We recently connected with Sanura and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sanura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned to sing by listening to lots of music growing up. I don’t have a church background so besides singing in school choirs, I never had that type of vocal experience. All I had was those timeless R&B and Soul artists that I was raised on to show me the way. Fortunately my parents were huge music connoisseurs, so I had a vast music library to soak up from an early age.

Looking back, I think having more confidence in my abilities would’ve sped up my learning process. I spent a lot of time questioning if the music I made was good enough and looking to others for their approval, when the truth was that I had the sauce all along. But the gift that comes with being a lifelong Artist is that over time, you eventually stop giving a fuck about what other people think. You just start making what feels good to you, and then you have the realization that the people who are on the same type of time as you will gravitate towards your art.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Sanura and I’m an R&B/Soul Artist and Producer from Virginia Beach, VA. I started singing and writing when I was 9, and my interest in the creating music continued to grow from there.

My music is super laid back and sexy; I always say that my songs are meant for a late night drive around the city, it’s the perfect vibe to wind down to.

I don’t necessarily think there’s anything that sets me apart from other Artists that simply make the music that’s on their heart. We’re all one in the same in that way. We share our experiences over chill ass production and put it out for the world to hear, hoping someone, somewhere can relate to the feelings we feel. That’s the type of Artist I always wanted to be; creating art that feels good to me, and making my ideas come to life. Other people enjoying those ideas is the cherry on top.

I’m most proud of the fact that I have creative control over all of my most recent projects, from the sound all the way down to the cover photography. I always have a message to convey with every song or project I make, and I’m thankful that I’ve never been held back from executing my own concepts.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When I first moved to LA, I came across a speech by Neville Goddard called “The Secret of Imagining-1960” and it completely changed the way I viewed my own role in my life.

The basis of the speech was that we are the creators of our reality, and our imagination helps us to do so. It made me realize that I had been doing this unconsciously my whole life, but that I needed to be more intentional if I wanted to see any real change.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

For society to better support Artists, they need to first acknowledge how important of a role Art plays in their lives, and then PAY the Artists! I particularly feel this way about the art of music, because it’s intangible… people can’t see it or touch it so they don’t have as much respect for it as they would with something they could hold in their hands.

However, music plays a vital role in all of our lives. It’s in the TV shows and movies we watch, at the stores we go to. It’s the first thing we put on when we want to turn up, while we’re cooking/cleaning, and even when we’re going through a heartbreak. IT’S SO IMPORTANT!

The Artists that create this music deserve to receive more than just a few pennies on the dollar per stream, or to be asked to do unpaid shows. They deserve to be able to financially support themselves and their families so they can continue creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sanuraofficial.com
• Instagram: @sanuraofficial
• Facebook: sanuraofficial
• Twitter: @sanuraofficial
• Youtube: SanuraTV
• Soundcloud: sanuramusic
• Other: TikTok – @sanuraofficial

Image Credits

Myron Rogan