Jazzy Amra

Photo Courtesy Of Jazzy Amra

WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIVED THERE?
New York. I'm still living In the Bronx. I've lived here my whole life.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED?
I was born and raised in the Bronx.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR PRESENT CITY OR YOUR HOMETOWN?
I would say everything! I feel like being from Bronx, NY is a culture. From the way we talk, the food we eat, the way we dance and interact with each other, we’re unique. I wouldn't trade being from Bronx for anything.

WHAT WERE YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS?
Honestly, when I was a young girl I wanted to be a astronaut. When you're a child everything you want to be seems so easy to obtain and the possibilities are endless. I was always fascinated with space, the stars and the planets, and still am. But as I grew older, I slowly but surely realized singing was something I loved to do. The way singing would make me feel at the age of eight to nine is a unexplainable feeling.

WHAT HAS BEEN A SEMINAL EXPERIENCE?
Definitely working with Wyclef Jean. He's a legend. Working with him has opened so many doors for me. I've performed in countries I never thought I’d travel to. I'm just a young Dominican girl from the Bronx who sees a lot for herself. And for somebody like ‘Clef to really go so hard for me and believe in me the way he does just keeps me going.

WHY MUSIC?
Why not music? I love music. Mark Twain said it best: "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why." I feel like I definitely found my purpose in life. That purpose is to uplift people with my music and my story. God gave me a voice and I'm going to use it.

HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY YOUR SOUND?
I would say my sound is hip-hop and R&B with a lot of soul. I sing my pain and people can feel it.

WHAT THEMES DO YOU PURSUE THROUGH YOUR LYRICS?
I don't stick to a particular theme, but I usually sing about love, love lost, and my daily struggles. I keep it real. Everything I sing about is real life. I wouldn't even call myself an artist of anything I sang about wasn't true.

IS THERE A SONG OR MUSICAL PASSAGE THAT NEVER FAILS TO MOVE YOU EMOTIONALLY?
There are many many songs I can name that move me. But one specific song is "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton. That was one of my mom’s favorite songs. She used to sing her heart out to it. Even when I was apart from my mom while she was still alive, I would hear it and would automatically envision her singing it. My mom passed away when I was 18. Now everytime I hear the song I feel like I still hear her voice.

WHAT OR WHO HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOU?
My mother. Even though my mom was going through things which led to me being removed from her custody at a young age, I always thought she was perfect and beautiful. She sang beautifully, too. She's the reason I love music. I would always see her dancing and singing and as her daughter, I would always imitate her. Now that I'm way older and finally understand what went on and the reasons for what went on in her and my life, it keeps me going and makes me push harder for what I want.

WHAT’S YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
I get ideas out of the blue sometimes. I could be sleeping and I hear a melody in my head, then I’ll wake up and voice note it. On a day to day basis, I see and hear things that inspire me and that I can relate to, so I type whatever I'm feeling in the notes on my phone and come back to it later when I'm writing a song.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
I would say my style is laid back. I love wearing sweat suits, jerseys, crop tops, sneakers. Not too girly I guess. But that's what makes me feel 100% me.

HOW DOES YOU AESTHETIC TRANSLATE IN OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE?
My lifestyle translates in everything I do. Being a recording artist is a lifestyle. I like to do things and be around things that inspire me. It's so much of a lifestyle that I don't go a day without singing. I could go visit a friend and their family would want to hear me sing.

WHAT'S YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE?
As for my hair, I straighten it more than I leave it wavy. But I always make sure to condition it very well not to use harsh products on it. I have yet to even color it. My hair is literally down my back and it grows fast because I make sure to treat it nicely. As for my face, I don't use foundation everyday, but I make sure to wash my face with Aveeno face wash, apply lashes, fill in my brows, do my famous jazzy cat eye wing liner and add some gloss to my lips. I don't really do too much to my face. That’s not by choice, though, because if I knew how to do my makeup like professional makeup artists do, I would!

HOW DO YOU SPEND A DAY OFF?
On my days off, I'm usually home on my laptop watching different types of interesting documentaries. I love learning about new things.

HOW DO YOU STAY MINDFUL?
I stay true to myself and never forget why I started. I stay mindful by not losing sight of what I really want and my longterm goals. I don't plan on living in an apartment building in the Bronx forever. There's so much more to life and I want it all!