"I used to be afraid of my voice," says 25-year-old singer, songwriter Keishera. The raspy alto grew up listening to singers like Whitney Houston and, sometimes, felt insecure about her own voice. However, after being exposed to Tina Turner, Tracy Chapman and Anita Baker, she was inspired and even more determined to share her passion and voice with the world.
Keishera does not sound like your average pop diva, and that may be the reason behind the praises she’s been getting from fans and fellow artists; or it could be that she has an amazing presence – partly due to her voluptuous, 5feet 11inch frame and perfect cheekbones as well as a fun, down-to-earth, anything-goes personality. When international reggae star Shaggy first heard Keishera sing at his recording studio in Jamaica, he was drawn in by her melodious voice. He later collaborated with the Jamaican born songstress on the hit single "Feels Right".
Keishera James grew up in St. Catherine, Jamaica. At age eleven, she migrated to Brooklyn, New York with her single mother. She attended Cunningham Junior High and Canarsie High School. Keishera and her mother struggled through a strained relationship, leading the rebellious 16-year-old to move out and live on her own. While still in high school, Keishera worked as a waitress and model to make ends meet. She made appearances in Essence magazine, Heart and Soul magazine, numerous runway shows and an ad for IMAN cosmetics.
Despite the heartaches and major setbacks, Keishera graduated from high school and began to put herself through college. During her freshman year at New York Technical College, Keishera's gift of songwriting began to emerge. "When I was living on my own, I didn't have a radio…a TV…nothing," she recalls. "I was just renting a room somewhere. I was really feeling bad about my life, but I found comfort in writing down my feelings and experiences and putting music to it.”
Hard-times and financial difficulties forced the teenager to drop out of college, but she held on to dreams of sharing her voice with the world. Keishera landed a few local singing gigs including a brief stint with the New York-based band, Burnt Sugar – founded by Village Voice journalist Greg Tate. Subsequent run-ins with legendary icons Maya Angelou and Patti Labelle, who both encouraged Keishera to stay focused on her dream, further convinced the rising talent that she was on the right path. In 1999, Keishera, under the management of David Passick (who was behind the careers of Maxwell and Herbie Hancock), formed her own band and performed at venues like CB's Gallery, Joe's Pub and S.O.B's. The band separated the following year, and Keishera moved on to Paris and London where she recorded songs and practiced different musical styles. She then returned to her roots in Jamaica and began writing and releasing a series of independent singles. She recorded the acoustic tune "So Good" with producer Mr. G aka "Goofy." The song was played on local Jamaican radio stations. Shortly afterward, Keishera met Shaggy through a mutual friend. The meeting led to the creation of the Klymaxx rhythm-based "Feels Right," which was an instant hit in Jamaica and Europe in 2005. "Feels Right" was followed by the single "Cry No More," an anti-domestic abuse tribute which she co-wrote with Jamaican hit maker Christopher Birch. Currently, Keishera is hard at work on her debut album. And while this star-in-the-making hopes to open minds with her unique vocals and reggae-soul fusion, ultimately, she just wants to make good music. "I'm most happy when I'm singing," she smiles. "I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. I really have something to say to people through song. This is a calling."
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