Ozara Ode' - Dreaming Big

At some point, most of us have been encouraged by our parents to reach for the stars. We are often told that our possibilities are limited only by our imagination. If imagination is the vehicle of success; dreaming big is the engine that propels and pushes one to unparalleled heights.

After a year of playing tag on Facebook, I finally got a chance to speak with a dreamer who is certainly pushing herself towards the next station, with no intentions of stopping. If you're fortunate, you'll be standing on the platform when this quadruple threat passes through, and years from now you'll recant times passed, saying remember when.....

The deep, full flavored sound of this artist is causing people to take notice. Years from now, after she's graced us with her full potential, she will definitely be a point of reflection for many. When she speaks, her energy and elegance captivates. The more she speaks of inspirations and aspirations, her genuine love for what she does becomes more than apparent. She's an artist's artist; someone who does what she does because it's ingrained in her. Someone with enough respect for the craft that she pays homage to those who have paved that way by taking time to learn what makes the masters, the masters.

Ozara, wealth or treasure, Ode', born while traveling; clearly a name that was ordained by her destiny. This treasure hails from Milwaukee Wisconsin, and her jazzy, sultry vocals often lend her to comparison with the late, phenomenal Dr. Nina Simone. With a style that often seems to mimic that of Nina Simone, it strikes many as unbelievable when they find out that it was only recently that she learned who Nina Simone was.

It wasn't until others begin to compliment her on her sound and detail the comparisons between the two, that she begin to look into this otherwise unknown singer. If you didn't know any better you'd swear she was once under the tutelage of Dr. Simone, and well, you'd guess that the grasshopper finally snatched the pebble from the master's hand. In accordance with a thought that was shared with Ozara by Dr. Simone's granddaughter, 'I'm willing to bet the master simply decided to visit us again'.

Ozara began establishing her performance roots in her hometown, and to further identify her style she combined two of her talents, singing and poetry. When asked about her performance style, she referred to it as "jazzy, funky, soul, R&B-ish'". Being both grounded creatively and possessing an analytical mind equipped for business is often a challenge for artists. Fortunately for Miss Ode', she has a familiar foundation that keeps her walking both sides without skipping beat.

She comes from a musically inclined family. Her grandmother, father, aunts and uncles comprised a group called The Brooks 9, so the talent in this artist runs deep. Her mother, owner of Mason & Mason Services guides her through the process of protecting her work through copyright services, and with the assistance of her stepfather, a retired judge, this artist comes equipped with her built-in legal team. Charlatans and hustlers beware; you won't be getting over on this beautiful sister anytime soon.

If coming equipped with talent and legal backing isn't enough to drive you to your next destination, Ozara pulls all the stops with having enough gumption to pull herself to higher and higher heights. This 'stick-to-it-tiveness' as she calls it was apparent when she recanted of opening for, husband and wife soul duo, Kindred. It was a situation where she wasn't even schedule to open for the act. No exact opportunity even presented itself, but at this moment, a dream became reality as she exercised her inner gangsta', found out who the promoter was, and made an earnest plea to be put on. So she put on, and proceeded to seize the moment.

Prior to navigating to beautiful Atlanta, she performed in cities like Chicago and LA, and even had the opportunity to open for Floetry. According to Ozara, it was in Atlanta where the doors really begin to open for her. She initially hit the only spot she knew of at the time, The Apache Café, and was eventually welcomed with open arms by many. While performing in Atlanta, she garnered the attention of many. She even earned a featured spot on the show JJ on Atlanta. After a stint in the bustling musical mecca of Atlanta, she decided to share her talent with the residents of Washington D.C, and eventually made her way to Paris, France.

Even though she's been blessed to share her talent in quite a few places, being an indie artist still has it's challenges. According to Ozara, exposure is the biggest challenge for her, and for the average indie artist in general. Independent artists don't have the large label backing, and therefore most can't afford the marketing required for mass exposure. She sites her best advice about self promotion as coming from Terry Bello. Bello's advice was simple; So what, maybe 5,000 people or 10,000, people have heard your stuff. There's close to 6 billion people on the planet, and at least 1 percent of them will appreciate your music. You have to push the work you have and not invest in new projects.

When asked about her inspirations, she was all over the place. Ozara admitted to loving the vocal styling of Sarah Vaughan and Etta James. Some artists that she enjoys include; Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, Nancy Wilson, REO Speed Wagon, Sting, Aretha Franklin, The Police, and India Arie. She made sure to mention that she loved to rock out, but about the only thing she really can't get with is acid rock.

When asked about her aspirations, she began by referencing a piece by Bobby Drake called "Everyday". The poem "Everyday" serves as a source of motivation. Ode' cautions others with vivid dreams to refrain from holding their dreams hostage. Ozara says "the future is bright, because she wants it to be". She wants to take her supporters on a journey through life, where anything you desire and whatever you visualize, it can be. The brand of Ozara Ode' is dream big and make it happen.

If only we all dreamed in high definition, what a beautiful world we could create.