Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara George.
Hi Lara, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Life draws us in the direction where our hearts are pointed, and that’s the only explanation I can give for somehow landing a record deal with an independent Hollywood-based Music label here in the US, as a teenager and part of a music group called ‘KUSH.’
That music group broke barriers, not only in my country of birth but also beyond its borders, and redefined the landscape of Afrobeats as we know it today. The music of that group (which comprised of three young females and one male) of which I had the absolute joy of being a part, was authentic, unashamedly African and yet international in a truly relatable and global sense. It was happy, it was deep and reached into the depths of any and every person who heard it, evoking a sense of possibilities. As that music began to develop roots and gained the wildfire national and international acceptance that it did, I realised that nothing was impossible.
It was with this deep sense of destiny that, a few years later, when the group broke up, I went on to launch my solo career.
In 2007, I released my debut album, titled Forever In My Heart. The album garnered several awards and nominations. In 2008, I was Voice of the Year at the Nigeria Music Awards. In 2010, awarded Best Vocals Performance (Female) in the industry-wide ‘Headies’ awards, now renamed ‘Hip-Hop World Awards’ in Nigeria. I emerged the winner of the Best African Female Gospel Artiste category at the 2011 Africa Gospel Music Awards held in London, UK. I have also been named Trailblazer of the Year, Africa Gospel Music Awards, nominated in the 2016 edition of the prestigious pan-African Kora Awards as Best Female Artiste West Africa, and also Gospel Artiste of the Year, Ben TV Awards UK, amongst many other awards.
As an artiste, performing in various notable events including the GreenBelt Festival UK (as part of KUSH); one of Africa’s largest musical concerts – The Experience; and many other performances on multiple stages across the world, has been an absolute delight and honor.
I was featured on BET (Black Entertainment Networks) International as one of the very first artistes from Nigeria to be aired on that show. I was a member of the BET Voting Academy for two years in a row and have served as a judge on the music TV show Airtel TRACE MUSIC Star.
Although, I started off singing professionally during my days as a student of Architecture in one part of the world at the University of Lagos, today as a Nigerian-American, my journey of sharing my art and music grants me the privilege of being a Voting Member of the Recording Academy (Grammys). I’m working on a new album and I look forward to sharing that with everyone soon, so please feel free to follow all my links for all the latest updates.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For the better part of my solo career, I have been an independent artiste. Being an indie certainly brings its own challenges and to surmount them, one has to be reslilient and extremely focused. As a woman, it was really hard trying to balance the childbirth years, travel, and maintaining a 9 to 5 job all at the same time (yep, I did all that at the same time, and still do!).
I have learnt to make my own choices, and work with my own definitions of happiness. I have found that strategy to be priceless in achieving longevity.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Albums
Forever In My Heart (2008)
Lara George (2009)
Higher – The Dansaki Album (2012)
Love Nwantintin (2014)
The Medley Album (2014)
A Slice of Heaven (2017)
Daddy’s Girl (2021)
Singles
You Alone Oluwa Medley (2014)
Total Surrender (2016)
Lara George Praise Medley (2016)
Kolebaje Medley (2016)
Eyin L’oba (2016)
Nobody Greater (2016)
Covers
“Hello” (Adele cover) (2015) (Not commercially released)
How do you define success?
To me, success is doing life on your own terms. Happiness is a state of mind where one’s spirit, soul and body are in an absolute state of tranquil. There are no unnecessary pressures whether from within or without, and all of this, without sacrificing quality. This, to me, is what success looks like. If one gets the extra medal of recognition by family, friends and especially one’s peers as a leader in the field – it’s an extra, but not the be-all-and-end-all, and certainly not the definer.
Pricing:
- Call
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.larageorgemusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larageorgemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larageorgemusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaraGeorgeInspirational
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BMYlvYYyC0VxN6vV9y9KZ?si=bnFYjO0JT1eL8eY7RRfebA
