Tatyana Ali fans have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. She’s ended her musical hiatus and returned with the holiday EP All I Have. The project is her first release in nine years, and the diverse collection is rooted in culture, faith and “no rules, just love” as she states on “Flow,” the EP’s lead single.
All I Have features seven songs that span genres. Known primarily as an R&B singer, Tatyana spreads her sonic wings on the EP. She gives listeners adult contemporary soul on “What Christmas Means To Me” and goes gospel with her soaring rendition of “Oh, Holy Night.” She dabbles in calypso on “All I Have (The Little Drummer Boy)” with Damien Sneed, who executive produced the EP, and sings in Spanish on “Los Peces En El Rio,” representing both her Trinidadian and Panamanian heritage. She also explores the vast landscape of jazz with her version of “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year,” her take on the folk song “I Wonder As I Wander” and “Flow.”
Following the in-studio video for “Flow,” the track “I Wonder As I Wander” has also received a visual treatment. Tatyana tapped multimedia artist Trokon George to be the creative director, and he conceptualized a floating sculpture. Set in an art gallery, she’s dressed in a baby blue gown as he drapes yards of fabric around her outstretched arms. She stands in the middle of the room singing while Sneed plays piano on her right and violinist Stephanie Matthews plays on her left. The clip ends with Trokon stepping back into the frame to place a crown of poinsettias on her head.
The free-form sound of All I Have happened organically during the recording process. “I had an experience in the studio unlike anything I had when I was signed to a label when I was a kid,” Ali told ABC’s Chicago affiliate. “I could do whatever I wanted to do without rules or without restrictions or genre parameters or what would be good for radio, it’s just about what felt good to us.”
Tatyana also had high praise for her producer for steering the project. “Making this EP with Damien Sneed was just magical and an absolute dream come true,” she wrote on Facebook and Instagram. “He is so brilliant, and creating this with him has been one of the highlights of my career thus far!”
With the release of this EP, it’s safe to say that Tatyana Ali has gotten her groove back. Her excitement about All I Have and making music again is palpable. She’s flowing with her gifts and walking in her purpose. After sharing this beautiful and eclectic collection of songs, we suspect that we won’t have to wait another decade for her next project.
Tatyana Ali All I Have [TIDAL][SoundCloud]
