SONGS AND SCRIPTS AND DUNKING BISCUITS

Earlier this week the death of song-writer Tala Riley was announced, following a fatal stabbing at his home in East London.

It has been a terrible period recently in the UK for stabbings, a couple which have been seized upon by opportunist politicians to increase division and hatred no matter what the violent consequences might be or the increased hurt it brings to the victims loved ones.

Tala was a Grammy award winning songwriter and at the time of writing the circumstances around his death are unknown and are being investigated by the police who have already made an arrest, though whether it will lead to a conviction is unclear.

Working in genres I wouldn’t normally be deeply familiar with I admit I wasn’t really aware of Tala Riley’s work but nonetheless his death shocked me when I saw the news. Maybe because of the work that he did, the tributes to his personality and how the nature of his talent all clashed with his violent demise, I did feel a sense of real sadness at his passing.

I now know that he worked with the likes of Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, Jessie J, Nick Jonas and H.E.R. for which he won the Grammy, for the track “Light’s On”.

I don’t have anything to add as I’ve picked up information from news sources such as this one from Rolling Stone, but I suppose I just wanted to pay tribute in some small way to someone who for most people, maybe even those who follow the artists mentioned would probably have been unaware.

Yet to rise from East London to such lofty heights in an ultra-competitive music industry must have taken considerable determination and talent and of course what has now also been lost is the work he would have continued to create.

Yet another talent needlessly extinguished. And at 35, a healthy and strong young life ended, someone who would have been an inspiration for those looking to get into the creative industries from uninspiring beginnings.

Below the video to the song Last Dance from Dua Lipa written in collaboration with Tala Riley. Condolences of course to his family and people who worked with him closely.