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She is a singer, songwriter, actress, author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, inventor, innovator, you name it and she may have done it. Shanta, was born Shanta Smith in Patterson, NJ on September 10, 1982. Shortly after she was born, her mother and father moved to Miami, FL which would become her official stomping ground. By the time she was in elementary school, she and her family discovered that she had the innate talent to sing. She was first discovered by her elementary school music teacher, Mr. Shinehoft, who asked her to perform solos for classes and during the morning announcements. He recruited her into the elementary school chorus and from there she went on to perform several solos for her church congregation, singing with their small but energetic youth choir. In middle school, she added acting to her talent resume and developed a love for drama. She continued performing in plays and talent shows both in school and at church, and sang at her grandmothers wedding (which would be the first among several special ceremonies). But, it didn’t take long for Shanta to realize that she did not fit the choir mold. Her family was unsuccessful in finding a vocal coach that was both affordable and capable enough to nurture her gift to where she needed to be.

By high school, Shanta laid aside her musical talent to pursue a more stable career. She was an honor student and was well recognized for her academic achievements. While in high school she discovered that she possessed yet another talent. During her four years at Coral Reef Sr. High she also excelled at track and field and was offered a full athletic scholarship to just about any school of her choice. She chose the Georgia Institute of Technology (A.K.A Georgia Tech.) But she did not lay aside her musical aspirations completely. Shanta still found the time to participate in her high school’s productions and showcases. She even made it as one of the finalist for “Oh Say Can You Sing?” A competition hosted by the Channel 10 Eye Witness News Station in Miami. The winner(s) would sing the National Anthem at one of the Miami Heat home games. Although she did not win that competition, Shanta did eventually sing the National Anthem in college at two Georgia Tech Basketball games, one in 2002 and one in 2004. Both games happened to be a victory against NC State. She still aspires to singing the National Anthem at a major national sports game like the Super Bowl or professional baseball game like the World Series.

While Shanta was still in high school, she began to write her own songs, seek out studios to find musical tracks, and gain recording experience. When she entered into the college arena she always made the time to entertain her musical and entertainment endeavors. She won the Miss Black and Gold Pageant in 2002 for GT as well as the Spokes Model category in the “Show Stopper of the Year” competition. Also, in the Summer 2002, she was an extra in the movie Out of Time, staring Denzel Washington. She later did extras work in other films such as Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion (2005) and Stomp the Yard (2006). Her growing passion to be an entertainer in this industry has led her to perform in any event she could, both by invitation and without. Her willingness to learn more about the music business as a whole led her to the Atlantis Music Conference, interning with the Atlanta radio station V-103, and with BMI Atlanta. In the summer of 2003 Shanta teamed up with her teammate, Brian Swarn of Definition Music and founder and CEO of Phenetix Urban Athletic Wear Co to create her first official demo in Colorado. From there she has performed her own music but has still fared successful at performing other published material as well. With more musical selections at hand, Shanta could write more and unveil her creativity. She encountered more musical connections including old friends from Miami like Boy Blue with Inmind Entertainment, Brian Derby and John of Rich Productions where she could record more of her creations, and also lending her vocals to the sounds of other aspiring artists.

In 2005, all of Shanta’s endeavors where put on hold when she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. After three months and four rounds of chemo therapy she emerged to write her first book Spoiled By GOD which is scheduled to release at the end of 2008. The book tells her inspirational story of overcoming issues with self-esteem, injuries, and cancer. She shares her profound outlook on the issues of life and the many lessons she learned through each process. The trademark, Spoiled By GOD also includes its own product line of apparel and novelty items. Shanta has had the opportunity to share her story in several written publications and articles and through speaking engagements with various churches and youth organizations. Now with a second chance at life and a new head of hair, Shanta is again aggressively working to pry her way into the doors of the entertainment business. She began taking voice lessons with Donnis at Marvelous Entertainment and performed open mikes at the Apache’ Café, Café 290 and the Compound. She has performed mini concerts at The Summer Jazz Festival at the Mable House Park and the Fourth of July Fest at Clayton County International Beach.

In as late as 2008, Shanta quit her regular 7:30 to 6:30pm job and took up personal training to give her the flexibility to pursue her business, music and acting career even further. She has landed bigger speaking roles in a few independent films such as Shake, 116 Muscles, and Four Minutes and parts in a couple TV series including the pilot for “Yellow Cry” and a feature in the hit series “Atlanta Homicide”. She started acting classes with the Premier Acting Network with Dwayne Boyd to expand her skills. She has also written he own scrip to sell entitled “Who Here Takes This Bride”. On the music side she has been invited perform at several venues and has released her first mastered single “More That Gold” written by Avid Crichlow of Unicorn Music. Shanta is constantly growing and discovering her voice and all of who she is. She is ready to make a major impact in this entertainment industry.

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(Actress/Singer/Print Model)

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