By Marc Loison 
Today, she is THE leading voice of contemporary blues on this planet. Born in 1979 in Harlem, New York, Shemekia Copeland is the daughter of the legendary blues guitarist and singer Johnny Clyde Copeland. From an early age, she inherited his love of the stage and of African American music. With the support of longtime collaborator John Hahn, she launched her professional career in the late 1990s with Turn The Heat Up! (Alligator Records, 1998), an album that introduced a singer with a powerful, deep and already highly distinctive voice. Over the years, Shemekia Copeland has established herself as an artist capable of blending traditional blues, soul, gospel, rhythm and blues, and contemporary influences.
Her critically acclaimed albums often explore social issues, African American history and the realities of the modern world. Through records such as America’s Child, Uncivil War and Done Come Too Far, she has become one of the defining figures of modern blues. The recipient of numerous Blues Music Awards, Shemekia Copeland is also renowned for the intensity of her live performances, where emotion, energy and commitment come together with rare authenticity.
Recorded on May 12 in Coutances during the Jazz Sous Les Pommiers festival, this interview took place ahead of her latest concert in Normandy. Relaxed yet attentive, Shemekia Copeland agreed to answer some direct questions touching on politics, women’s rights, racism, the challenges of raising a child in a violent world, but also death, hope and contemporary America. A sincere, thoughtful and candid conversation.
🎙️ Shemekia Copeland interviewed by Marc Loison
Shemekia, your latest album Blame It On Eve felt like a breath of fresh air after several records deeply rooted in social and political tensions. Did you feel the need to return to something a little lighter?
My last few albums were politically charged, so yes, I just needed a break to have a little more “fun.” I didn’t move away from the issues, but I wanted to have a little more fun on this record, yes!
Since the release of Blame It On Eve, the global situation has become even more difficult: wars, inflation, growing inequality… And the issue of women’s rights seems more tense than ever. Would you write that song the same way today?
The same way, yes. I think it’s unfortunate. I mean, it feels like we’ve almost gone backwards. Women today have to fight just as previous generations did, which is really sad. But we’re fighters, so we’ll keep fighting until things are the way they should be. You know, I always say there has to be a balance: there’s good and there’s evil, you know what I mean? So we just have to keep fighting…
But your songs are for Jesus, not for the Devil!
That’s true, that’s true!
“I always hope people have a good sense of humor.”
Do you think people who disagree with you politically can still hear the humanity and humor in Blame It On Eve?
I always hope people have a good sense of humor. I’m not a preacher, I’m not a politician. At the end of the day, I’m an artist, but I’m an artist with opinions, and I’m allowed to have them and express them. Sometimes my music will be for you, and other times it won’t be. Either way, that’s OK…
You also say that there is too much hatred and too much division in your country. We have to remain optimistic and hope things can improve. I can imagine what you might say if your president heard the song and started criticizing it…
I wouldn’t waste my time talking to someone like him, because he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. I’d rather spend my time talking to the people who support him and trying to understand why they support that man. I wouldn’t waste my time trying to have a conversation with someone like that, because everything he does is about his own interests and the interests of people who look like him, racist people.
There’s also a difference between racism and prejudice. You can have prejudices against one group or another, but that’s not the same thing. Racism is systemic. It’s about putting actions in place that are intended to stigmatize certain people. That’s racism, because it is rooted in a power structure.
So I’d rather talk to people and understand why they vote for that, why they support people who have the power to act that way. Because, in reality, it doesn’t help them. They’re poor too. It just doesn’t make any sense.
I try to change that conversation, that way of thinking, by saying: “These people are rich. They don’t care whether you can afford food, gas or medicine for your children, because their children never go without. So why are you voting for them? It doesn’t make sense. Do what’s in your own best interest.”
So I think it’s a waste of time trying to talk to people who live in a different world. They live in their own bubble and have no interest in questioning their beliefs. That’s why I prefer speaking to the people who support them.
With John Hahn, you often avoid overtly political messages. Your songs tend to tell human and social stories, remaining faithful to the blues tradition as a music of testimony. Other artists such as Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart or Mighty Mo Rodgers can be more direct when addressing racism or injustice. What do you think about that approach to writing blues today?
I think everyone has the right to do that. That’s why it’s called art. Everyone has the right to express themselves in their own way. With John Hahn, I try to approach these subjects in a more subtle way, more political in the noble sense of the word. Less confrontational, perhaps, but in a way that encourages people to think.
And above all, I like to believe that my songs first bring pleasure to the people listening to them, before they even begin to think about the message. I like the idea that they might say, “Oh, I like this song!” before asking themselves what it’s really about.
That way, they’re not immediately in a position of rejection or distrust. They listen to the music first, and then think: “Oh, OK, I see what she means. That makes sense.”
It’s a way of approaching things that keeps people listening. Because I think that sometimes, when people hear certain lyrics or messages delivered too directly, they immediately shut down and stop listening to what you have to say.
Hook them through the music first…
Yes, before trying to “educate” them. I don’t know if that makes sense, but that’s it.
In Tough Mother, you sing about the dangers facing children in the city, on the streets and on screens. You’ve also said that the birth of your son Johnny changed your life. Does he play music today?
He’s become a pretty good little guitar player! He’s learning, and he has a beautiful voice. And you know, I’m just so happy to have him in my life, because he’s transformed me in so many ways.
I feel like before he was born, I was already talking about a lot of problems, but more from the perspective of complaining about them. Today, I’m often addressing the same issues, but with a desire to help change things and contribute to making this world a better place for him to grow up in.
Ever since he arrived, I feel like I’m living in a different world.
And you know, the song Tough Mother isn’t just about motherhood. It’s about my whole life and everything I’ve been through over the years: marriage, divorce, remarriage, cancer, losing my father at a young age, then more recently my mother, and finally becoming a mother myself.
There have been many hardships. Cancer too, of course. In the end, that song is a testimony to strength, to the ability to overcome all those trials and keep moving forward no matter what.
We recently welcomed several young American musicians to our microphone who present themselves as torchbearers of the blues: Kingfish, D.K. Harrell, Sean McDonald, Dylan Triplett, Jontavious Willis, Marquise Knox, Buffalo Nichols, King Solomon Hicks, Taj Farrant… Will we one day see Johnny among them?
I hope so! And it’s wonderful that you’re giving all these young men a voice, because I think they’re incredibly talented and they’re all such lovely people. I’m just so happy to see it! It makes me smile to see all these young guys loving the blues, playing the blues and making their own contributions to the blues. It’s wonderful!
The legacy of the blues is now in your hands, after having been in your father’s. Do you think the blues receives the recognition it deserves in today’s society?
Blues has always been treated like the bastard child of the music industry, which is sad…
“As long as I’m here, the blues will continue to live.”
You really mean “always”?
Yes, a lot of things have changed. When you think about it, women occupied a huge place in blues music during the 1920s. Then the music became electrified, and from that point on, the focus shifted more toward guitar players and other figures.
The landscape has changed a great deal, but I hope the blues never disappears. As far as I’m concerned, as long as I’m here, it will continue to live, that’s for sure!
Everything is constantly evolving, and we’ll see what the future brings. That’s what makes things exciting. The music industry has changed so much. Today, with artificial intelligence and all these new technologies, I don’t even know what music will look like in a few years.
If someone had told me twenty years ago that record stores would practically disappear, that vinyl records would stop selling for years before making a major comeback, I would have said, “What? What are you talking about?”
So in the end, you just have to go with the flow and watch what happens. That’s the only thing you can do.
French blues fans are generally respectful, attentive and emotionally connected to the music. But the French are not always comfortable with English. What would it be like if everyone here fully understood the meaning of your songs?
I don’t know, because what I sing affects people here in a different way. It’s a completely different life for some people. But I think most people, no matter where you go, whether they understand you or not, they feel you. They understand the passion behind it all. And I think that as long as people can feel that, that’s all that really matters. Because in the end, it doesn’t necessarily matter. The only thing that matters is how you made people feel, right?…
So the lyrics are not necessarily the most important thing?
Not really. I mean, they are, and at the same time they aren’t.
France and the United States share a unique history. Could you one day be inspired to write a song about the relationship between our two countries?
Oh, absolutely. Why not? I mean, it’s an old love story, isn’t it?… I think that’s a great idea. I love it! And maybe I could even sing it in French, we’ll see!
Like Belle Sorcière!
Yes, like Belle Sorcière!
What are you working on these days? A new album? A special collaboration?
I don’t know. I’m thinking about my next project, which I’ll start working on next fall. I’m excited about it, but I’m not putting pressure on myself. I’m really taking my time writing the music this time. Because I’d like to speak meaningfully about what’s happening in the world, since everything feels so crazy right now…
And finally, what message would you like to share with the readers of this interview?
Don’t forget about us Americans. When I come here, people often want to help me. They say: “Come live here!” Or they tell me: “We don’t understand what’s happening in your country, and we’re worried about you.”
I think about that a lot. But what I’d like to say is that there are so many wonderful people in the United States. When you watch the news, you might sometimes think: “My God, what on earth is going on over there?” But please don’t forget that there are also many good people back home, generous, open-minded and kind-hearted people. It’s important to remember that.
Thank you, Shemekia!
Thank you…
