Meet Candasse Marie of Candasse or Ukulele Candasse in Metro-Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Candasse Marie.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Well, I’m sure my mom will loudly vouch for this, it all started from the time, I figured out how to open my mouth. I talked incessantly, I told wild stories and I sang… all. the. time.

I have a family full of artists so I had a very comfortable environment to be as creative and wacky as I wanted – from my eclectic fashion statements to singing songs about sandwiches – all the while, I figured out what it was exactly that really made my heart soar.

I later fell into the musical theatre on accident in high school, where I had my first realization that I had a decent voice, that I loved the stage and that I loved making people laugh.

Then after some awkward years, where I failed at guitar and failed at having a band, I finally found the ukulele.

My biggest inspiration was and still is Julia Nunes; the simplicity of her songs and honesty of her voice against the gentle pluckiness of a ukulele was mesmerizing. I couldn’t stop listening. I couldn’t stop singing.

Eight years ago, I went out and bought a uke immediately after discovering Julia and almost haven’t put it down since.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As far as doing what I personally want to do, it has been nothing but joy. I just want to sing and make people laugh, wherever and whenever and that part is easy. I have met so many beautiful and talented people along the way, too, because of it.

But I did struggle. There was a brief moment that I stepped back from being a musician because people were beginning to get overwhelmed with me but no one would actually talk to me about it, opting passive-aggressive side instead.

That’s one of the hardest things about touching the surface of your passion for the first time – you’re so in love and so excited and there’s nothing else you want to do. You lose yourself in it. You stop being the ‘you’ you were before and so people who suddenly have to adapt to this intense change just don’t understand why it’s so important to you, why you just need to sing them one more song and one more song… and ONE MORE SONG.

It hurt, it crumbled my spirit. But, it hurt a lot more to give up something that I had just finally found and had been missing for so many years in my life, and so I had to let it go, find a healthy balance, and stop letting other people interfere with my happiness. The end result is that the pain led to growth, so it was always going to be worth it.

Candasse or Ukulele Candasse – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I honestly am still figuring it all out!

I have been playing the ukulele and singing for 8 years now and I was so certain at the beginning that I would be like a Ben Folds or Janelle Monaé or even Julia Nunes, but a few songwriting attempts later I would learn that I had more of a knack for comedy.

I spent half of the last 8 years fighting my natural comedy niche, so I would say that I am proud to be finally embracing it and being so enthusiastically welcomed into the comedy communities at Dad’s Garage, Highwire, Relapse, etc. I also get the privilege of being in an all-female sketch comedy group (Fine China Comedy), which is something I always daydreamed about but never knew was a real possibility for me.

I’m finding all sorts of ways, I can incorporate my style of music into comedy, film, podcasts, etc.

You could say that I specialize in writing a smile. I think I’m different because there aren’t a lot of black women ukuleleists with a folk comedy style. If you’ve ever read that exact sentence anywhere else, you let me know. I would like to schedule a meeting with this person, please.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
“Are you happy? Is this still something you enjoy? Did you make someone’s day better?”

If I can answer ‘yes’ to any of those questions, then I have succeeded.

I found ukulele exactly when I needed to; when my life was falling apart and all the things that had previously defined me turned out to be unimportant and not rooted in anything real.

It saved me.

And now, I just want to transfer any and all of the joy I get through music.

My dream would be to write music for a show like Steven Universe (or just a life goal to be Rebecca Sugar in general because she is amazing) or to score a film.

Every new thing I do musically is a success and I’ve just scratched the surface of where I can go with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: candasse.com
• Email: candassemusic@gmail.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/ukulelecandasse

Image Credit:
Jennifer Bates, James Jay, Candace Randle

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