Today we’d like to introduce you to CeCelia McKinley.
CeCelia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story begins in the quaint town of Eatonville, FL the oldest African-American municipal in the United State. Rich with history of the past, like Zora Neal Hurston & Norm Lewis, I learned to appreciate my roots and wondered where my place in the world would be. There in Eatonville, I learned that I had the gift of song and begin my musical journey in a small church right off West Kennedy Boulevard called Eatonville Church of God in Christ (C.O.G.I.C). It was there my family gathered to worship and sing songs to our Lord and of course I was in the children’s choir and begin leading multiple songs.
I have a very heavy religious background, we attended every revival, prayer meeting, bible study, Sunday school and concert the church hosted and visited. My younger sister and I were placed in private school with smaller class sizes to give a focus on what my parents deemed to be important in their young black girl’s lives, education. At Eatonville Christian Academy we continued to be instilled with the love of God and who He was to us. But soon our live would change drastically.
About five years ago, my husband and I made the decision to move to Atlanta to further our careers. I ended up meeting lot of awesome producers and musicians that have helped me along the way to find my sound. My relationship with Christ has now grown stronger than ever, I am now the Worship Director at my church and I love it. I have begun working on my newest project Just Worship and my solo project that has yet to be named.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There has been so many bumps in the road, one of the biggest ones has been my image. I have been told countless times that my complexion is an issue, even to this day. What I have found is that everyone has an opinion but what God has for you that cannot be taken away. I fight a personal battle of body image currently as many women do at this age trying to figure out what is healthy for me and what makes me happy.
Even when finding my sound and what is comfortable for me has been a task, as I want it to reflect who I truly am.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Currently, I am working on my YouTube Channel, it is mostly covering but we have big plans for fresh music and visual presentations. I am very excited for what is to come by the end of this year with my solo projects. What set me apart is the contemporary feel with a mystical magical twist, there is nothing like this out there. I collaborated with a group called Spirit of Praise Ministries that gives you a sample of my music taste.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was very animated which still stands true to this day. I was interested in old films such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Seven Year Itch and lots of acting and stage plays.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cecelia.theone
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CeCelia.TheOne
- Other: YouTube: CeCelia.theone
Image Credit:
GradeAConcepts
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