“I am a singer-songwriter, looping artist, beatboxer, piano player, and storyteller,” states Fatima Razic “Imagine a combination of Adele’s heartfelt delivery, Ed Sheenan’s live looping and Alicia Keys’ piano playing, and you would get me.”
The multi-talented musician also moonlights as a keynote speaker, a teaching artist; especially among Rochester’s student population. And she also finds time to perform singing telegrams and custom songs for special occasions, when she’s not splitting time between running her business Evolmi (evolmi.com), which spells-{I’m Love} backwards, an online outlet for diffuser jewelry, clothing and complimentary accessories.
“The source for the original material I produces that powers my many ventures are drawn from life experiences of growing-up in war torn Bosnia during a deadly conflict,” Fatima says.
As a teenager at age 16, she found relief in an opportunity to begin a new life with one of two sisters already living in America. She decided after living in St. Louis for a short span in 1997 to move to Rochester in 1998.
“I was not a musician in Bosnia,” Fatima says. “I wasn’t raised to view becoming a music artist as a viable option, so I went to Rochester Institution of Technology (R.I.T.), where I earned a bachelor and master’s degree in Information Technology.”
“After graduating, I held a job in Corporate America for 10 years, she continues. “I made money, but I wasn’t happy. I felt my life was sort of empty, so I quit my job and went looking for myself. And I found it in music,” Fatima recalls.
Buying a keyboard with a promise to teach herself how to play, shortly after arriving into America was still sitting in her basement. Therefore, she retrieved it to take a few piano lessons, where it enabled her to further explore the instruments capabilities on her own.
In the Year 2012 on Thanksgiving, she attended a party and for the first time, she decided to bring her keyboard, just incase she had enough drinks that would give her the courage to entertain the attendees.
By 10 pm, she was in karaoke mode, without a prompter or supporting music.
She started playing with her eyes closed, “When I finished the song, I opened my eyes and saw mostly everyone in the room were crying,” Fatima recalls. “And Claude Stewart, the party’s host was on the phone with local Grammy nominated musician Jimmy Highsmith, announcing that I was at his home and it was imperative that he hear me play.”
Since that night, Jimmy and Fatima have performed and collaborated many times in the studio and on stage and continues to do so today. “I learned a lot for Jimmy,” she says. “He believed in me before I believed in myself.”
Fatima released her EP WOMB in 2017 and is currently recording a full-length album entitled B*Earth.
To listen or purchase Fatima’s music or book for complimentary services visit: www.thefatima.com or 585-568-7558 or email [email protected] or 620 Park Ave. Suite 380, Rochester, NY 14607.
