Zaki Ibrahim Loves Imperfection

People often describe songstress Zaki Ibrahim as eclectic and exotic. With the release of her major label debut EP, Eclectica (Episodes In Purple), the Toronto-based 25-year-old is at a place where she wants to be the one to categorize her own sound.

"I guess everything needs to be diagnosed," she says. "The word 'eclectic' along with the word 'exotic' are used for things that are hard to describe, so it was kind of like this word that was forever made fun of.

"Because I guess of who I am and where I come from, it was just kind of like, 'Haha, it's that exotic thing again,' or it's like, 'OK, here we go again. I'm eclectic.' Who is she? Where is she from? You can't tell by looking at me, or what kind of accent I have, so it was almost this playful thing of calling it Eclectica."

Ibrahim was born in Vancouver and raised in South Africa, Canada, France and England. She's soaked up everything she's been exposed to like a sponge, which is why the seven-track Eclectica isn't just soul ("Connected"), but jazz ("Computer Girl"), hip-hop ("Grow Again") and folk ("Lost In You") all wrapped in one indescribable package.

"Why I decided to make it an EP, I'm not sure, but I don't know why there needs to be a rule of having to put together an album with so many songs," says Ibrahim. "If I feel like just releasing a song because it needs to stand on it's own, I'd rather do it that way than, 'We need a single. We need a single on the charts in order to sell this thing.'"

Ibrahim's resiliency and optimism about her career are true testaments to her character and a refreshing change from the usual whining about how hard it is to make it in this country.

"It doesn't really feel like I'm trying to make it in this market with this group, or at least not yet," she says. "I'm not looking to be validated in any market, like in the hip-hop world, or R&B soul world or urban or rock/indie, you know what I mean? I think I'm just sort of flying at the seat of my pants with whatever sound is coming out and however it's going to be taken in whatever market."

There have been rumours for months of a full-length release, but Ibrahim says she's still working on it and is in no rush to finish. Ultimately, if there's one thing she'd like people to think after listening to her music, it's that she's human.

"I like to be able to feel someone's genuineness or their sincerity in the music," she says.

"And so I'm making honest music, and there's honesty in my voice, and so I guess if there's one thing I'd hope people thought of it, it would be that, 'Yes, she's really human. She's not perfect.' I love imperfection."