Ezina

"In my music I allow the listener to hear the hurt, the pain, the tears, the lesson, the healing and laughter. I sing wrong notes on purpose to express the dysfunction or the pain of the experience. How can you sing of pain in the perfect pitch? It doesn't make sense to me. Pain is not pretty..." Ezina It seems unlikely for a former Miss Black USA to speak of anything that is not pretty. Taking one look at Ezina, it is downright impossible to see anything unattractive. However, life experiences and pain are gritty, real and raw just like her music and unstoppable spirit. Ezina , grew up in Michigan as the eldest child to a Jewish/Christian family. Perhaps being born under the Scorpio sign was what ignited the fire in her soul and personality. Ezina is the niece of R & B legend, Bobby Womack, evidence that musical talent is hereditary. Ezina is of Native American, African American and Jewish descent thus generating a very exotic look at a young age. Her entertainment industry experience began as early as a Pampers commercial, making her the first black baby they ever used. This paved the way for years to follow in the spotlight, winning countless pageants, contests and awards. Regardless of repetitive successes, Ezina has had her share of tribulations, contributing to an evident inner warrior. Ezina defines indie artist. From the junction of her life that she left her label, she became self taught in the art of making money in the music business. All the while, keeping herself grounded and schooled, working towards becoming an attorney, a seemingly suitable career for such a powerful fighter. She obtained her MBA from the University of Michigan then proceeded onto Julliard where she voluntarily left. The trials of life are the gusto behind her lyrics. Her debut CD, Tempted follows in the footsteps of divas like Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross showcasing Ezina's more rhythm and blues side. Her soulful and gospel vocals are arranged beautifully on Tempted, which tells a story more than plays a sound. She interacts and connects with her audience by singing realistically instead of tailoring her pitches and lyrics to be more commercial. Tempted proved how well it was received by selling over a million copies. Ezina breaks the norm even further with her guitar playing. While it is unusual enough to combine R&B and rock as well as be a black woman who masterfully plays the guitar, she wields a left-handed Paul Reed Smith custom 22 guitar named Birdie. Her sophomore album, appropriately entitled, Power of a Woman, displays much more of her rock vibe and unsurpassable talent on the guitar. It becomes impossible to pin down a genre on Power of a Woman, each song is an example of just how versatile Ezina can be. Think Erykah Badu meets Jimi Hendrix with a vocal feel of Tracy Chapman. Ezina often refers to herself as "the quiet storm" which is relevant to both her demeanor and her music. She is wildly underestimated due to her sunny disposition and positive aura. Underneath the layers exists a force field of emotion and raw talent that hasn't been matched in decades. With a classically trained voice and sounds that incorporate funk, soul, blues and rock it is an absolute mystery of what to expect until she steps up to the mic. In addition to two hit CD's, an MBA and overcoming any obstacle thrown in her path, Ezina has a list of accomplishments that keeps gaining pages. She has found the time to write and publish ten books, has written 2 films which are in pre-production, toured the world twice, teaches classes on financial management and became certified in both yoga and meditation instruction. Ezina is a true inspiration to women proving that any and all dreams can be accomplished through determination.