Today, we’d like to introduce you to Maysa Leak.
Hi Maysa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
In 1991, I auditioned for Stevie Wonder when he came to Baltimore and performed for an annual concert with the Morgan State University Choir under the direction of Dr. Nathan Carter. My best friend Kim Brewer was already singing with him, and she asked him if he could audition. He said yes, and he had a conference room set up in his hotel with various keyboards and had me sing scales, harmonize with Kim, and various vocal arrangements.
I passed the audition, but I had one year left at Morgan, so I asked him if I could move to L.A. after I graduated because my parents sacrificed for me to go to college, and I wanted to finish for them. He told me I absolutely could do that, and when I obtained my degree, I moved to California. At that time, he was working on Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever Soundtrack, so I was able to sing backgrounds on several songs, the most popular one being “These Three Words.”
After appearing with Stevie on big TV shows such as Oprah, David Letterman, Johnnie Carson, Byron Allen, and Arsenio Hall, etc., the work ended after Stevie took his show on the road and because I was a newbie, and I didn’t know his touring show, I wasn’t asked to go on tour.
So, at that time, I went into survival mode and got several jobs. One, teaching voice and managing a girl’s group, recording with other artists and producers, and getting jobs at The May Company and Wherehouse Music Store. One producer I worked for asked me if I’d like to audition for his bestfriend in England, who had a music group called Incognito, and he was looking for an American lead singer to be the focal point of his band.
Bluey, the founder and leader of the band called me one day, we had a great conversation about music, and then he asked me to sing “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” a Stevie Wonder classic. I sang it to him and the next morning, his manager called and said that I was chosen, they would send me a contract, and move me to London within weeks. When I arrived in England, I recorded and toured with Incognito 2 albums, “Tribes Vibes and Scribes” and “Positivity.”
In 1994, while we were at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Carl Griffin, the V.P. of A&R at GRP Records, walked up to me and asked if I was ready for my solo career. I wasn’t sure he was serious, but he was, and I signed with GRP/BlueThumb Records and recorded my first solo album, “MAYSA,” which to this day is one of my best-selling albums.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been smooth, but blessed every day.
There was a period when I didn’t have a record deal. I tried to put in an application at the Home Depot in Randallstown, MD, on Liberty Road, but thankfully, the store manager recognized me and tore up the application, telling me she had all of my music and not to give up!
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am a singer, songwriter, producer, entertainer, author, record label owner, and inventor.
Instead of being set apart, I believe I just learned how to stay in my own lane, develop my craft, stay professional despite the negativity of this business, and do everything in my power to give my listeners and supporters all the love and highest quality music I can produce from my heart.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about Baltimore is that my family is here. My roots are here, and Baltimore is culturally diverse and beautiful. AND, OF COURSE, CRABCAKES.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Maysa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maysaleakmusic?igsh=cHJ3aDE2OGlldjBh
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MAYSAOFFICIALLIKEPAGE?mibextid=LQQJ4d
