Kalika – author, composer, performer

Kalika is the stage name of the multi-faceted artist Mia Rosello. Kalika for Sara-la-Kali, saint venerated by the Gypsy community of Sainte-Marie-de-la-Mer and as in Kali, Indian goddess of destruction and reconstruction. She dresses up electro pop melodies with raw, deeply feminist texts.

Could you explain your profession in a few words? 

I am a singer-songwriter and music video director. Thanks to the Sacem, I feel recognised! First as a singer-songwriter, then I discovered I could also be recognised as a video director – I didn’t know that was possible. As I also produce, that’s the next step. To be recognised as an artist and to have that status as a songwriter is really important to me.

So many women’s names have been erased from their own work. It’s very important to me that people know that I did all this.

How has Sacem been useful to you?

Before I joined, I didn’t see Sacem as a society that helps artists. But we feel that it is really there for us. I am part of the program “La Sacem soutient”. They released funds to help my project, especially on tour. I have evolved in a rather atypical way, not via radios, nor the traditional media but on stage, because my stuff is kind of subversive. When you start as an artist, performing on stage costs money. You have to fill up venues when the public doesn’t know you yet. But you need to schedule shows so people can get to know you.

You need a tour budget to schedule shows. And it so happens that the Sacem supported me on my first route with W Spectacle.

It’s so cool. I was even able to get residencies during which I could rehearse, set up a light show – it was a new step for my act. Because before with Balthazar, we were just doing guitar/vocals. It was very simple, we started from nothing. And little by little, we moved forward, we built. For the stage act, the Sacem has been essential for us.

How would you sum up Sacem in three words?

Support, appreciation, connection.

Connexion, because thanks to the Sacem I participated in the Chantier des Francofolies. The Chantiers label is cool for artists in development, it gives you a foot in the door. After the Chantiers, you are part of a family of artists. It’s a support zone. We can talk about the difficulties we all go through as emerging artists.

– Crédit photo : Valentin Fabre –