We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zemira Israel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zemira below.

Hi Zemira, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am definitely happier as an artist, creative, music business advocate and entrepreneur.

I’ve been very blessed to not have to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job for a long time now. My lord-husband, Bezaleel Israel, takes great care of me. I wouldn’t mind picking up a part time gig to help finance a lot of our business endeavor costs and home living expenses. There’s no shame in that. I encourage other creatives to do so if it makes sense for their life.

I remember a time, very recently, where prices went up for simple everyday items, and we were behind on our bills due to unfortunate unforeseen loss of investments. I thought to myself, “I should find a job to help make ends meet”.

Us artists have so much pride that can make or break our progress towards our end goal. We have so much pride and persistence that oftentimes truly helps what we do shine bright. On the other hand that same pride in our craft can sometimes make us see remedial work as beneath us. I’m here to encourage you to find a job. It may not be your path, or it may very well be your path.
Count the cost and take care of yourself, your family, and your responsibilities so that you can actually enjoy the thing that you do so naturally so that others may be encouraged and edified by the very thing you love to do.

Consider taking work that also comes naturally to you that you are already doing for yourself and your brand/business. Consider transcription work, graphic design work, video editing work, administrative work. They all may already be up your alley since you’re doing all these things for your day to day business already. Set up an email to take clientele. Join sites like Fiverr and Upwork to get hired for the skills you already have.

Learn a skill if you must. But by all means, understand that the creative side of what you do is not even half the work that needs to get done to catapult your impact on the world. The business side of what you do is what will take you there. And the business side of things takes money. Every commercial and ad you’ve ever heard or seen took LOTS OF MONEY. That is part of those companies’ success. Companies spend most of their expenses on advertisements, promotions and marketing. You need money to market, advertise and promote your business efficiently (forget about all this business if you are doing this for play-play).

To remedy this lack of extra cash-flow for me and my lord’s business, I created a branch outside but connected to our music brand called “H.I.T. Music”. It is a platform created to help fellow music artists with their brand, business and administration needs. Everything I already do for myself, now I can do for others for a price.

Be encouraged and brave enough to step out of your comfort zone and make things happen for your dream and business, and see how you level up, shine bright, inspire others all while making your dream come true.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For those who may not have met me or read about me before, I am pleased, excited, and honored to tell the CanvasRebel readers about myself, my insights, my stories, how I got into the industry of music, what type of music, products and services I provide, what problems I solve for my listeners and clients, and what sets me apart from others.

My full music artist stage name is Zemira Israel. It is Hebrew for “song princess of God”. I am a Jewess independent recording artist and songwriter. I was born in Petion Ville, Haiti and raised in the tri-state area of the United States. I now reside in Converse, Texas.

I have been songwriting and singing since the tender age of 8 years old in the year 1996. At 8 years old I would always be inclined to open major artists’ albums or tapes and maxi-single booklets that my dad would bring home to me to listen to from his job at a reputable record company. He would even bring home unreleased music which was always exciting. I would read their lyrics word for word on those little booklets (I loved those little lyric booklets) all the way to the end where the credits to the songs would be. That is when I realized that there was a real profession in being a songwriter. I made a pact with myself shortly after that I would be a songwriter for artists. Not even knowing at the time that songwriters made beaucoup money as their profession to this day. The Most High God had other plans to start me off. Instead, I’ve been writing for myself, mostly, and have written for 3 other artists in the past approximate 3 decades. I’ve been writing songs singing God’s praises, testimonies, desires, holy words, and truth for a little over a decade now.

My biggest supporters have been my dad Woody Dumornay, my lord-husband Bezaleel Israel, the Ztribe who consistently stream and buy my music and merchandise on my website www.zemiraisrael.com, and clientele for my NaturalWoolly & H.I.T. Music business advocacy brands’ who trust me in servicing them.

My dad was a DJ in Haiti. He is a performing singer as well to this day. Hearing his baritone voice in song through the house at such a young age, watching him perform at different venues and events, seeing him cut records for radio shows and create radio drops, and me listening to his massive music record collection of other artists, young and old, influenced my musical appetite greatly. My dad bought me my first keyboard. After he heard me play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” by ear, he financed my piano lessons as a child around 1996.

In 2003 I joined a gospel traveling choir named “The Easternaires”, a branch stemming from my old a capella church congregation I used to attend. This choir and a-capella-only-church is where I honed into my vocal arrangement & harmony stack filled songwriting skills and sound. I sang solos with them traveling to different states through my middle school and freshman year of high school years.

Approximately a decade before my 2014 debut album, “Legendary People”, one day between 2003 and 2004 an old childhood friend took pleasurable notice with kind words concerning my singing voice in our Montclair High School hallway, in our freshman year. That’s when I grew even more confident in my singing voice. I’ll always remember her for that.

My family moved into our second apartment around that same year, downgrading from the home we once loved, and to my blessing, there was an old piano that was left in it, right there in the living room by its lonesome. It was like I was a kid in a candy store. The keys needed some tuning up, so my dad called for a piano repair man. It was then brand new. I love my dad. I wrote many songs on that old piano, alongside my double deck recording tape player. One of the many songs I wrote on that piano was named “Don’t Make Me Choose” which landed on my debut album about 10 years later in 2014. I remember stacking my vocals and harmonies with that old double decker of a tape player, switching the tapes around and recording stacks and harmonies just enough times to get a full sound for my choruses and verse adlibs. This is a signature sound of mine. Oh how far technology has come. It’s so much easier to stack now in me and my husband’s home studio.

My family moved once more to a new city around 2004. I formed a singing trio group with two other young girls named “Bliss”. We met at our high school: East Orange Campus High School in the winter of 2004 going into our sophomore year. We sang and recorded songs we wrote together at different recording studios including our high school’s. We sang in the hallways of our high school that made the students stop in their tracks because of the beautiful melodic harmonies coming out of our mouths. We performed our original music, the Black national anthem, the American national anthem, and covers at school recitals, basketball games, and at different venues and events that our music teachers would graciously book us. We even sang for journalist and writer Susan B Taylor, the Editor in Chief of Essence Magazine, and for 106 & Park hosts’ A.J. and Free’s at our highschool lecture events! We had a great time during our high school years! We even sang our high school’s alma mater every morning, live, in 3 part harmony for a time through the intercom until we ended up recording it. Then the school didn’t need our live performance anymore and simply played the recording instead in the mornings. We graduated high school together in 2006. Those vital early middle and high school years helped mold me and exercise my sound, music recording, songwriting, and performing skills.

In 2006 through 2008 for my college years at The College of New Jersey, I did much of the same. I joined the gospel choir, traveled with them to places like prisons and nursing homes, led praise and worship, sang at my college’s basketball games to sing the anthems. I even found a producer to record new songs that I wrote and he produced. I released some on Soundcloud. They’re all set to private now, but my official releases and snippets are still there. My college years were insightful times. I almost gave up on music around that time.
After college I interned for one of the songwriters of the R&B singer Olivia (1st lady of 50 Cent’s G Unit).

The love of my life, my now lord-husband, Bezaleel Israel, embraced wholeheartedly the gift that the Most High God instilled in me. He too bought me a brand new keyboard like my dad. Bezaleel built an amazing recording studio, executive produced my debut and sophomore double-disc globally distributed albums and singles, produced and composed many of the songs, mix and mastered many of the songs, directed and edited all of my music videos, drew and graphic designed all of my album and single covers, took all of my professional photos, and has been my rock ever since we met in the winter of 2011.
He’s always asking me about my new song…his encouragement means the world to me.
I couldn’t have come this far in my music journey without him. I am blessed and honored to have and to keep him as my lawfully wedded husband. I have grown from being a young lady to now a grown woman with him, and I treasure this journey called life I share with him, ordained from the beginning by the Highest Creator.

I am most proud of every single stride I’ve made concerning music and business. I wouldn’t do anything differently. I have no regrets. I believe the future is even brighter for me, my lord Bezaleel, and for others who may join in this journey with us. We have impacted so many lives through our music. We are in the hearts and homes of so many new and old day by day. We encourage, soothe, liberate, and encourage our listeners, whom we call the Ztribe. They are my gems and treasures. WIthout loyal listeners, my music wouldn’t have wings to soar and fly to great heights as it does.

My albums’ songs, my singles, and artistry have won, have been nominated for, and have been honorably recognized by multiple awards organizations such as the Texas State Artist Musician Award, World Songwriting Awards, Voices of Gospel Music Awards, Rhythm of Gospel Music Awards, Atlas Elite Entertainment Music Awards, Indie Songwriting Awards, to name a few.

We’ve landed on the Billboard Music Charts twice in weeks shared with legends such as Ye (formerly Kanye West), Cece Winans, Mary Mary, and the late Whitney Houston. We’ve charted on iTunes Apple Music international charts multiple times with multiple songs.

We’ve worked, performed, and collaborated on songs with amazing artists such as GRAMMY®︎ winner Nagaris Johnson who worked on Ye’s Donda album, and legendary GRAMMY®︎ nominated artist David “Pic” Conley of the legendary old school trio R&B group “Surface”.
We’ve even been on the 65th GRAMMYs®︎ ballot for our collaboration with award winning artist La La Musiq in 2022 for nomination consideration in the categories Song of The Year and Record of The Year.

I’ve appeared in music videos as a cameo for various artists since moving to Texas.

I’ve performed nationally at a funeral, band concert, multiple weddings as the bride walks down the aisle and for 1st dances of the bride and groom, multiple natural hair expos, open mics, acoustic open mics, and more.

We’ve had international and national magazine and newspaper publications.

We are members of organizations such as ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), ISSA (International Singer-Songwriter Association), The Indie Collaborative, and City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture, to name a few.

We’ve had affiliate partnerships that have landed us opportunities such as obtaining an Amazon Influencer Storefront to share products that reflect Israelite culture, lifestyle, and heritage.
All of this has not happened by our own merit solely, but of the merit of our Creator who allows and disallows all things, and the merit of all the shoulders me and my husband stand on that have come before us and those still standing alongside us. I am in my mid 30s, and I am just getting started. I encourage you to never give up on your dreams. Go out there and make them come true. Don’t forget to thank the Giver of Life for it all the very moment you wake up everyday. He is worthy of our praise forever and we can never go far enough in doing so.

The type of products I provide on my website, zemiraisrael.com, other than me and my lord’s music in MP3 and hardcopy form, are full of merchandise items in my shop. The merchandise in my shop enriches and encourages the biblical Israelite lifestyle, culture, and heritage. From home decor, apparel, to accessories. My Amazon Storefront contains much of the same, but my site provides more of a custom feel with my husband’s amazing graphic designs and hand drawn art. When it comes to my merchandise, I aim to solve the problem of filling the homes of individuals, who know who they are in Christ, the opportunity to let their light shine when they’re out and about, and for when they are in the comforts of their homes with their guests.

When it comes to our music production, we aim to encourage and edify others towards being the change, through repentance, that the Most High God wants to see in His people. Our music is Israelite and truth heavy, with a PBR&B Soul and Hip Hop feel. It is sure to help you look at your life introspectively as the words in our songs are inspired and derived from ancient scripture.

The type of services I provide via my “H.I.T. Music” brand are consultations, graphic designs, video editing, music business administration, artist development, and coaching. H.I.T. Music solves the typical independent music artist’s problem of not having enough time to do what they are naturally adept at. H.I.T. Music saves independent artists time to work on their natural skills. Because gone are the days when artists solely rely on their sheer talent. We live in a technological world that showcases millions of talented artists who have undeniable talent. What sets an artist apart is their branding and how serious they take their craft; how much work they’re willing to put in to make a scalable impact that not only benefits the artist, but also can benefit their loved ones & their family’s future generations. H.I.T. Music helps set independent artists up for success at the beginning of their career by wearing multiple hats that they do not have the time or desire to wear, before their monies start rolling in.

Here are the growing services H.I.T. Music provides:
1. MUSIC CONSULTATIONS
2. MUSIC REVIEWS
3. SPECIAL EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENT
FLYER, BANNER, AND STILL-REEL
4. EPK (ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT)
5. ALBUM, EP, & SINGLE COVER
6. MUSIC BUSINESS SET UP
7. COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION
8, CODE REGISTRATION
9. METADATA EMBEDDING
10. PERFORMING RIGHTS
ORGANIZATION REGISTRATION
11. PUBLISHING REGISTRATION
13. SONG REGISTRATION
14. SOUND EXCHANGE REGISTRATION
15. SPLIT SHEET ADMINISTRATION
16. CATALOG MANAGEMENT
17. LYRIC VIDEO
18. AUDIO VIDEO
19. SONGWRITING
20. SPOTIFY CANVAS VIDEO CLIP

I am also “NaturalWooly” on Youtube and other social media platforms as a natural hair vlogger and influencer. This sub-brand of mine is to encourage women with natural wooly hair to love, take care, and maintain the hair that naturally comes out of their scalp. I execute this via hair tutorials on Youtube, with encouraging and thought provoking memes on other social platforms, NaturalWoolly is empowered by the biblical scriptures illustrating God and Christ’s wooly hair in Daniel 7:9 and Revelation 1:14. I sell natural hair apparel and accessories in my shop on my website as well at zemiraisrael.com to instill pride and joy to solve the problem of shame towards natural wooly hair.

The main things I desire for potential Ztribe members and business clients to know about me and my brand is that I love what I do. I am so passionate about it all. What you get out of me, alongside my lord Bezaleel, will be gushing with authenticity, pride, honor, quality, and labor of love.
Sometimes my husband and I have to sweep each other off our feet and take each other away from all of it because we get so engulfed in our work towards our goals that we skip rest and forget to smell the roses. Thank God for people like that in your life. Those that help you rest and stand back to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Make time for them always. Appreciate and honor them the best you can. They are what truly matters at the end of the day. Self care is a must. Don’t be ashamed to rest in order to do it all over again, after you know and are confident that you’ve given life your all.

What sets me apart from others is my zeal, persistence, and consistency in creating music and establishing my music business, knowing that the God of Israel has chosen me to be a light and an example to others of His holy instructions. I do not want to meet my Maker just to tell Him that I slacked on the job and that I wasn’t authentic in my being. I use my talents to the fullest and multiply them as much as I can to be a blessing to others.
My music is transparent, relatable, and biblical for all ages. It expounds on the nature of God and His instructions for us to live by to please Him through the keeping of His commandments for everlasting life and immortality.

Our record label Bezzemi Records (it’s the 1st part of both me and my husband Bezaleel’s name) and publishing company, House of Israel Music Group, has accomplished much, and we’ve only just begun.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, entrepreneur, and independent music business and artistry advocate is that I am not alone. I have my God, my husband, and the Ztribe.

I receive what I give and then some. All the effort and labor of love that I put forth is what I expect to receive back. I can be free, liberated and limitless in me and my lord Bezaleel’s home recording studio that we build with our own sweat equity, as I sing my heart out of the songs I write to my lord’s phenomenal instrumental compositions.

I am still in awe of how the Most High God literally put so much on my lap in confidence that I’ll actually use all of it to my fullest potential and abilities, to encourage others to do the same. I pray to never be complacent and ungrateful of the ease that the Highest has blessed me with to make the music He wants me to make through the lens of my unique life experiences and struggles. I wouldn’t trade being an independent artist for anything else, because it’s beautiful and all aspects of it is my vision, boundless, having no one tell me how to create, present, and deliver what is in my heart, mind and soul. I pray that my music and my life continue to parallel, flaws and all, to show Christ’s light in my heart.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One of my favorite books that I confidently and gladly draw revelation and inspiration from for my life and career is the Holy Bible. The psalmist King David, King Solomon, and foremother Judith are some of my favorite people in the book. I gather much inspiration from other righteous forefathers and foremothers in the book as they are my examples for righteousness. The book both motivates and encourages me in my life. It is definitely my lifeline of choice that I emulate to the best of my abilities. I will always choose this book above all books for my life and career, for it has literally saved me from myself. It is important for me to not be without the words of the book, because it lives, speaks, and breathes life into me. It is my daily bread.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.zemiraisrael.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zemiramusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zemiraisraelmusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/zemiramusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zemira.israel
• Other: H.I.T. Music Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hitmusic144 H.I.T. Music Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hit.music144 H.I.T. Music Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.i.t.music H.I.T. Music Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/@hitmusic144 NaturalWoolly Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturalwoolly NaturalWoolly Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@naturalwoolly NaturalWoolly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturalwoolly NaturalWoolly Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/naturalwoolly

Image Credits
Bezaleel Israel & Zemira Israel