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Entertainment Follow us on www.twitter.com/easterneye www.easterneye.eu April 19, 2013

Anita: My solo ride is
all about the journey
by ASJAD NAZIR
THERE is a difference between Anita and other rising solo stars
attempting to make a breakthrough.
She has already found success as one third of girl group Serese
and impressed everyone with her magnificent vocals. Now ready
to go in a new direction, the sexy singer from London is putting
together solo material and has already done an unplugged session
on Radio 1.
Eastern Eye caught up with Anita to find out more about her
musical journey, new material, solo master plan, inspirations,
non-music ambitions and if this really is the end of Serese.
How would you describe your time in the music industry so far?
There have been a lot of ups and downs, and some amazing experi-
ences. Ive learned so much as the industry has changed and as a re-
sult, have become much more independent and business-minded. I
feel like I have been really blessed with everything that Ive been able to
do and I look forward to more. Im especially thankful for the people
who have believed in me and been an integral part of the team, such as
my manager Richard Pascoe, producer AC Burrell, and writer Wayne Hec-
tor. There have also been people who have
believed in us enough to give us a platform
to share our talent such as Jasmine Doti-
wala, Nihal Arthanayake and Tony Dortie.
What has been the high point for you, mu-
sically speaking?
There have been so many that its hard to
pick one. Opening the MTV Awards in Asia
was amazing and definitely one of the many high points.
Why did you decide to work on solo material?
Being in a band of three girls with different talents and
personalities, weve always been asked to do things individually
as well as a group. Sometimes that was modelling and some-
times it was collaborations. We never wanted to suppress
that, and so I started doing my own music as well be-
cause as a songwriter, I wanted to continue doing the
kind of music I felt like doing. None of us ever wan-
ted to turn down opportunities to fulfill our own
personal ambitions.
So does this mean its the end of Serese?
(Smiles) All great things come to an end, so yes, it
is the end of Serese, but the phoenix always rises
from the ashes.
Tell us about your solo material?
Its very pop, with a lot of my own influences grow-
ing up which include soul music, reggae, hip hop
and so on. There are some big ballads, which I
love doing, but as Im also a dancer, there
will be lots of great up-tempo tracks and
awesome choreography.
You recently did a live session on
Radio 1. What was that like?
That was amazing! I love playing
live and stripped back, so it was
nice to be able to do that with just
a guitarist and tabla player. It was
also my first solo performance after
the band split, so it felt a little emotional.
What is your solo master plan?
Im not going to be holding back Im going to be
putting out some great new music and you can
expect some hot music videos too. I intend to tour
as much as possible and take it from there. I have
lots of things in mind, but I like to focus on one
day at a time as it can be easy to stop enjoying
the journey if you are always just thinking ab-
out the end destination.
Who would you love to work with?
There is quite a long list of people Wayne Hector, Bruno
Mars, Justin Timberlake, Jessie J, Will.i.Am, Mark Ronson...
the list goes on for quite a while.
Will you be going on the live circuit?
Yes, I love putting on a show and theres no better way to
gauge how well your music is received than being face to
face with your audience.
Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
Michael Jackson is my hero. I think about the way he did things
a lot when I am doing music. For example, when working on
choreography, I think about the little touches he put in that are so
effective for an audience, and when Im in a studio recording, I
think about the passion in his vocals and try and channel that be-
cause I want people to feel my passion, emotion and excitement
when they hear my music.
Which of your unreleased songs are you most excited about?
I have a song called High Heels, which I think is the embodiment
of me as an artist. (Smiles) Its by AC Burrell from Blacksmoke
Entertainment who is, without a doubt, one of the biggest talents
to come out of this country. Im very excited about it.
Tell us something not many people know about you?
(Laughs) I really hate peanut butter!
What inspires you?
Passionate people inspire me. I love seeing and meeting people who
are really enthusiastic about things. Enthusiasm, positivity and
passion are very attractive traits in a person. It kind of makes me
want to do great things when I see other people at their best.
Im always forwarding inspirational YouTube videos to my
friends because I love stories of triumph over adversity.
What is your best and worst quality?
I think my best quality is that nothing is ever a prob-
lem to me. I can always see the bright side, and if
there isnt one, Ill laugh anyway. My worst quality is
I have a bit of a temper. (Laughs) Im working on it!
Apart from singing, what do you do better than
your close mates?
I can go backwards into a bridge and then walk
across the room like a spider.

What qualities impress you in a guy?
Kindness, intelligence and someone who can walk
down the street in pink bunny ears and not care.
Do you have any ambitions away from music?
Yes, quite a few. One of the things I want to do is go
trekking and see the gorillas in Borneo.
You are always dressed beautifully. What are your
fashion inspirations?
Thank you. I think my love for structured military
style and tailoring comes from Michael Jackson, my
girly dresses that hug all the right places are Betty
Boop, and my penchant for retro pieces is because I
love the whole 1950s era for fashion. I think my body
shape was made for that era.
What is the secret of your trademark hairstyle?
My hair is naturally curly, but serum keeps the curls
shiny and frizz free. I have been known to cut my own
hair from time to time to get some shape into it.
According to you, what makes for a good song?
Good lyrics with a strong melody. Sometimes a clever
analogy or innovative way of describing something
in a song can give me goose bumps.
Where can we keep up to date with everything
thats happening with you?
You can go to my website www.AnitaOfficial.com
where I regularly blog everything Im up to. You can
also find the links on there to my Facebook, Twitter, In-
stagram, Soundcloud accounts.
Finally, why do you love music?
Because it comes naturally to me, because it is inspir-
ing and exciting, and because it allows me so much
creative freedom.
THE MUSICIAN FROM GIRL
BAND SERESE TALKS ABOUT
MAKING IT ON HER OWN
Im taking
it one day
at a time