*“I want to take you there (Africa),” said Harpist Mariea Antoinette about her new single “Afrika” from her upcoming album release Fierce. “I was performing there with Jazz in Pink.” We did a tour there…it was amazing. We went out to the marketplace, and we ate with the Minister of Culture. A woman had us over for dinner at her house. She has a palace! The food was fresh and delicious. We even went to a nightclub – the rhythm and mindset! One part (of Africa) is wilderness and animals, then there is the City of Africa. The city is like any other – like New York.”
Mariea Antoinette is a R&B/Jazz harpist. Her visit to Africa had a profound impact on her, and it is evident in her new single “Afrika.” With her harp, Mariea transforms the sounds of Africa into a Smooth Jazz masterpiece. Emmy-winning Allan Phillips (Donna Summer, Kenny Loggins) produced the single, which is already being considered for a Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Performance. Her upcoming album that the single is included on, “Fierce,” will be her fourth solo project.
Allan Phillips plays keyboard on Mariea Antoinette’s “Afrika” single, and he is joined by Grammy-nominated drummer Tiki Pasillas (Marc Anthony); bassist Nathan Brown; guitarist Evan Marks (Billy Eckstine); trumpeter Derek Cannon; tenor saxophonist John Rekevics, trombonist Jordan Morita; the AP All Stars Strings ensemble, and on vocals Natalya Phillips (Genesis).
“When you see the sisters with baskets on their heads…their smiles…you think of that (Africa as the motherland). Black women (in general) carry the genes of all races,” she informed me as we continued our talk about Africa.
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Antoinette, as a child, came from a Classical music background, but gravitated to Jazz and R&B as she got older. Her music releases have garnered her Billboard chart-topping hits. Her single “Overture” reached #1 and stayed there for 13 consecutive weeks. As a harpist, Mariea has backed Ne-Yo at the BET Awards and has performed for First Lady Michelle Obama. She has also performed with the Los Angeles Southeast Symphony Orchestra at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Mariea said she has other singles released and to be released from the “Fierce” album, which include “Happy Feelings,” “Another Star,” and the title track “Fierce.”.
A San Diego, California native, Mariea Antoninette has also been honored with various awards, such as the Instrumentalist of the Year Award in 2018 and the Best Jazz Single Award for “Overture” from the Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Association in 2018.
Mariea told me that a harp has 47 strings and seven different pedals! She said her shows last for an hour. Imagine your fingers playing 47 strings for an hour. Amazing. www.MarieaAntoinette.com
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Business Management/Public Relations Strategist and Consultant at Freelance Associates and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: “Uplifting Minds II” Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is in its 26th year. Next events are coming to Baltimore via Zoom, Saturday, April 19, 2025, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and Los Angeles via Zoom, Saturday, November 8, 2025. The ULMII event is a free entertainment conference offering a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase, and a National Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance, and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $20,000 valued in prizes/products/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com, RSVP for Zoom Access at Eventbrite.com, or email [email protected].
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