5 months ago
30
If reggae singer Sophia Dias were to think about changing her moniker, the name Phoenix ought to be up there somewhere in the top three for consideration. Like the proverbial bird, she is rising from the ashes of her burnt-out house, which was a ‘victim’ of the wildfires that have been ravaging Los Angeles, California.
Currently staying at a hotel in L.A., Dias told The Sunday Gleaner that the fiery, apocalyptic scenes which she witnessed unfolding firsthand, “are like Armageddon”.
“It looks like the wrath of God,” she said in hushed tones, filled with a mixture of awe and something else that was hard to define.“The first day, the sky was jet black at 7 o’clock in the morning. People were out walking their dogs, but it looked like the end of the world. You could tell that something was happening. It’s a shock. Parts of L.A. look like a war zone. It’s a shock that you have to absorb quickly. You just have to take a deep breath and keep grounded.”
Dias, who is originally from Chicago, Illinois, did not hesitate to leave her neighbourhood once the evacuation order was given. And, together with her cat, which she adopted from a shelter 14 years ago, Dias fled. She found refuge at a hotel, where she had a real room, not a spot in the lobby. She considers herself one of the lucky – no blessed – ones.
“There are thousands of people sleeping on the streets. People I know have lost everything … their loved ones, their animals. They are completely broken. Some of them lived in their homes for 40 or even 50 years. How could the wealthiest state in America, where people pay so much taxes, burn down?” Dias asked of no one in particular.
She continued, “It’s only a house. Thank God I can work; thank God I can ask people for a job. I can rebuild. God has blessed me with great help and great health. Complete strangers have come up to me and asked if I need anything. My hairdresser called and told me that if I had to evacuate, me and my cat would be welcome at her mother’s house. I cried. This is something I would expect in Jamaica because Jamaicans are known to be hospitable.”
Reports are that 27 people have died in the wildfires raging across the Los Angeles area and 31 others are still missing. More than 5,000 firefighters are fighting the fires, but entire neighbourhoods have been completely destroyed. News outlets are reporting that 82,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 90,000 are under evacuation warnings. The Eaton Fire, which devastated the community of Altadena, is said to be the most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles.
Bright side
Dias is all about looking on the bright side, but she, too, had her moments of despair. She has found solace in helping out at the shelters despite the fact that when she returns to the hotel and washes her hands and face the water is “very brown” from all the ash and debris that have accumulated on her.
“The first day, I was frozen,” Dias recalled. “Then reality sank in. I knew that I had to be grateful ... being sad and depressed was not the response. I said heartfelt prayers for those who have lost everything. God has had His hand on me. The first single that I recorded was Psalm 23 … Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil … .’ I worked on it at Tuff Gong with Dean Fraser.”
And in tandem with Psalm 23, Dias is also tuned in to a particular offering from the catalogue of the late Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Panic in Babylon, the 2004 studio album from the dub pioneer.
“His lyrics back then had a vision. They are relevant now,” said Dias.
She has not been back to look at what was once her home. Instead, she is looking forward to March when she will be in Jamaica to work on her new project, and she feels that the timing of her arrival is providential. It will be her sophomore album, and this time around, she is working with Wayne ‘Native’ Jobson out of Studio X in Montego Bay, and she has also welcomed Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards to her team.
“I am really excited about this project. Each time I talk to Wayne, he has something new to suggest. When you go into the studio, magic can happen … miracles happen. I am also working with Sebastian Jobson, who will be in charge of all my filming. Sebastian was the camera director for Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. How blessed am I that he is working with me!”
Dias, who is also a fashion designer, chef, and author, released her début album, Bullet Proof, in December 2022. Her autobiography, of the same name, addresses issues with domestic violence, her marriage and her divorce, which she said left her penniless.
“Rebuilding is a process to get right the things that you missed the first time. It is a second chance for a lot of people,” Dias said philosophically.
English (US) ·