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Artist Commentary
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"Candice Anitra has a pure and beautiful instrument. Producer aside, players aside, Candice's voice ..."Candice Anitra has a pure and beautiful instrument. Producer aside, players aside, Candice's voice wins every time."
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Candice Anitra: Crossing Boundaries
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"It is all too rare for me to hear a new artist and think 'now this is something truly fresh...and g..."It is all too rare for me to hear a new artist and think 'now this is something truly fresh...and good!' That is the reaction I had when I first heard Ledisi. And . . . when I first heard Amy Winehouse (way before her U.S. debut). I'm having that reaction now to the music and videos and, quite frankly, the interviews I'm encountering by a singer named Candice Anitra."
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“Too Much Woman”- A Chat with Singer/Songwriter Candice Anitra
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"The slightly rock edged music coupled with her soulful voice gives me a euphoric feeling, like ever..."The slightly rock edged music coupled with her soulful voice gives me a euphoric feeling, like everything’s going to be all right."
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Candice Anitra ‘Big Tree’ Album Teaser Trailer
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"Highly anticipated album due out in March 2012 from Candice Anitra entitled Big Tree. With Joel Ham..."Highly anticipated album due out in March 2012 from Candice Anitra entitled Big Tree. With Joel Hamilton (Elvis Costello, Nina Simone, Blakroc, Dub Trio, Matisyahu, Talib Kweli, Soulive, Lettuce) handling the production duties and mastering by Brian Gardner the set is sure to be a sonic treat."
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Candice Anitra Wants Fan Support for Her Album “Big Tree”
“Armed with a voice that won’t quit and endless stage presence.”
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Music Video: Candice Anitra ‘Too Much Woman’
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"She’s singing about female empowerment and societal double-standards. . . It’s a definite about-fac..."She’s singing about female empowerment and societal double-standards. . . It’s a definite about-face from the chauvinistic submission of much of today’s popular music and imagery."
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Discover Candice Anitra's "Bark Then Bite"
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I’ve been enlightened to the voice of Candice Anitra. An artist from Brooklyn, New York that unders...I’ve been enlightened to the voice of Candice Anitra. An artist from Brooklyn, New York that understands the meaning of being creative. She has recently released her debut album “Bark Than Bite“. This album is, plan and simple a journey of her expressions of creativity. From the first song “Bad Taste”, to one of my favorites “Take Me”, which is the epitome of the smokey and heavy with sultry sexiness vibe I love. The simple chords, give her voice all the latitude it needs to envelop you in it’s wisps of mysterious soulness. Yes, it’s like that. Then moving on to “Too Much Woman” gives us something similar, with a touch of a astral vibe. This is the album, that makes me want to drive through some random rainy city at 2:00am, and just reflect upon my day and life. Then there are more upbeat and positive songs that round out the album to earn it a place in my daily rotation.
Candice Anitra has a refreshing, crisp quality that brings a new perspective to the genre. This perspective is much needed, at this time that is being called the Golden Time of Soul. With many artists releasing their long awaited projects this fall, and new artists trying to emulate those artists, that’s where Candice Anitra stands out. Check out her video below, which is of the song “Objectify”. Is a wonderful plea from one lover to the next. Never had this proposition put in such a way. Enjoy.
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Candice Anitra’s “Bark then Bite” = awesome soul music
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You never know what you’re going to get when an artist’s tagline is “Singer. Songwriter. Alchemist.”...You never know what you’re going to get when an artist’s tagline is “Singer. Songwriter. Alchemist.”
But Candice Anitra might want to add another one: Certified Banger.
If you take Tracy Chapman’s organic folk vibe, mix it with Meshell Ndegeocello’s raw sexuality, add some of Joan Armatrading’s lyrical earnestness then you have a sliver, a fraction of the redacted soulful light of Candice Anitra.
Listen to “Let’s Continue,” and you’ll see what I mean.
There is new music then there is new music, that opens your eyes and defies genre. Candice Anitra’s new album “Bark Then Bite” offers a refreshing take on the ladder.
You’ll quickly realize that this is not some manufactured rythym-and-booty music that the record company is hoping you’re too drunk to scrutinize. Anitra’s lyrics are deep and actually mean something.
You’ll be blown away with “Bad Taste,” and “Objectify,” where she pleads a lover to look at her in a way that will make their love whole and enduring.
Straight out of Brooklyn, the femme fatale took 15 days to record the album, according to her publicist. But the quick turnaround only serves to highlight the prolific creative force that has arrived on the music scene in 2010: Candie Anitra.
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Independent Woman
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Five years ago Dave Chappelle staged a musical feast with a somewhat impromptu, rain-soaked Broo...
Five years ago Dave Chappelle staged a musical feast with a somewhat impromptu, rain-soaked Brooklyn “Block Party” that featured an all-star line-up including The Roots, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Common, Jill Scott and a reclusive Lauryn Hill.
Brooklynite Candice Anitra (real name Candice Anitra Manson) wasn’t in the crowd that day, but if Chappelle decides to film a sequel in the near future this emerging singer/songwriter, whose independent debut album, “Bark Then Bite,” conjures images of Annie Lennox, Grace Jones and Badu herself, might just get a call.
Officially released in March through her MySpace Web site, the 11-track CD is a hybrid fusion of funk, soul and jazz laced with aggressive electronic riffs courtesy of producer Joel Hamilton.
The compilation has an absolute standout track and accompanying video in “Objectify,” a song that features some of the most sensual lyrics since Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.”
The mother of two young daughters, Anitra, 31, is managed by her husband Adam, a dean at a local middle school. She is not your everyday city-dwelling mom.
“I guess I put my emotions, experiences into precise words if I can,” said Anitra explaining the album’s title. “Sometimes I’m a little loud in real life. Sometimes I bark and have gotten harsh, but I’d rather be clear in what I want to portray. It may be too much sometimes, but I’m going to give it to you.”
A case in point when she recalls the inspiration behind “Objectify,” directed by her husband’s school friend Simon Doolittle, was a trip to the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
“There was an installation piece where a man was being ordered around by a woman’s voice,” she said. “[Well], you assume it’s a woman’s voice, but you cannot see her. The man is nude and he’s getting aroused. He’s not being asked to do sexual things; more like stand up, sit down. So I’m watching this with 50 people squeezed into this little room and no one’s breathing. I’m like this is fascinating…exciting.”
And exciting was how Anitra — who had tried to put out an EP a couple of years ago when she fronted a band called True Story — described the assembling of her new project.
“I did the vocals and the basic tracks for my EP at Joel’s Studio G in Brooklyn and just thought he was awesome and amazing,” she said. “I was very excited and just couldn’t stop writing after that. Once I had 15 songs, I e-mailed Joel and said I have to get back there. I said I have this album, and will you listen to it. I mailed him the demo and he said point blank, ‘Yes, I want to work with you.’”
Anitra continued: “Then he says, ‘I know these guys, Dub Trio [Macy Gray], I’ll give them a call and we’ll figure out a budget. And Joel has another friend, cellist Marika Hughes, who’s performed with Whitney Houston and Jay-Z. It was magical. All these people were like, ‘I wanna work with her’. Really?”
Modesty aside, Anitra was born in Philadelphia to a professional singer and poet father, and a mother who works in hospital administration and liked to sketch.
In fact, hers is quite the creative family, Anitra’s great-grandmother was a folk singer and her professional photographer brother Nick Antony shot her publicity photos.
Growing up to the sound of the O’Jays, George Benson, Nancy Wilson and Bill Withers, acting was Anitra’s first love — but she accidentally discovered her musical talent during a high school theater internship.
“We had a performance coming up, which were blues riffs for monologues,” Anitra said.
“I wrote this little thing because at that point I knew how to sing. The girl who was supposed to lead off couldn’t do it at the last minute. So the teacher said ‘Oh Candice, you’re up, you’ll have to start it off. C’mon, you can do it.’”
She added: “Even after that, I wouldn’t call myself a singer until college when I was in the undergraduate drama program at NYU’s Tisch.”
Again, fate seemed to play a part.
“I was still at NYU and in the band with these guys, which wasn’t going that well,” recalled Anitra.
“Well, my mentor, a lovely woman called Kamal Sinclair, who’s a dancer, choreographer and poet, had come back into town after doing [the stage show] ‘Stomp.’ She’s like I hear you sing. I’m doing a project and I want you to be in it. I had great fun, so here I am the solo artist.”
Thus, for Anitra — busy wife, mother and recording artist — 2010 could be a breakthrough year.
“I’m focused on nothing but good things,” she said. “I’m already writing songs for the next album.”
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Candice Anitra Delivers at Her Album Release Party in Brooklyn
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Candice Anitra delivers at her album release party in Brooklyn
April 8, 2010, at Southpaw
By And...Candice Anitra delivers at her album release party in Brooklyn
April 8, 2010, at Southpaw
By Andrew Schwarz
The buzz surrounding Candice Anitra suggests that there is a new soulful singer/songwriter on the rise. Anitra's debut LP, Bark Then Bite, was the talk of the night as a crowd recently gathered for an album release party show at the Southpaw, near the singer's home in Brooklyn.
In introducing her, Anitra's partner and manager gave homage to the "good music and good people" that came together around the album; he cited her producer Joel Hamilton's present work with arts-based community development in South Africa as a reflection of Anitra's vision to use the arts as a tool for empowerment. And Dub Trio was given a shout-out for serving as the session musicians for the album, a feat they accomplished between Matisyahu tours.
Surrounded by raucous hooting and shouting, Anitra pounced on the opening drum line of "White Lines," and sang, "Good morning, who are you today? / The yin or the yang / Two sides to every coin / But that don't mean you can't change."
After the uptempo first track, Anitra let the crowd know, "Y'all are awesome!" and launched into the melodious and ambient number, "Bad Taste." She followed with "Let's Continue," a catchy tune that moves in lyric and tone from assertively cautioning, "You left me naked, boy / Out there on that limb / I won't choose that again," to sensually inviting seduction. The song highlighted Anitra's range vocally and lyrically—not to mention the sophisticated playing of her band, which included Yayoi Ikawa on keys, Derek Nievergelt on bass, Wes Mingus on guitar, and Jason Mills on drums.
An already captivated crowd showed further excitement as the band ripped into "Who Invited You" halfway through the set. And when Anitra reached the hook of "We Are Love," the single first released as part of GLAAD's Valentine's Day promo, it was clear the audience was enchanted by the affirming emotion and beauty of the song as well as Anitra's voice, which really does suggest her alchemy since she can make any syllable sound golden. The song is a celebratory anthem, inspired by Anitra's anger over the Prop 8 melee in California: "We all should be free to love the way we want to love as long as we're not hurtin' anyone. If you don't agree, mind your business."
Anitra and company closed the evening with a remix of the single, "Objectify," a rich and sultry ode to the empowering possibilities of partners honoring each other's beauty, which turned into several minutes of the singer's smooth but fierce improvised crooning over the band's energized jam.
Ultimately, Anitra's set was uplifting in the way that soul music always ought to be. Between songs, there were regularly playful and mutually affirming exchanges between the singer and the crowd. Afterward, a fan exclaimed, "So often when I go to live shows, I leave feeling like I'd just as soon listen to the album without leaving my house, but Candice is a performer! I wouldn't want to miss her live."
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Singer Rejects Prop 8, Promotes Love for All People
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Growing up, Candice Anitra was often described by family and friends as being too blunt or harsh. Bo...Growing up, Candice Anitra was often described by family and friends as being too blunt or harsh. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Anitra took these traits most people consider negative as compliments. “I’m direct and I just speak my mind … I don’t see the point in mincing words,” she says.
Anitra’s straightforward approach to life is what inspired her song “We Are Love” written out of dismay for California’s passage of Proposition 8. This past Valentine’s Day, Anitra teamed up with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and used the single in a promotional video for the organization’s Web site.
Standing up for people to have the right to love whomever they choose is something she strongly believes in. “My husband is Jewish and before 1967 we would not have been allowed to marry, because I’m a black woman,” says Anitra.
A self-described old soul, Anitra lists Bill Withers, Ella Fitzgerald and Sam Cooke among her musical inspirations. “My number one inspiration is Bill Withers … the thing that is most striking to me is that he is a storyteller and that’s what I want to be above all. I find him so inspiring,” she expresses.
Anitra says that everyone is an artist whether they realize it or not, and she uses her music as a way to promote love and inspire others to be creative. “The reason I do what I do is because I believe people should dream big. You shouldn’t limit yourself in terms of what you can do,” she advises. –cherice e. norman
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Efficacy - Candice Anitra
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Efficacy Episode 38 brings you Candice Anitra - Born and raised in Philly now living in Brooklyn. Si...Efficacy Episode 38 brings you Candice Anitra - Born and raised in Philly now living in Brooklyn. Singer/songwriter/producer. 'Bark than Bite' is her debut album. She's also collaborated with Dub Trio. Her music video "Objectivity" was produced by Simon Doolittle. Candice is also in the produce of adapting a play for the screen and her first serial comic series. Busy lady!
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"Bark Then Bite" Album Review
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I had Bark Then Bite, the new CD by Candice Anitra, on repeat for about 2 and half weeks. By the end...I had Bark Then Bite, the new CD by Candice Anitra, on repeat for about 2 and half weeks. By the end of that time, I had six of the album's 11 tracks on heavy rotation. The six tracks that stood out represent the kind of music Anitra can make when the many facets of her musical personality hit on all cylinders. The album's other tracks don't have the same bite
"White Lines," the album's opening track is a rollicking funk, blues, rock fusion that is perfectly suited for Anitra's throaty vocals. "Let's Continue" sports a tempo that alternates between a funky rhythm section driven beat that shifts into a pulsating punk feel that backs the song's catchy hook. "Take Me," with its minimalist instrumentation and seductive and tastefully done bedroom lyrics, is an indie rock love ballad. The album's best song, "Who Invited You," is a straight up, mid tempo soulful head nodder. The song takes an interesting view on concepts and individuals that - despite all of our best efforts - take up residence in our lives and thoughts. "Who Invited You," treats these things like uninvited guests, while "Too Much Woman" is a hip-hop influenced song that allows Anitra to boast about her swagger.
"Objectify," the album's final track, is sultry number in which Anitra shows that best erotic songs often leave a lot to the listener's imagination. "Objectify" is a bump and grind tune that features blaring horns, electric organs and lyrics that bring to mind two people who have put the pretenses of polite society aside in order to revel in unbridled passion. The amazing thing about this song is that Anitra paints a steamy picture without getting explicit. "Put it on, take it off, bend over boy, if you're man enough, slow it down, speed it up, don't be shy, I like it rough." The grown folks know what she's talking about, and they also have the wisdom to make the most out of those directions.
The other songs on Bark Then Bite, can't match the kind of metaphorical writing featured in tracks like "Who Invited You," or the playful boats and schoolyard taunts found on the quirky "Too Much Woman." Still, the best work on Bark Then Bite features a half dozen songs that invite themselves into your head and make you want to pull up a seat and ask them to stay for a while. Moderately recommended.
By Howard Dukes
Read more: Candice Anitra | Review - Bark Then Bite (2010) | SoulTracks - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews
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Candice Anitra: Too Much Woman [Music Video]
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"Candice [is] a confident woman who will not let others confine nor define her – true to her vision ..."Candice [is] a confident woman who will not let others confine nor define her – true to her vision as a person and artist."
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Soul Powerhouse Candice Anitra Releases Debut Album Today, Bark Then Bite, On Morphius Records!
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September 14, 2010
Soul Powerhouse Candice Anitra Releases Debut Album Today, Bark Then Bite, On Mo...September 14, 2010
Soul Powerhouse Candice Anitra Releases Debut Album Today, Bark Then Bite, On Morphius Records!
Candice Anitra releases her debut album, Bark Then Bite, on Morpheus Records today, September 14th, available at Amazon and in select physical retailers.
“A pacifist in pumps / Not afraid to throw a punch / Or eat your hurt feelings for lunch,” is how Candice Anitra, describes herself on the female powered anthem “Too Much Woman,” from Bark Then Bite. The Philly-bred singer, who found her passion at the city’s renowned Black Lily shows, soaking up performances by the likes of The Roots, Jill Scott and India.Aire, is excited to announce her debut album, along with performances in DC tonight 9/14 at Liv, NYC tomorrow 9/15 at SOB’s Sol Village, and next Thursday 9/23 at Elena’s Soul in Philadelphia.
Helmed by super-producer Joel Hamilton (Elvis Costello, Justin Timberlake, Bernie Worell, Talib Kweli), with music by Dub Trio (backing band for The Fugees, Matisyahu), and recorded in Brooklyn’s illustrious Studio G (BlakRoc, RJD2), Bark Then Bite is a musical tour-de-force, combining Anitra’s raspy, yet soaring vocals with infectious melodies, over funky, rock-infused baselines.
The buzz behind Bark Then Bite landed Candice in the Black Planet Soul Beach competition in which she finished 4th out of a pool of 20 finalists that included neo-soul scene stalwarts like Jeremy James, Gordon Chambers and Darien.
If you are in NY, make sure you check her out performing live at Sol Village at SOB’s with Eric Roberson.
For press inquiries, reviews and features, please contact Alex Damashek at alex@moveforwardmusic.com.
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CANDICE ANITRA/Bark Then Bite: Available September 14th, 2010
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CANDICE ANITRA
BARK THEN BITE
9.14.10!
“A pacifist in pumps / Not afraid to throw a punch /...CANDICE ANITRA
BARK THEN BITE
9.14.10!
“A pacifist in pumps / Not afraid to throw a punch / Or eat your hurt feelings for lunch," says Candice Anitra on the female powered anthem “Too Much Woman,” from her debut LP, Bark Then Bite. The Philly-bred singer, who found her passion at the city's renowned Black Lily shows, soaking up performances by the likes of The Roots, Jill Scott and India.Arie, is gearing up for the release of her debut album this September. Helmed by super-producer Joel Hamilton (Elvis Costello, Justin Timberlake, Bernie Worell, Talib Kweli), with music by Dub Trio (backing band for The Fugees, Matisyahu), and recorded in Brooklyn's legendary Studio G (BlakRoc, RJD2), Bark Then Bite is a musical tour-de-force, combining Anitra's raspy, yet soaring vocals with infectious melodies over funky, rock-infused baselines.
Bark then Bite is an album that demands to be heard. Not only do all of the collaborators lend their artistic genius and decades of experience across musical genres, but Candice proves herself a force who will make a definitive mark on a new decade of music, art and politics. Candice’s songwriting, with Joel Hamilton and Dub Trio’s embellishment, pushes the envelope with its infusion of funked up rock n roll and with her sexually-seductive politically-progressive lyrical content.
Indeed, Candice Anitra defines herself as a singer-songwriter-alchemist. Her words turn life’s grist into gold. Amidst Candice’s progressive feminist angle is a sound that is simultaneously new and vintage – producer Joel Hamilton references the music as “Tina Turner meets The Beatles” or “Fiona Apple meets India.Arie.” Alternately, it’s as if Sade linked up with The Doors or Amy Winehouse merged with Jill Scott.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, part of a long lineage of gospel singers, Candice was the first in her family to take her powerful voice outside the Church and put it to work in the studio. After moving to NY to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Candice began to make a name for herself in the Brooklyn Soul scene, with regular performances at popular venues like Southpaw and Public Assembly. She also worked as a principle songwriter for the Off-Broadway musical "Selling Splitsville.”
Candice presently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her partner and two young daughters. Along with releasing Bark then Bite and the recent premier of her “Objectify” music video produced by Simon Doolittle, Candice is also in the process of adapting a play for the screen and developing her first serial comic. Candice looks forward to being a songwriter and producer who can help create community arts and youth development centers. In her work, she channels her great grandmother for inspiration, and she is driven to model for her two young daughters the message that they must never let others interfere with their pursuit of their own passions and inner truth.
"This emerging singer/songwriter['s} debut album, 'Bark Then Bite,' conjures images of Annie Lennox, Grace Jones and [Erykah] Badu [...] features some of the most sensual lyrics since Marvin Gaye’s 'Sexual Healing.'" - Olu Alemoru, LA Wave
"Enchanted by the affirming emotion and beauty of ['We Are Love'] as well as Anitra's voice, which really does suggest her alchemy since she can make any syllable sound golden." - Venus Zine
"She uses her music as a way to promote love and inspire others" - Rolling Out
"The many facets of her musical personality hit on all cylinders." - Howard Dukes, Soul Tracks
"Candice Anitra brings the raspy, soaring vocals and infectious melodies over funky rock-infused baselines. The debut, ‘Bark Then Bite,’ could possibly take the Soul/R&B world by storm as Anitra is introduced to the world!" - Fiona Bloom, ihiphop.com
“full of poetic, lyrical content [...] Her voice is magical.” - Girl.com.au
“righteously raspy soul.” - George Woolley, Yahoo Entertainment
"full of spunk, funk, and soul [...] She’s got an infectious sound and a fantastic voice." - Amy Lotsberg, Collected Sounds
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Pacifist in Pumps
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If the name Black Lily rings a bell- you may have heard her name floating around those circles. Or -...If the name Black Lily rings a bell- you may have heard her name floating around those circles. Or -if you’re an avid Philly Music Lover- perhaps here- So just who are we talking about- Her name- Candice Anitra and like her female powered anthem says “Not afraid to throw a punch’ and ‘A pacifist in pumps’.
Welcome to the stage Anitra. She’s since moved to NY and honed her skills and songwriting craft with a debut album that’s shaping up to be a musical tour-de-force. She’s been working with super producer Joel Hamilton(Elvis Costello, Justin Timberlake, Bernie Worell, Talib Kweli) and music by Dub Trio(backing band for The Fugees, Matisyahu) and recorded in BK’s ‘Studio G’- now if that isn’t enough- Candice Anitra brings the raspy, soaring vocals and infectious melodies over funky rock -infused baselines.
The debut ‘Bark Then Bite’ could possibly take the Soul/R&B world by storm as Anitra is introduced to the world!
ihipalbumcoveranitra1
Here is the first music video off the debut called “Objectify”- Let us know what you think!
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Candice Anitra
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Candice Anitra
Candice Anitra is a soul singer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. She began he...Candice Anitra
Candice Anitra is a soul singer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. She began her career in the world of dance in Philadelphia, she pushed through her limits whilst suffering from knee injuries and moved into her comfort zone of music, visual arts and theater.
Candice sings whilst Mike Gamble plays guitar, Noah Jarret is on bass and Zach Lucas is on keys.
Her music is full of poetic, lyrical content that moves the swift lyrics through the sound of beating music. Candice’s music is everything; dancing, driving and music you can sing too. Her voice is magical using height and depth to create content.
The EP Easier provides an overall show containing the various types of sounds Candice is capable of providing to an audience. Her voice is very moving and whilst being graceful and soulful it still makes you want to dance due to its rhythmical charm.
Describe your musical style?
Candice Anitra:Audrey Lourde + Anita Baker + Amy Winehouse
What is your top pick-me-up trick?
Candice Anitra:Dancing, journaling, sharing laughs with the my family.
What’s your best quality?
Candice Anitra:Empathy. It informs everything I do.
Whose music do you admire most?
Candice Anitra:Sam Cooke, Nancy Wilson, Bill Withers, Ella Fitzgerald.
Favourite shop?
Candice Anitra:Is the internet a shop? I love window shopping online: Macy's, Target, 6pm, Zappos.
Where would we find you on a Sunday?
Candice Anitra:Sleeping in, eating crepes, writing, reading with my girls, in front of the computer.
What do you do to relax?
Candice Anitra:Dance, laugh, enjoy intimate moments with my loved ones, read, watch TV, listen to music.
How does it feel to hear your songs on CD?
Candice Anitra:Surreal.
Did you have any pre-conceived ideas about the music industry?
Candice Anitra:Greed, chauvinism, users, posers...but unscrupulous folks are everywhere - why should the music industry be any different? I'm a big fan of the theory that our actions tell others how to treat us - so I focus my energies on what I'm doing to invite my current reality.
Do you write your own songs? What’s your inspiration?
Candice Anitra:Yes, I write all of my own lyrics. I'm inspired by passing fancies, reverie (I've always had an intense dream life - both day and night), reading about relationships/gender/sexuality, love sonnets by Pablo Neruda, Murikami, my family. I'm learning and whatever I'm ingesting has it's own ripple effect.
What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?
Candice Anitra:Of course, Sam, Nancy, Bill, & Ella - but also, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli, Nina Simone, Bjork, Seal, Gnarls Barkley, John Legend, India.Arie, Jill Scott, Bilal, Amy Winehouse, Anthony Hamilton, Cassandra Wilson,Corrinne Bailey Rae, Dave Matthews Band, K-OS, Kanye, Lupe Fiasco, Sade, Sara Bareilles, Sizzla, Buju, Tori Amos, Outkast...I love music and there's almost always something on - so I could play this game all day. Right now I'm obsessed with that Jazmine Sullivan single, I Need You Bad.
What’s next? Tour/Album/Single?
Candice Anitra:I'm gigging locally in NYC and working on a full-length album right now.
Do you prefer performing live or recording?
Candice Anitra:I definitely get intense performance anxiety, but there is something magical about performing. The most fun for me is the songwriting but I love a great jam session.
What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?
Candice Anitra:We listened to a lot of great music in our house and my dad used to sing to me, mostly songs he'd written. The most inspiring thing is being a parent. I just want to be a good example for my children. I want to be able to tell them to follow their dreams at any cost, and, to do that without being a hypocrite, I need to follow my own.
What has been your favorite part of becoming a music artist?
Candice Anitra:I'm a storyteller, and finding my own voice has been very empowering. I feel stronger and like I can do anything I set out to do.
If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?
Candice Anitra:Talib Kweli, Bill Withers.
The Easier EP is available now on iTunes, Amie Street, Amazon, Rhapsody, and EMusic. Candice is currently working on her first full-length release, Soulstice: Bark Then Bite.
Cut & paste the following link to view the on girl.com.au - http://www.girl.com.au/candice-anitra.htm
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International Songwriting Competition Finalist
Objectify Candice Anitra - Brooklyn, NY, USA
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Candice Anitra “Take Me” (Video)
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The Philly native and Brooklyn based singer/songwriter Candice Anitra releases the video for ”Take M...The Philly native and Brooklyn based singer/songwriter Candice Anitra releases the video for ”Take Me” from her debut album, Bark Then Bite, which is due this month. The video was edited by Joe Tomino of Dub Trio.
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Songstress Candice Anitra Releases Video "Objectify"
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“A pacifist in pumps / Not afraid to throw a punch / Or eat your hurt feelings for lunch,” says Cand...“A pacifist in pumps / Not afraid to throw a punch / Or eat your hurt feelings for lunch,” says Candice Anitra on the female powered anthem “Too Much Woman.”
Just in case you're wondering, no, this Philly native and Brooklyn based singer/songwriter makes no apologies for her politics, lyrics or feminist ideologies on her debut LP Bark then Bite featuring the seductively galvanizing first single “Objectify.”
Album credits include Joel Hamilton (Mos Def, Elvis Costello), Dub Trio (Macy Gray, Matisyahu), Marika Hughes (Whitney Houston, Carla Kihlstedt), Scotty Hard (Prince, Louie Vega) and Soulive.
Anitra's home as a young girl was infused with Motown, the Philly Sound, and Staxx Records, as well as institutionalized oppression. She comes from a lineage of singers, whose powerful voices were limited to church and domestic lives. At age 12, Candice asked her dad to teach her to sing; he told her she “wasn’t ready.”
Excited to attend Philadelphia’s Creative and Performing Arts School for high school – and join some of the school’s legendary performers like Boyz II Men, Bilal Oliver and Black Thought, – Anitra's parents instead sent her to Philadelphia High School for Girls.
However she would soon become a regular at Black Lily shows featuring The Roots, Jill Scott and India.Arie, still holding a passion for the arts. Candice attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 2000.
The move to New York City afforded her the opportunity to push the edges of artistic expression alongside gifted peers - as a featured vocalist in Kamal Sinclair’s The Beat featuring Mustafa Shakir, as the lead singer of Brooklyn-based True Story featuring Nemiss, as a songwriter for the play ‘Selling Splitsville’, and as a singer and performer in numerous other performance art happenings.
In 2008, Anitra released her EP Easier, produced by Force Theory, music that propelled her demand by music venues throughout New York City and producers worldwide.
Anitra credits artists like Bill Withers, Ella Fitzgerald, childhood friend-saxophonist extraordinaire Jaleel Shaw, and her father William C. Manson for inspiring her singing style.
Withers introduced her to the power of songwriting, while Fitzgerald gave her the courage to expand her vocal range – “Ella makes singing sound effortless, and I want to access that space,” said Anitra.
Amidst her progressive feminist angle is a sound that is simultaneously new and vintage – producer Joel Hamilton references the music as “Tina Turner meets The Beatles” or “Fiona Apple meets India.Arie.”
Lately the songstress has been bearing witness to alchemy at work. "Bark then Bite," her forthcoming album, is the product of progressive chemistry coming together: 15 days at Studio G in Brooklyn with magical producer/engineer/artist Joel Hamilton, during the same month he was wrapping Billboard’s #1 Top Heatseeker’s album Blakroc and a host of other acts.
Anitra proves herself a force to be reckoned with with her latest work. A force who could make a definitive mark on a new decade of music, art and politics. The songstress pushes the envelope with an infusion of funked up rock n’ roll complete with sexually-seductive politically-progressive lyrical content.
The album’s title reflects its ferocity. It is soul music in the genre’s deepest and broadest sense, the music stretches beyond standard definitions but captures Anitra's vision as an artist.
Anitra defines herself as a singer-songwriter-alchemist. Her words turn life’s grist into gold. The first single “Objectify” flips the script on typical notions of objectification and celebrates the sensual and liberating opportunities to be “objectified” according to one’s own self-definition.
With the opening track “White Lines” Bark then Bite begins with hard hitting percussion. The song is a challenge to single-minded, short-sighted, patronizing ideologies – a literal response to Ann Coulter but figuratively suggesting the possibilities for personal transformation.
The uptempo “Let’s Continue” could easily be a hit single without sacrificing depth, profoundly advancing a romance while cautioning against the relationship’s preceding shortcomings. Marika Hughes tantalizes with her cello on the track’s extended outro.
Songs like “Take Me,” “Cross the Water,” “Bad Taste” and “Dark Things” possess melodies that recall Sade’s sultriness but lyrics that are more sensually provocative and emotionally ambiguous (a la’ Meshell N’Degeocello).
“We Are Love” manifests itself as a catchy homage to the power of the human spirit, written out of dismay of California’s passage of Proposition 8 in November 2008. The song is an offered anthem for the gay rights and marriage equality movements, a rebuke of intolerance but ultimately a celebration of love’s transcendent possibilities.
Ask some and they may tell you that Anitra is doing more than sending social messages within her music...she is transforming her family legacy from that of dreams deferred to that of dreams realized.
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Album Review: Easier by Candice Anitra
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Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
This EP is full of spunk, funk, and soul. Not...Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
This EP is full of spunk, funk, and soul. Not that a white girl in Minnesota (me) would know much about that. But we did spawn Prince.
But I do know it makes me want to dance. And not much makes me want to dance anymore, that’s too much like exercise. But my leg bounced up and down when I hear this. Especially title track, easier. But I also like Boy Crazy a lot.
I’ve never really been into dance music and I guess I’m still not. But I am enjoying this record. She’s got an infectious sound and a fantastic voice.
This would be great at parties.
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Independent Music World Series Semi-Finalist
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Independent Music World Series Enter now for the IMWS About the Independent Music World Series... Independent Music World Series Enter now for the IMWS About the Independent Music World Series IMWS prizes and sponsors IMWS rules and faqs IMWS news IMWS photos and music Contact the IMWS Disc Makers home
The semi-finalists for the 2008 Northeast IMWS have been chosen!
1st Rule Entertainment
6cheek
Abbie Gardner/Anthony Da Costa
Abyss
Al DeCosey
Alfonso Nicholas
Alltyme
Anj
Aurora & Zon del Barrio
Aychcee
Ayurveda
Benita Farmer & New Journey
Beretta Jane
Bernadette Harold
Black Phantom
Blu Lyon
Bridgette Angelique
Bryant Smith
C Phineas
Candice Anitra
Carl Creighton
Ceej
Chainsaw Mascara
Charetta
Christian Willis
ciph
Closenuf
CLS
Contramano
Counterfeit Disaster
Cruel & Unusual Punishment
Dan Peluso
Davey La
Derrick Oshana
Dymon Deye Productions
Ed & Neil Pearlan
El Aleman
Fat City Reprise
Felony
Feriz Blue
FMOS
G.M.C. Live
Ghosthorse
GK & Ideal
Goodson
Grace and Julian
Halfway Crooks
Hard Hittere Inc.
Homemadesoul
Hydra
Ingrid Gerdes
J Flow
J. Michael & W2
Jerulz
Joe Whyte
Jorge Luis
Joshua Kruse
Kerry Politzer Quartet
KNS
LALA
Logs In The Mainstream
Lonnie Smalls
LOOT feat. Turnstylz
Lost Revolution
Lost Soul
M.O.
Margot Blanche
Mark Kephart
Maxamillion
Melissa Providence
Mental Case
Michelle Pereira
Mr. Jason
Nicole Frechette
Nini & Ben
Norm Skola
OC Da Don
One4Five
Orlando aka VS
Peter Hamm
Preme
Prophet-Z
Queen Esther
Randy Plaza
Raphael Brunn
Red Lyte District
Red Molly
Redhead Betty Takeout
Reklis
Return To Arms
Riders Against the Storm (RAS)
Rohain Collin Trio
Ron "Reno" Thomas
Rugged N Raw
Rush Life
Scott Tice
Sean Cox
Sell Ent…
Serina G.
Set Da Handler
Shadows At Noon
Shake Dizzy
Shayna Ferm and the Upper Deckers
Sinista
Speedball
Status Green
Stress
Swytch-K
Syncere
Taigaa
Tears Of Mars
Ted Hammock
TGP
Thank You
Jan
The Bad News
the BandA ecLectics
The Callen Sisters
The Command Radio
The Crayons
The Doughboys
The Hustle
The Nu Breed Music Group
Todd Alsup
Tom Glynn
Tom Vella & The Wayside
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Vesper
Zen Zadravec
2006 Northeast Showcase at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia
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Easier EP Review
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Motivational, urgent and pleading neo soul that wouldn?t offend LAURYN HILL or ERIKAH BADUH, CANDICE...Motivational, urgent and pleading neo soul that wouldn?t offend LAURYN HILL or ERIKAH BADUH, CANDICE ANTIRA offers polished vocals in her self-released EASIER (EP) recorded in Brooklyn with FORCE THEORY PRODUCTIONS under the supervision of Uber-engineer JOEL HAMILTON who has also worked with TOM WAITS, TIMBERLAKE, FRANK BLACK and ELVIS COSTELLO.
Candace describes herself as singer, songwriter, alchemist who feels a responsibility to ?encourage young women (and men) to fight for passionate self-expression in hot pursuit of their own Technicolor dreams.? It is no surprise then that her sound is likened to a late night session with Anita Baker, Audre Lorde and Amy Winehouse.
Track 2 OBJECTIFY is a beautiful example of sultry R&B soul at its most sensual. A full-length release SOULSTICE: BARK THEN BITE is expected sometime in Spring 2009.
There is nothing self-indulgent or lazy about this artist. As for the alchemist in her? She sent her CD in a cardboard envelope re-fashioned from a cereal box with the words ?recycle me? written in the corner.
Righteously raspy soul.
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Candice Anitra gives her all for Haiti
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"Artists who are keenly aware of the power their deeds and words wield and bear that responsibility ..."Artists who are keenly aware of the power their deeds and words wield and bear that responsibility well are a rarity. With her love of and gift for music, Anitra dons that burden proudly." - David Goodson, Amsterdam News
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Candice Anitra Remembers Haiti With Funk-Laden Dance Track
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"I guess nobody told Candice Anitra that all tribute songs are supposed to sound alike — slow moving..."I guess nobody told Candice Anitra that all tribute songs are supposed to sound alike — slow moving anthemic power ballads that you never want to hear more than once. Good for her. Her song 'Today,' which remembers Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake, is a funk-laden dance track that evokes more hope than despair." - Billy Johnson, Jr., Yahoo! Music
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Candice Anitra- Big Tree
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"Anitra doubles down on her musical independence on Big Tree. Tracks move from rock to electronica t..."Anitra doubles down on her musical independence on Big Tree. Tracks move from rock to electronica to a cappella and alternative. Vocally, Anitra is a big voiced singer who refuses to sing like a teenager in order to gain the type of mainstream acceptance that a singer with her talent probably deserves."
supersonic
