Humble Beginnings
The rebirth of the songwriter
By
Sengbe Ben Yosef
Spring is here and this month on the blog we have something
fresh and new for our readers. The featured artist is the 2015 "Guitar
Center" singer-songwriter contest winner. This artist has also appeared on
the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show in January of 2016. When I first heard her sing I
was kicking back drinking a glass of wine playing around on that social site
that everyone likes so much, you know the one I mean. At the time, I was wishing I had some sweet
tunes to listen too. Just as I was about to cut off my computer for the night I
pushed the play button on one last video and the artist Lanita Smith was
singing a very moving and soulful song. The track struck a chord with me and so
I listened intently, hanging on every note. It sounded so good; I listened, at
least, seven or eight more times.
Afterward, I shared it on my timeline so that all my friends could have
an opportunity to hear some music that had meaning and soul.
Since that night, Lanita has taken her career to new
heights. She has expanded her reach in the music world but she is still that
humble singer I saw a little more than a year ago. Most people in her position
wouldn’t make time for a small little outfit like ours but, Ms. Smith is not
like everyone else in the industry. So it gives me great pleasure to be able to
present to you a true singer-songwriter that has proven that real talent still
outweighs studio gimmicks and public relations hype. Lanita Smith is a
brilliant songwriter, a throwback to a time when songwriters used both skill
and imagination to compose music that inspired and moved people. Her singing
voice is raw but it is very soothing to listen to. When I first heard her, I
thought of great live singers like Roberta Flack and India Arie. Even the
crackling in her voice has musical charm. I am just happy she took some time
out of her busy schedule to answer some questions and share with us more about
her talents and her artistry.
We began with a bit of Lanita's history and background in
music. Lanita has always loved music and from a very young age, she was curious
about music. I asked her to tell us more and she replied: “I grew up singing
and playing for the children's church choir at my home church. I would say I
started to play piano at the age of six. I would always sing at home or with
family, but I actually started leading songs at the age of five in church when
I was placed in the choir”. Now when I listen to her sing I understand where she
gets that soulfulness. As we continued with the interview I would gain more
insight as to where she gets her complete soulful sound. Then I asked her if
she had any family members who were into music or if any of them played any
instruments and Lanita replied, she was the only person in her family that
plays an instrument, but she explained that her father and late grandmother
were both singers. Her grandmother was a background singer for R&B soul
legend Sam Cook and her father (John Perry) sang in a group oversees for years
in Germany. Now it was coming full circle and it was clear singing and soul is
in Lanita Smith’s DNA.
Next we talked about what instruments Ms. Smith plays and
the person who first taught her how to play. Lanita said she plays the following
instruments, alto saxophone, violin, and acoustic guitar and she also teaches a
drum line class. As for her first teacher she replied, “The first person to ever
teach me about music was my old pastors’ wife, Mrs. Ferguson. I would always
ask her how to play things after church or sit next to her during service and
watch her play. She pretty much took me under her wing and helped to groom
me. I remember asking her about
different chords and how to play certain things. At the time, it was difficult
because I didn't know what I was doing and literally going off of sound and
memory. I would go home every Sunday and practice on whatever she would show me
just so I would have it down by the time I saw her again ". To close out
this line of questions, I asked about any fond memories she had from the past.
Lanita said, “My fondest musical memory was playing in my college Pop band
Sound Fuzion; we were more like family than a band”.
The first song I heard from her was “Listen to Your
Heartbeat” and this is also our feature song for our story. I ask the young
songwriter to explain the meaning of the song as well as what it takes to write
a song like this. Lanita said, “Listen to Your Heartbeat was a song I wrote
about a relationship I encountered. The general meaning for the public was no
matter what relationship you have with a significant other, friend, sibling, or
whomever, things happen but love never changes and the heart will always revert
back to what’s real and meant to be”. As for what it takes to write a song like
this she says; “It took a lot of soul searching and really tapping into that
personal side of Lanita in order to write Listen to Your Heartbeat. I had to
make it real to me in order to execute the delivery to others. Once it became a
reality to me it was easy to flow and create lyrics because they were real”. I
believe Lanita has captured the feeling she was going after. The song is truly
wonderful and everyone should listen to it and experience the genius of the
song.
The Official "Listen To Your Heartbeat" Music Video
Next I turn to what Lanita feels her music is all about and
she said: “My music is all about being real and telling stories. I want people
to be able to relate and connect when they hear my music. I try to put people
in an atmosphere of feeling free and create a way for them to escape. I want my
EP to be something where people can press play and let go”. Lanita says: “I
don't look to be acknowledged as the one hit wonder; I want to be a
singer-songwriter who creates something timeless that will be remembered for
all times”. I asked what made her music different and she said “For me, it's
not being different; it’s about being real and being you. I want people to get
Lanita when they hear my music and I don’t want to be seen as fabricated”. I
then asked why she chose the style or way she makes music. To that, she
replied, “For me, I just love great music. I have no boundaries when it comes
to my music taste because I have true love for music and an openness to accept
different styles. Within music I love great stories, awesome hooks, and the
artist being real or different. I also like to hear the accompaniment of great
sounding instrumentals with songs”. I truly believe that music is the universal
language and I embrace that to the fullest. So, I guess to answer your
question, I chose music period”. She
says: “it doesn’t really matter the style, as long as it’s good
music".
When asked about another artist that she liked she replied,
“I think every artist in my genre is amazing”. She says she definitely likes
artist like John Legend, Adele, Torri Kelly, India Arie, Sade, Tracy Chapman,
or John Mayer. She said she respected the talent and musicianship of the
artists named above. She also names a
few more she has respect for like Robert Glasper or Snarky Puppy. Not only is Lanita
Smith a great artist in her own right but she has great taste in music as well.
I turned my questions to live performance and the stage and Lanita said she
started performing at a young age. She
actually started performing in talent shows as a kid and she was a part of a
company called Kidsville USA for a while. She replied, “I was never shy to get
up in front of people for some reason, it always came naturally”. She indicated that her most memorable moment
was when she performed live on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show. Lanita explained
what it was like for her on the biggest stage of her career. She said, “I had a chance to perform my own
music in front of an audience of millions. What can really beat that? Every
time I think about it I'm still in awe and can't really believe I did it. That
definitely was the icing on the cake for me as well as a life-changing
experience”.
Live On Jimmy Kimmel
I asked how she handled her everyday life and balanced it
all, music, family, and work. From her answer, I got the feeling she was up for
whatever life brings her and she doesn't mind working hard and going all out
for what she believes in. Moving
forward, she wants to write more and
produce more good music for her fans. I asked her about any final thoughts and
what she thought about the state of music now. I also asked if she had any
final messages for her fans. She replied, “I think people have started to put
out more songs now that have meaning behind them and more artist have actually
started to become better storytellers. I feel someone always comes along and
dares to be different and they raise the bar in music. Music is about evolving
and we will constantly evolve. I don't think there is a perfect way, a wrong or
right way to do a song; music can be whatever you want it to be. The artist is
the creator painting the picture for the audience to see". I believe this
young songwriter has the talent and ability to make her name a household name
and I am just happy that I had a chance to be a part of the history she is
creating. Please support this wonderful artist because it would be a shame if
the world did have this music around for generations to come.
Artist Site
FaceBook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Buy The Music
Photo images snipped from Lanita Smith music videos "I Love You" Director - David C Yanez. Also from "Listen to Your Heartbeat" and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
