PART ONE of our candid interview with the captivating band leader of Tamarie T. & Thee Elektra Kumpany, an electrifying live performance band out of Chicago & New Orleans! Tamarie dives into the origins of his genre-bending "Exotik Funk" sound, reflects on the power of musicianship and collaboration, and shares his passion for preserving and evolving the legacy of Funk. Discover how he is inspiring a new generation of funk torch carriers.
SOULTAUREAN: TAMARIE T. AND THEE ELEKTRA KUMPANY! A band that truly cannot be put into a box. How would you describe your band and what you all do to someone who’s never heard your music before?
TAMARIE: I would describe Tamarie T. And Thee Elektra Kumpany as an energy. It has its own frequency and vibration. That’s what music is. This music we bring is what I call Exotik Funk. We all know what funk is, but there are different variations of it. Exotik means unique, weird, different, and out of this world. That’s how I feel, so I decided to start Exotik Funk. Tamarie T. And Thee Elektra Kumpany brings a whole performance and live show for people to experience. Something like if they go see the Blue Man Group or the UniverSoul Circus. We’re a live show band that has our own original sound.
It’s a healing vibration, a dance vibration, freedom, and sensuality – all mixed in one. We blend all of that with different elements and different musicians in both Chicago and New Orleans. We’re just one big collective of beings that came together to bring one powerful sound that we call Exotik Funk. Even for me, sometimes when I’m on stage enjoying the moment, us all being a vessel to that whole energy is an experience! Something you have to be there to witness. A video can’t even do justice. You have to be there to actually feel those vibrations, get those goosebumps, and just take it all in.
SOULTAUREAN: So you basically invented a whole sub-genre of Funk! What is Exotik Funk and what does it add to the Funk genre?
TAMARIE: Well, Funk has always went through many transitions. Funk is an energy, a feeling. It started with James Brown, but we can even go back to Little Richard. People call it Rock & Roll, but Funk was definitely there. James Brown just empowered that sound with the 1. Then, it went through a change with Parliament-Funkadelic and other bands like Cameo and The Bar-Kays. After that, you get to Prince and Rick James with their own versions of it. For example, Rick James called his music “Punk Funk”. Just keep going down the line of this seed being planted until you get to what I call “Exotik Funk”.
When we first started, I used to tell people we do rock, funk, soul, and psychedelic rock. I was just naming all of these genres until one day, when we were doing our original music, this DJ was like, “Man, that shit is exotic!” He kept saying it and the next thing you know, a light bulb went off in my head like, “Exotik! That’s what we do!” Spiritual things always happen in that way. Exotik means free, weird, unique. That’s how I feel about my Funk. When I was creating this music, I was hearing it come to me while I was making it. Like clearly hearing it. I kept hearing it evolve and I did not know what to call it. It’s funk, but it has all these different elements like reggae, soul, and house music. It also includes my energy. My energy is electric and unique.
To me, Exotik Funk is who I am. It’s a way of life. A friend once told me, “You look like your music!” That’s what I strive to do. I want to look like my music. I want to look like Exotik Funk. I want to breathe and feel like Exotik Funk. It’s like freedom. Being able to feel like you can be your weird self, however you feel that expression is. Exotik Funk is my expression through music. Exotik Funk brings out that freedom in people. It brings out that healing people need through music. There’s so many layers to this thing. I have music in my vault that’s already years ahead with this Exotik Funk thing. It’s something that can last forever. I’ll plant the seeds for the next generation that wants to expand on it. It’s really a whole movement.
SOULTAUREAN: You definitely remind me a lot of the greats from the past, like James Brown, Prince, and P-Funk, but you also have your own vibe and unique energy that you bring to Funk. Why is it important for you to keep the legacy of Funk alive and not let it become a lost art form?
TAMARIE: I go so hard because I think about the children. All the greats you named, I was able to look up to them as a kid. Prince, Rick James, Isaac Hayes, Barry White. There were so many that inspired me. I grew up having grandparents and parents that actually put me on and made sure I kept that connection. My grandma did her job with introducing me to artists like James Brown. My dad introduced me to Prince and Bob Marley. Having all these different connections and parents that exposed me to this music, it just stuck with me.
A lot of music that’s being put out now is genetically modified, weak a** muthaf*ckin music. I’m just going to keep it real. Everybody is sampling samples and doing all of this nonsense. I see the challenges we’re up against. I see a disconnect between what our music truly is and what’s now being forced down people’s throats. I have to continue that legacy and keep those energies alive because there are children who look up to us. I’m that Michael Jackson or Prince for them. In a world where many people feel like they don’t have those greats anymore, they need to know that they can still have that and see that. I’m not the only one. There are other great artists out here that also have that seed and energy. Even though some of the greats have passed, that energy has never left. It’s about you being able to dive into your soul and be able to pick up on that and bring it to reality. I have to keep that going, so I’m planting the seeds into the next generation.I have band members as young as 18 and I tell them that they’re going to be the next generation of whatever Exotik Funk is. I’m teaching them whatever I can now and schooling them on songs so we can keep this alive.
No matter what era we’re in, there will always be some greatness coming out of it. Right now, that safe haven, that peace that people want to feel, that comfort through music, I have to be that. I have to keep creating, keep being in this band, and keep the arts going. I don’t have any interest in blowing up. I’m not worried about the industry. I’m worried about doing this from my soul and my natural fame that I create independently, without anybody trying to pull puppet strings and trying to tell me how to do what I do. I’m already my full package. I’m more on the path of naturally building that stardom. We’re all stars. It’s just about knowing how to be able to tap into that. I want to show people that you can be authentic and original and keep moving forward. I want to keep planting those seeds to be authentic, be original, do YOUR thing, and just be you, be free — and be Exotik as I always say (laughs).
SOULTAUREAN: You have a huge band with a wide range of musicians. Why is musicianship and collaboration still important today in this new age of advanced technology and so many solo artists? And why should the new generation prioritize musicianship and collaboration in these times?
TAMARIE: Ain’t nothing like being on a team. I’m always mesmerized by the fact that you can be on stage with up to 100 people – in a band or even an orchestra – and we’re all individuals, but we’re coming out with one sound. That’s powerful. We’re all coming together in unity and bringing one sound, which is love. When you do music, that’s the whole point. I’ve always told any artist that I work with to get a band, so that they can see the effects of working with a band. Working with artists on their stage performance development is another thing I do. I teach them how to lead their band and how to take the music they make and transpose it into a live show with a band.
They need people who can be vessels for the sound that they made, even if they did create it alone. It’s kind of an ego thing that makes people want to get props for doing everything themselves. It’s not about that. At the end of the day, watching someone on stage by themselves is boring to me. It’s a different environment when you have all these different vessels and you’re seeing this one power of music come through all these different people. Nothing can ever compare to that. It’s an art form that has to keep going. It’s healing. I always use Prince as an example. Yeah, he did a solo show with a piano and that was cool! But at the end of the day, Prince wouldn’t be Prince to the fullest if he didn’t have The Revolution or The Time or Mazarati to be those vessels for him. Junie Morrison needed the Ohio Players and P-Funk to be those vessels to bring his visions to life.
One of my mentors who is a Chicago (and international) legend, Ron Prince, always says that it’s a different vibration when someone is actually playing the music. When you’re putting a physical finger on a guitar, using your breath to blow a horn, or using your hands to hit a drum, it’s a whole different experience. I’m not knocking anyone that’s in the studio using midi and all this other technology. That’s how I create my demo tracks, but I still go to the band and we bring it to life. It’s different, it’s authentic, and it’s not genetically modified. It’s just a whole different vibe, whether you’re doing hip-hop, soul, or any other genre. I’ve even heard people do trap music with a band. Anything can be transposed into a band format, so it’s very important for us to keep this alive. What would a world without live music look like? I don’t even want to envision that.
SOULTAUREAN: I agree. It’s almost like when you’re in church and everybody is praying together. It’s definitely spiritual and healing. Now, I want to ask you about your use of technology in your music. How do you feel about the use of technology and how do you incorporate it in your music?
TAMARIE: About the church thing, that’s how I look at the band. It’s a church. I always tell people when they come to our show that they’re gonna catch the Exotik Ghost. They laugh, but I’m like it’s church for real! We’re coming together and we’re congregating. Even before church, when tribes came together, whether they were having a healing ceremony or however they came together with music. Music is never a solo thing.
As far as technology, I’m half and half. F*ck that AI music, I’m not messing with that at all. They’re making all of these different songs that don’t exist. I even heard a Michael Jackson version of “I Believe I Can Fly”. It’s like, come on, you’re using people’s likeness and image and it’s just weird. As far as using a computer to produce music, I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’ve heard great songs by people who make music in Logic and even FruityLoops. It’s cool that we have access to do things like that and still create. When I make my demo tracks, I use programs on the computer. I will never use those tracks as song releases, but I use the programs to layout the whole foundation for the band. I do the bass, drums, guitar, keys, and vocals using technology. I’m bringing the ideas out of my head and then I bring it to the band to show them their parts. I don’t read music. I’m more so a natural. I taught myself how to play bass, drums, and other instruments. I found out that a lot of the greats like Barry White and Prince didn’t know how to read music. They were going off natural feeling and their connection with that being that is music.
Technology makes things more simple, but I wouldn’t rely on technology for everything. At the end of the day, if all this technology goes away, I still have my hands to claps, I still have my drums, and I can still sing (laughs). It’s about balance. Like they always say, “in moderation.” Use it as a tool, but don’t let it take you over. I can’t be mad about technology because it is progressive. It can be used in great ways and bad ways, just like music can be used as a weapon or used to heal and inspire.
SOULTAUREAN: You reminded me of something Junie (Morrison) said. He was really excited about how technology could expand funk, but he was also worried about the overuse of it. It’s definitely weird how AI can take people’s voices and distort it into something you know they’d never do. Okay, now we’re gonna get into experimentation. Walk me through the process of how you experiment with music.
TAMARIE: When I started experimenting with music, I was looking for a way to express the music that was inside of me. My oldest brother introduced me to this music program called FruityLoops. He put it on my computer and gave me a little midi keyboard. I asked him to show me how to use it and he was like, “no, figure it out yourself” like older brothers usually do (laughs). So I had to figure it out. After experimenting with it so much, I started making drum tracks. The first song I ever wrote was called “Work It”. That song went through so many transitions to where it has evolved into something totally different now. I would work on music all night, messing around with different things like drums and basslines. I made sure everything was hitting on the 1, because I’m serious about that. It just became a tool to get all of the music that I was hearing in my head out. I would hear the music clearly being sent to me from another galaxy or something. After I get a song down to a certain level, I then take it further and put the vocals on it. After that comes the backing vocals.
I always tell people, don’t try to force words on a song. Just listen and let the music talk to you. There have been times where I made a track that I couldn’t think of any lyrics for and I’d just put it away for years until it comes to me. I might have a dream or an epiphany, then the lyrics will come and I’ll write the song. Basically, I make the track and send it out to the band for them to learn their parts. Then, we come together to work out all the kinks to make it come to life. It’s a fun process. The first time I did it, I came to tears after seeing the manifestation of it. I’m taking something non-existent that I’m hearing and I’m bringing it to life in music form. I like experimenting and trying different sounds. Music is infinite and has so many possibilities. I don’t know what Exotik Funk will be in the future, because every time I work on something, there’s always something new. I’m already futures ahead with Exotik Funk.
***In Part Two, Tamarie & I dive deeper into his world, exploring his unique fashion style, the unforgettable experience of opening for P-Funk, and his exciting plans for 2025. We also get into his pre-show rituals and the thoughtful process behind selecting the exceptional musicians that make up his band. Read it here!
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Stay elektrafied! ⚡⚡️⚡️
