17-year-old Jazz singer youngest to perform at festival
(CBS DETROIT) - The Detroit Jazz Festival is taking place over Labor Day Weekend and artists from all over the country are taking their talents to places like Campus Martius and Hart Plaza.
Anissa Lea is one performer who is letting Detroit know it's her time to shine. At only 17-years- old, she's the youngest performer to sing at this festival. She has drawn comparisons to the likes of Adele and Billie Holliday took the Absopure Waterfront Stage Saturday afternoon to show her talents behind the mic.
The Livonia native has been recording since the young age of 13-years-old. She also writes her own songs, using past experiences to help motivate and inspire her.
"Being able to express my feelings through my emotions, through my music, and being able to share my love and my passion with everyone," says Lea when discussing her inspiration for writing. "I am extremely honored to be selected," she added.
It was a selection Chris Collins the President and Artistic Director of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation says was a no brainer.
"When I first heard her, I head the jazz tradition," says Collins. He says a performer like Lea embodies what the festival is all about. He listens to auditions blindly when it comes to selecting who would perform in this years festival. He had no idea Lea was only 17.
"When i heard Anissa right away. I wrote down the number 39 and I didn't know. I didn't know she was 17, I didn't know. I just thought, this is one of those records. I don't know. I've gotta to get her on the festival," Collins says after listening to Lea for the first time.
Collins added it's always a pleasure to hear young people interested in the jazz genre of music and believes the sky is the limit on a talent like Lea who has all the time in the world to keep improving.
"But when you hear someone that not only has a natural talent, but very clear on what is clearly put a lot of time into their craft and investing in the jazz vocabulary, that's a lot to do by 17," says Collins.
Lea humbly says she hopes to continue to her musical journey as she continues to grow, now having said that she's performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival.
"To write my music and be able to share it for the world. I've always been there to do my music in there before and really just be myself," Lea said.