KOCHI: What makes independent music one of the most powerful creations out there, is the fact that it holds the essence of what an artist stands for. For Anna Katharina Valayil aka Tribemama Mary Kali, her new single ‘Freakay’ is somewhat of a revelation too, singing about what matters to her the most. Though she is familiar to most Malayalis as a playback singer who voiced hit songs like ‘Appangalembadum’ from Ustad Hotel, her musical identity is in touch with global art and music. The Kottayam-born, Nigeria-bred artist connects deeply with pop, jazz, reggae and funk, and with ‘Freakay’, she is well on her way to creating a niche in south Indian R&B.
“It is something I have always noticed—how society is too soon to categorise us, tell us what is good and bad. You are valued only if you act or live a certain way. But this kills what makes human beings inherently unique. It stops us from truly loving and accepting ourselves. Now, we know that anyone can be truly happy only if they are at peace with themselves. But how can you do that when the whole world is not at peace with you?,” asks Anna, who calls out to all the misfits and freaks out there, and tells them ‘Freaky, I love you’.
Alongside choreographer and friend Ruby Ruksana and Anna’s sister Becky Mary Valayil, Anna grooves to the funky, fun beat laced with mystical south Indian undertones, and Anna’s signature smooth and sensual vocals.Nikhil Vijayan, Anna’s manager and the choreographer of the video, experienced his own parallel journey towards becoming a filmmaker with ‘Freakay’.
“We were planning on a video for a while, and then the lockdown kept delaying it. One day, I just told him it had to be him. He studied camera, practised with his wife a million times, and then finally got it right,” she says. The aesthetics are on point too, stylishly reflecting the transformation of a saree-clad, homely Mary into an outspoken, shimmering Kali, who tells humanity that self-love is the most powerful energy.
A wife and mother of two kids, Anna is breaking many stereotypes with this song. “When you are a playback singer in the industry with a different voice, you tend to get typecast. But I have always identified myself as an independent artist. We shot the entire video at my flat, with just our family members as crew. This is a tribe that came together to support each other,” says Anna.