Cephas Azariah
Indian-born British composer Cephas Azariah was always drawn to classical composition, he studied Music Theology and the Arts at Middlesex university and began composing soundtracks for film right away. He drew on the full spectrum of his influences to write his debut album, including neo-classical, ambient and cinematic, and wrote it in his home studio with a piano he bought off Facebook Marketplace. "I finished it all in Scotland in a cabin by the lochs," he says. "It was a beautiful way to wrap it up."
Cephas' artistry and philosophy blend into one another, and instead of accolades, money and material possessions, he'd prefer to be at peace. "That was always a goal beyond working with a big label or writing amazing music or owning a home," he says.
"I can say now I'm totally at peace with myself," he continues. "This project is all about these cultural intersections that repeatedly come up in life. I often find myself at a crossroads, unsure of who I am, and being at peace is difficult when you just don't know where you fit. I'm brown, I live in the UK, I write a predominantly white genre of music. Then there's family background, heritage, language - it all comes into it. Now I understand that I will constantly live at an intersection, and that's okay."