About Me
There are a multitude of ways to express one's emotions through song. For singer/songwriter Shakara, one of those ways is through the use of dynamics. "I love them. They help one literally see every shade of a person's feelings, as though looking at a vividly drawn painting. And the feel of them...they can be soft and silky, like gossamer, or sharp and angry like a white hot razor blade. It's truly magical." Minnie Riperton, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Sam Cooke, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, and John Mayer are among the many artists that have helped influence and shape Shakara's sound.
Born Shakara Elandra Weston, this native Houstonian began singing and dancing along to the theme song of "Showtime at the Apollo" at the tender age of 2. Her parents realized her potential and encouraged her to nourish her gift as she got older. She started singing in numerous elementary and middle school talent shows and plays and, at the age of 13, a teacher who had attended one of her performances quickly suggested that she audition for the prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, former school to many Grammy-winning artists; most notably, Beyonce Knowles. During her senior year at HSPVA, Shakara was one of the featured vocalists in her "Young Performers" ensemble, a small group dedicated to the performance of classic r&b, jazz, rock, and pop tunes. It was from her involvement in this group that she became very heavily influenced by classic r&b, pop, and jazz. After graduating from HSPVA as the "Most Improved" student, Shakara enrolled as a music major at the University of North Texas and continued to pursue her passion for the arts. She has since performed both solo and background performances in many venues including Houston's Miller Outdoor Theater, where she shared the stage with Ayanna Gregory (daughter of Dick Gregory), as well as the Urban Music Festival in Austin, TX. She also lent her voice talents to a local Dallas radio station for the promo of the Dallas "Hood Idol" contest. Shakara's eagerness to learn more about the business aspect of the music industry, in addition to performance, landed her an internship at ABC Media Networks in NYC, where she worked in the Music Rights and Publishing department.
Shakara will graduate from the University of North Texas with a BA in Music and minor in English in Spring of 2008, and will continue to pursue her love of music as well as learn as much as she can about all aspects of the music industry. While her creative talent and versatility will lead her to where she is ultimately meant to be, she aspires to inspire others and to ultimately join the ranks of some of the industry's most influential people.
