Tribemama Marykali: ‘I Make Sure Everyone Gets Out of Their Head and Into Their Body When I Gig’

How does one become a Tribemama? Anna Katharina Valayil aka Tribemama Marykali says, “You don’t need to give birth to be a Tribe Mama, it’s really a soul thang.”

Born in Kerala, the artist is not one to be pinned down – she was raised in Nigeria, trained in Australia to become a pilot, spent time in Chennai as a playback singer and is back in her home state now. She found a sense of family in all these places and continues to do so. “Even within Kerala itself, each district has a different culture, and I often shuttle between Kottayam, Kochi, Alleppey, and Changanacherry,” she says.

Since 2020, there’s been a more concerted effort to put out music as an empowered voice among indie artists. That includes groovy, resolute songs like “Bless Ya Heels” in 2021, plus 2020 singles “Freakay” and “Flames.” Her two-track EP Kerala Gold was out in 2022, even as Tribemama Marykali and her band became regulars on the festival circuit. Most recently, she was featured in the video series Crossover Conversations by Magnum Double Barrel Whiskey, one that features “homegrown, emerging artists and their disruptive stories.”

As someone who quit her job and got into singing as part of background scores and in ads, she still holds the Malayalam film music industry in high regard. It has a lot to do with having her choice in terms of projects. “When you work with the best, you learn from them,” she says. Like in any film music work, however, “the script is the hero.” Her focus on indie releases, then, came from the fact that there was “no hero, no scripts, no trends.” She adds, “It’s all just fueled on pure passion.”

That passion has been seen over the years in performances and her very aesthetic music videos. Tribemama Marykali dances with total abandon, presenting a certain sensual appeal at times that’s reflective of her songs. She says about her live performances, “I make sure everyone gets out of their head and into their body when I gig. Since I have multicultural approach towards life, my gigs do have that vibe especially since my music is very beat-oriented. So, we have a lot hip shaking, feet stomping, swaying and hands up in the air kind of flow. It’s all about shaking off the bad and stepping into the good.”

There is no particular challenge in keeping this rhythm going, but she does factor in that she can be her own taskmaster. Another challenge the artist enlists is “this constant tug between wanting to go invisible but wanting to show up as my authentic self through my music and art.” Family, on the other hand, is a key part of her identity as a full-time musician. “I am a working mama; I don’t work like I have no family, and I certainly don’t live with my family as if I have no work. It’s a part and parcel of my life and my family has warmed up to my audience and I absolutely enjoy it,” she says about having her husband and kids or extended family at gigs.

Up next, her live staple and R&B/fusion song “Serpent on Dance Floor” will likely release as a single. “I have a few collaborations coming out, and I am extremely excited about them. My personal stuff will also come out when they’re ready,” Tribemama adds.

Watch Tribemama Marykali as part of Magnum Double Barrel Whiskey’s Crossover Conversations below.