it has a huge impact on who I am as a person and as an artist. I do tend to write a lot about my feelings, since that’s the reason I started doing music in the first place, which was when my parents divorced around the time I was 10 and music was the only thing that made me feel sane and safe.

How’s your creative process like? Can you walk us through your process?

I start off with some chords. I write using a piano or a keyboard. Recently I did a course which helped me elevate my skills with DAW. So now I practically open up Ableton and start playing around with some synth or piano progressions. I then switch to the vocal melody, which most of the time, comes hand-in-hand with some lyrics. It’s a weird thing how your subconsciousness can drive your inner thoughts to surface, when you are not trying too hard. It just flows, and that’s when you grab on it and make a structure. Sometimes it can take months, sometimes it is a collaborative process with other people. I try to avoid putting any sort of frame on this, since art is not a mathematical formula and it can thrive when you are least expecting it.

How was the move from Bulgaria to New York?

I always wanted to live in New York City, ever since I first “met” the place. The first time I travelled to New York City I was 15 years old and I will never forget that moment I first saw it. I was totally absorbed by the brightness and intensity of the place- the uproar of the vehicles, the smell of Manhattan, the amount of people walking the streets, the music, the scenery. I had only seen New York City on TV and at that point it totally lived up to my expectations. I was in love with it and it completely changed how I see the world. At that point Bulgaria was not even part of the European Union and it was a struggling post-socialistic country with corruption rotting the place from inside its core. It was a difficult place to grow up and I was dreaming and praying day and night to be somewhere else. I didn’t move to New York City back then, I had a different fate which took me on a journey to find peace and embrace my roots, to the point where I was ready to come back, not as a dreamer wanting to take a chance in the big city, but as a person with history and experience who has something to offer to this vibrant eco system.

How it to do something that was deemed as a very controversial video, especially by Bulgarians?

Bulgaria has not yet recognized gay unions or gay marriage. I was the first artist to support Gay Pride back 10 years ago, and I’ll never forget how on that event we had more police officers than actual audience members. We grew a lot from that moment to the point where we most recently had over 5000 people attending Sofia Pride in 2019. It’s a process and of course there’s a lot of politics involved, especially coming from the pro-Russian influence which still exists even after 31 years of Democracy. Transphobia has a huge impact on the general public’s opinion in the last years, largely based on the fake-news and propaganda. We are trying to break the stigma and the false representation with the best tool we have – art. At this point the video has had very positive feedback and it even entered the Top5 in the general local chart for airplay.

Which artists inspire you? How did your music journey begin?

I’ve had many artists inspire me throughout the years, but the ones that have had the greatest impact are Nat King Cole, who my mom used to play for me day and night when I was a child. David Bowie, who inspires me to think outside the box, Kate Bush who inspires me to write, Jill Scott who inspires me to love, and Tupac who inspires me to know better.

What do you think is the best lyric/song that you’ve made so far and why?

I wrote a song called “A new home” on my previous album “Confidence. Truth”, which is about mental health, anxiety and depression. This song is of huge importance to me, because of my personal experience with the topic. I first suffered from depression when I was 24 and felt the loneliest I’ve ever been. “A new home” was my way of getting out of that situation and finding peace for my soul and body. I recorded with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra on that tune and I believe it turned out beautifully. It’s a timeless song that I will always be proud of.

What are the highs and the lows of your career?

Hard to say, since I do not tend to look back and search for any negativity in the past. I believe everything happens for a reason and at the right time. I try not to regret any decisions I’ve made and try not to be bitter about any outcome. I do though feel like I’ve felt at my lowest point when I’ve felt forced to be someone I am not. It was very early on and it’s long gone now, but when I first signed a record deal I was in a place where I had to “fit in” and behave as if I were a product, which could be marketed well by the criteria of success the label believed would be good for them. Of course, it didn’t work out and almost never does.

I do feel one of the highs is when I am on tour. We used to tour a lot before Covid with my band. We’ve done a full 20 city European tour, have performed all over China and Japan, done shows in Blue Note Jazz Club, major festivals and of course my live concert collaborations with philharmonic orchestras. That is something that I miss deeply.

How were you able to rise up to the challenges?

I don’t hold grudges and I am tough. I’ve been raised by an Olympian and World Champion weightlifter, so to me challenges are just part of the road to success and self-discovery.

What are you excited the most this year?

I am, for the first time ever, promoting my own festival in Bulgaria called “Sofia Live Festival” in the end of June and I am simply thrilled with excitement. I am also looking forward to the releases I have scheduled this year and I cannot wait to be back on the road performing.

What’s a valuable lesson that you’ve learned from your career that you think is universally relevant?

One must be able to adapt to changes, doesn’t matter what your plans and goals are. Covid-19 proved that to us. Also, you have to universally be nice to people and not be judgmental, you never know what kind of battle the person across from you is battling on their own.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

I’d be a mix between 100 years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut and Lord of The Rings, because life is an adventure, but we always need a bit of magic in it.