Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 30, Ed. 1 Friday, December 8, 2006 Page: 52 of 84
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life+stylemusic
Dark artist
Lesbian metal maiden Otep Shamaya injects hard rock with esoteric angst
By Gilbert Garcia Pop Music Critic
For better or worse, heavy metal has never
been the music of bookworms. Though
hard rock and literature have occasional-
ly collided, the results have never been pretty
— either for the rock or the writing.
Thanks to queer Nu Metal screamer Otep
Shamaya, however, that's changing.
As the leader of her eponymously named
band Otep, Shamaya has brought intellect to
the forefront of her sinister compositions.
At first blush, her lyrical references — sex-
ual abuse, violence and suicide — are typical
for the genre. However, obscure references to
voodoo curses, ancient mysticism and biblical
passages in the old Latin are rather unorthodox.
In interviews,
Shamaya proves even
more literary-minded,
drawing from influ-
ences as diverse as
Sappho, Sun Tzu and
Baudelaire.
LOUD AND PROUD
You're a gay woman
in a field dominated
by straight guys. Has
your sexuality ever
led to problems or
resistance?
Hot really.
Everyone occasionally faces some level of
ignorance or bigotry, but the fact that I'm
Sapphic is rarely an issue.
Who are some vocalists that made you
decide you wanted to be a singer?
Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Fiona Apple,
PJ Harvey.
Otep have become legendary for their
blistering live shows. What do you bring
to performances that other bands don't?
I believe the primary function of art is to
provoke. I really enjoy artists that feed you
truth. Artists like [French playwright]
Antonin Artaud believed it wasn't enough
for the audiences to be passive observers —
that it was just as important for the per-
former to give them an experience.
I also see our performances as tributes to
the earliest tribal rituals. In ancient times, a
shaman or a witch would explore the worlds
of the unseen in order to find the answers to
heal the tribe. These were the first astro-
nauts, the first explorers — seeking the
answers in the inner universe.
52 I dallasvoice.com I 12.08.06
I
First formed in Los Angeles in 2000, the
band quickly earned serious attention.
In 2001, Sharon Osboure caught a gig by
the unsigned foursome at a local club and
asked them to play Ozzfest.
A label deal soon followed. And with that
came two full-length albums and legions of
devoted fans.
Earlier this year, the band paired with
Eventful.com to create the fan-generated
national tour — a first in the Internet-music
biz.
As Otep readied to treat Dallas audiences to
the show they demanded on their so-called
Ascension tour, we tapped Otep for a brief e-
mail chat — touching
shamanism, interac-
tions with queer fans
and the possibility of
joining her own private
fight club. In other
words, typical Otep.
Otep plays Curtain Club, 2800 Main Street.
Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. $10 advance, $12 day of
show. 214-742-2336.
What's the feedback
from your queer fans
been like?
Most thank me for
being courageous
enough to admit open-
ly that I'm sapphic. Some thank me for giv-
ing them courage to come out.
Others report how they've been shunned.
And some tell me about the violence they've
encountered.
Living in Los Angeles I sometimes forget
how difficult it can be for us in other parts of
the country. That's why it's so important for
our community to take care of each other. If
not us, then who?
What was the first concert you attended?
Lollapalooza.
Aside from being a singer, you've also
performed on HBO's "Def Poetry" series.
In your future, is there a possibility of a
spoken word tour, a la Henry Rollins?
I hope so. I just self-published a book of
poetry called "Caught Screaming." A poetry
tour would be a dream come true.
Do you see your band as having a mis-
sion?
Our mission is to inspire. If we have done
that, we're succeeding.
>
I
SEDUCTIVE AND SAWY: On Thursday, sapphic singer Otep Shamaya makes a Dallas stop on the "user-generated" on-
demand tour.
Name some artists you enjoy that might
surprise Otep fans.
Portishead, Mars Volta, Mazzy Starr,
Mobb Deep, Alicia Keys, The White Stripes,
The Velvet Underground.
Marilyn Manson once said of you, "That
girl scares me." What scares you?
Not being creative.
You're a singer, a poet, a painter and an
illustrator. What non-artistic talents can
you boast?
Anything physical. I run three miles a
day when I'm home. I love to work out. I
love to compete. I used to box a little and I
thought very seriously of doing that profes-
sionally.
Ultimately, I just enjoy challenging
myself in any endeavor — whether studying
quantum physics, reading about the Stoics,
or entering a private fight club.
I want to fail as much as I succeed — so
that I can evolve.
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Nash, Tammye. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 30, Ed. 1 Friday, December 8, 2006, newspaper, December 8, 2006; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth238938/m1/52/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.