SongVault Artist Profile

Paris-born Tiki Black was raised in France and Cameroon and currently lives in Manchester, England. She considers herself as something of a world citizen due to her multicultural influences.

Her passion for words and music sustained her during challenging teenage years when family hardship forced her to become self reliant very early on. Her lyrics reflect her many and varied experiences especially her relationships.

Tiki Black writes her deeply personal lyrics and accompanies herself on the piano. She is now following her personal dream and is increasingly found at some of the more popular open music events in and around Manchester.

Her songs, sung in English, French and her native Douala, never fail to move the audiences who attend her website and live performances.

Tiki writes all her own music and lyrics, with inspiration gleaned from many of the artists she has been exposed to in the various places she has lived. Growing up in France, she fell in love with the songs of Georges Brassens, Charles Aznavour, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Francis Cabrel, and the classical melodies of Frederic Chopin. Her African heritage has given her Manu Dibango, Eboa Lotin and the subtle beats in African rythms. Caribbean influences have been from Bob Marley and Kassav. UK favourites include Freddy Mercury, Sting and the Beatles and favourites from across the Atlantic include Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple.

In 2009 one of Tiki’s songs, “Swollen”, was a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest after she won a membership to the Broadjam website on the strength of another of her songs, “Free Like Smoke”.