Mýa
INTERVIEW WITH MYA
By John Davenport
Thank you, Mýa, for taking the time to speak with us at Coolgrrrls.
Q. First of all, I would like to talk with you about your latest project, “K.I.S.S. (“Keep It Sexy and Simple”). Tell us about the making of this project and the collaborations you have on it.
K.I.S.S. is my 7th studio album that I crafted as a gift to my fans. It features production from Young Yonny, Junior Sanchez, One-Up, Lee Major & more. Collaborations include Sean Paul, Spice – the hottest female dancehall artist in Jamaica, Marques Houston on an R&B jam & a surprise feature on the physical release coming in February.
Q. Any added pressure for being the executive producer for the project?
Not at all.
Q. What is your favorite song from the “K.I.S.S.” album and why? Which song or album do you feel is your greatest work thus far?
I feel that the K.I.S.S. deluxe album is my best so far both sonically & lyrically. It describes who Mýa really is while still giving R&B, Soul, Pop, Caribbean influences as well the best display of my vocals to date.
Q. Can you tell us about any of the projects you are planning or working on after the release of “K.I.S.S.”?
I’m not going to speak on anything in detail too soon, but I am already working on 2 other projects.
Q. You express many talents. When did you first realize that you wanted to become an entertainer and what form of entertainment was your first passion – singing, dancing, modeling, acting?
The first time I knew in my heart that I wanted to sing was at the age of 4 while I watched my Dad rehearse in church on Easter Eve. As far as entertainment is concerned, I was 10 years old when I saw my first Broadway show “Jelly’s Last Jam” starring Gregory Hines in New York City. That’s when I knew that I wanted to explore the vast array of the arts- signing, acting, dancing, writing, playing an instrument, stage production, make-up, wardrobe, etc. I enjoy the entire process & seeing a final product come to life. Being able to share it & impact others is like hott fudge with a jumbo cherry on top.
Q. What was your first professional performance and can you tell us a little bit about it?
My first professional performance was probably at the age of 4 or 5 when I hustled my mother for either $10 or a Happy Meal at McDonald’s to get my little, stubborn behind on stage… I was negotiating early (laughs).
Q. Who has influenced you the most and tell us why they grabbed your attention?
From a performance perspective it’s always been entertainers that were triple/quadruple, quintuple, etc threats that grabbed my attention. Sammy Davis Junior, Gregory Hines, The Nicholas Brothers, Gene Kelly, Lena Horne, Josephine Baker, Diana Ross, Cyd Charisse, Prince, Michael Jackson to name a few. They were all so very well poised, well spoken, possessed class, raw talent, boldness & a special sparkle. That sparkle that made entertainment look so fun!
Q. You have been the recipient of many awards and achievements in your career, which one or one’s are you most proud of and why?
I think being acknowledged for my non-profit work with The Mýa Arts & Technology Foundation by my own community has been the most rewarding. Being acknowledged for music, videos, and entertainment is nice, but actually impacting where you came from & being appreciated & acknowledge for it is another level of fulfillment.
Q. Did you have any professional training in your talents or are you self taught. If so, who did you work with?
In tap-dance I learned the basics. In rhythm tap, I began teaching myself by watching videos at 11 years old then began taking classes with the masters at 12 years old. Violin- was learned by instruction. Hip hop- I was self taught by studying videos & copying moves before I started taking any classes. In engineering, I was originally self taught also by observation, then advanced my skills with crash courses with engineers & online classes. In art, my grandmother taught me quite a lot from an early age.
Q. Can you tell us about your new record label, PLANET 9?
I created my own label PLANET 9 in 2008 after parting ways with Motown/Universal in November 2007. After a mishap & accidental release of “Liberation” on their part occurred in Japan, my lawyer advised that I just go independent instead of spending time in a lawsuit. From there I proceeded, recorded & released “Sugar & Spice” in 2008 (Japan), “The Perfect Edition” double disc in 2009 (Japan), “Beauty & the Streets” mixture Vol 1 in 2010 (U.S.) partnering w/Young Empire with a distribution deal via Fontana/Universal, K.I.S.S. (Japan) in April 2011 & K.I.S.S. Deluxe (US/Canada) in December 2011 & K.I.S.S. World on February 14, 2012.
Going independent has been an education in itself, so PLANET 9 is my imprint in which I, the artist & CEO fund, own, executive produce & even engineer my projects. I am now entering the next stage of manufacturing & physically distributing my own physical copies through my website’s music shop myamya.com which will make my product/merchandise available to my fans who still want to touch & feel the product.
Q. You have worked with so many talented artists during your career, is there anyone who stands out the most? Who would you like to work with in the future?
I have to say some of my greatest experiences have been working or performing with producers/artists who are also musicians like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Sarah McLaughlin, Wyclef Jean, Robin Thicke to name a few. It’s such a joy being able to watch them at work & birth silent air into melody, harmony & rhythm on the spot. I’d love to one day work with Rod Temperton & Quincy Jones.
Q. You are a well known philanthropist; can you go into some detail about the charities and foundations you work with? What can others do to help?
The Mýa Arts & Technology Foundation (tmatf.org):
TMATF is dedicated to teaching youth around metropolitan Washington, D.C. in the fields of performing and visual arts, in addition to computer technology. The Mýa Arts and Tech Foundation (the “Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation chartered in April 27, 2005. The Foundation’s primary purpose is to provide education & scholarships in the arts and technology for inner city and suburban youth (ages 5 – 18) throughout the metropolitan Washington D.C. area & abroad.
Africare (africare.org):
Africare’s programs focus on four principal interrelated areas: Food Security, Water, Health, and Emergency Response in over 36 African countries. The projects formed under these key areas work hand in hand with sub-initiatives like Women’s Empowerment and improved Water and Sanitation in order to achieve Africare’s mission: To improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.
North Shore Animal League (animalleague.org):
NSALA is the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue & adoption organization. Their mission has been to build their hands-on rescue, rehabilitation and adoption efforts to save the lives of as many companion animals as possible – one at a time – and promote education to increase shelter adoptions, reduce animal cruelty and advance the highest standards in animal welfare.
People can get involved by simply visiting the websites, spreading the word, making donations & even by volunteering.
Q. With everything that you do, your own label, singer/songwriter, dancing, modeling, acting, and philanthropy, which talent inspires you the most?
I think teaching children has been the most inspiring. The ability to communicate effectively to children has always been a talent of mine. I’m actually thinking about studying child psychology.
Q. What has been the biggest challenge for you as a female artist/entertainer and how did you overcome it?
I think the biggest challenge has been grindin’ out, taking the blows, taking care of a family, like a man is usually conditioned to take on alone while maintaining a smile, maintain an exterior presentation & refraining from being unlady like by NOT cursing somebody the fudge out or going to jail! I overcame/overcome it by LONNNNNNNNG prayers, counting to 10,000 if applicable & writing & recording songs like “Nothin’ At All” “Evolve” & “Somebody Come Get This B*tch” (laughs).
Q. Last question, do you have any advice for the young ladies who may be wanting to start a career in the entertainment world?
There’s not one standard piece of advice that I’d give. You can create your own world of entertainment with technology these days. But if you’re talking about entering the entertainment biz, well that’s another story.
Obviously, get to know who you are by becoming spiritually in tune & aligned with The Creator. You’ll need quiet time to ask yourself questions like – What is it that I’d like to do? In what capacity? To what degree? What are the real reasons? Money, fame, impacting people, all of the above? Long term/short term?
Practice time is essential to perfecting your craft. Planning is important for a guideline & timeline. Action is essential for execution. Research is important to become aware of the business side of the game to prevent legal messes. This day & age aspiring entertainers can utilize the internet to their advantage. Whether it’s online books, research, networking, viral videos, music, to get seen, heard, discovered… it’s all available at the click of a button. I strongly suggest keeping in mind, it takes money to make money, so save your money, because it’s necessary to invest in yourself first & consistently. But at the end of a day, it’s all about having fun & sharing your light with others!
Q. Anything else you would like to share?
Yes sure. I can be found on twitter.com/missmya & myamya.com
And my new album “K.I.S.S.” can be previewed & downloaded on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/k.i.s.s.-keep-it-sexy-simple/id484853286
Self funded, self executive, produced self owned.
Enjoy!
Mýa
LoveMya.Com | Your Freshest Online Mýa Source | News, Media, Photos | K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple)
[...] also sat down with Coolgrrrls to talk about K.I.S.S., her creative influences, early moments in her career, philanthropy, and [...]