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Our Lives. Our Stories. Our Voices.
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NOIRE Artist Spotlight: Anitra Griffin

by NOIRE Online

November 8, 2021 801 views
 

Noire’s artist spotlight, this week, belongs to Anitra Griffin. Anitra has been singing all of her life. Her voice commands attention, with smooth and silky tones. Her voice evokes emotion in the listener. Her song selection this week is not full of words but is piercing to the soul.

NOIRE: Tell our readers about yourself as an artist.

ANITRA: As an artist I have had the opportunity to work with so many different people, from every aspect of the business. Artistry for me goes far beyond the scope of the stage or recording songs. There's the business side and the music side and I enjoy every part of it. You can't just be an artist in this day and age. You must be a willing participant in the growth of your career. That means educating yourself on what it's going to take to be successful and being successful is not just being successful on stage. That means going beyond the scope of what everyone else sees. It also means being mentally, spiritually, and physically healthy. Those are the true elements of what it's going to take to succeed in this business, aside from talent. You can be talented all day, but it takes more than talent to do this. You must love and respect your own craft as well as believe in yourself. Life will happen to you as you grow in the industry. It's not just getting in the studio, recording songs, and putting out songs.  Now it's knowing who you are as an artist and staying true to who you are that will help you grow. 

NOIRE: What made you get involved in music?

ANITRA: I grew up in Monroe, Louisiana a place where having a music career can be hard to accomplish. I always knew I wanted to sing. I come from a musical family. I am the youngest of four girls. We grew up singing every Sunday before my father did his sermon. We sang, that's what we did!  Automatically for me, I was going in the direction of music. I moved to Los Angeles 24 years ago to become a musician. I never knew I would embark upon all that I have.

My first job in the music business, was as a backup singer from Mary J. Blige. I went to Detroit for an audition that really wasn't an audition. I knew someone who knew her musical director. I showed up at a rehearsal. I sang a few bars for him. Mary came I sang a few bars for her, and I left. The next morning, she called me and hired me. That's how I got started. After doing Mary's gig, I started to meet other artists on the road. God blessed me to connect with some of those other artists. I've sung backup for Patti LaBelle, Rick James, Tina Marie, and so many other artists. I'm a singer first and a song writer second. 

NOIRE: Who is your all-time favorite artist?

ANITRA: My all-time favorite music artist is Anita Baker. As an artist, she has gone through so many trials. She believed in herself, which was ultimately the deciding factor of her being a successful artist. I love her soul. You can feel her soul in her music, but it's not just a soulful voice, it's her heart. You feel her heart and her soul in her music. That's the artist I want to be. When I write I always wanted to make sure others felt the pain and emotion behind the words.

NOIRE:  What is your favorite genre of music?

I don't have a favorite genre of music. I love all types of music, from folk to tribal techno, r&b, pop, hip hop, pop rock, alternative country, heavy metal, etc. I love music! You have to love the art of music to create it.

NOIRE:  What is your favorite song?

ANITRA: My favorite song is, They'll Never Be, by Switch. That song embodies the complete meaning of true love. Rest in peace to the late great Bobby and Tommy DeBarge from that group. 

NOIRE: Is music important in the Black community? Why?

ANITRA: Yes, I do believe that music is very important to the black community. If you think about it, music is something we've always used to uplift us. Music soothes our souls. From Africa, our home, through slavery, and our struggle for equality we've used music as an escape from all that we are experiencing in our lives. We always use music as a means to calm and encourage ourselves. Programs like choir and band in schools in our communities keep a lot of our youth out of trouble. Those were the after-school programs when we were growing up.

NOIRE: What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

ANITRA: The advice I would give an aspiring artist is to never give up. I moved to L.A. almost 24 years ago. I slept in the backseat of my car, all in the name of my dream. You have to believe in a dream that nobody else can see. You cannot allow distractions to get you off course. You must stay focused on what you want. Most importantly, you must keep your eye on God. When you keep your eye on God, He is going to send you in the direction you are supposed to go in. There will be obstacles along the way but remember that anything worth having is not easy to obtain. You better know what you want and never give up. The devil is going to do everything he can to make you feel that this isn't for you, but you don't give up. Keep going and work hard. Remember faith without works is dead. So, work hard, have faith, and believe in yourself when nobody else believes. You have to believe! Love you much. 💕

Another piece of advice I would like to offer to anyone wanting to be an artist is, do not chase fame and Fortune. If you do, you will never be fulfilled. Know who you are as a human being. Never be afraid to push yourself. 

Click the link below, to see Anitra perform in the Noire Artist Spotlight!

https://youtu.be/wXbXUDpMcf0

 


View other installments in the NOIRE Artist Spotlight series.

 
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NOIRE Online
NOIRE is a new online magazine that scopes the Black and multicultural community from a cutting-edge perspective. Our mantra is “Our Lives, Our Stories, Our Voices.” Our vision is to become the leading source of true, high-quality narratives of people of color.
 

 

 

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