Meet Masina: Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Masina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Masina, what’s your definition for success?
Success, what a heavy word with only 7 letters… success, in my mind, is achievement. Its that feeling of accomplishment! Success can be tricky though, because there are societal measures of success, social measures of success and Individual measures of success. What someone Individually considers a success in their own personal journey may not land on the scale of success to society or ” social media “. The one thing that I changed in order to have the confidence to pursue my artistic career is changing how I measure success. When you first start out in the music business and you’re trying to learn everything you can, you hear a lot about numbers and virality. ” All you need is one viral hit ” they say…. ” You gotta make something that sounds like what people already like in order to go viral ” … yada yada yada! When I thought too much about the business aspect of music… making music became a chore, it became a game that I had to think too much about, and it just became depressing. Its already such a personal and intimate thing to share not only what you create, but to perform what you create… mix that with the pressure to be the next cardi b and you just might lose your mind.
So I said to myself, you know what, music is something that makes me happy and gives me purpose. If I put too much pressure on my passion to make me money, it’ll taint its role in my life, so I changed my perspective. ( fyi – if something in life isn’t going right, change perspective or change direction! )
I knew my first single ” smoke ” sounded NOTHING like anything in the industry. I didn’t really know if it had virality ( I mean, who really knows, virality is pretty unpredictable ) but…. I didn’t care. Smoke told a story that I thought other people had to hear and relate to. Smoke was a piece of my soul and it made me feel successful just to have created it!
Which reminds me, back to the subject, success! I changed my measurement of success. Success to me is creating something of quality. Success to me is creating something people can relate to. Success to me is creating something unforgettable, even if only 100 people never forget it….Success to me is having the strength to take a risk against all odds and be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Success to me is creating a meaningful legacy, not just a viral one (;

and who knows….. ya just might go viral along the way! (: but that neither confirms nor denies your success!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Music is my medium! I’ve always been an artsy fartsy little girl who is in love with all things music – but i’m a little different. Most music buffs can tell you random facts, know people’s names, history, recognize faces…. I, on the other hand, was obsessed with the emotion, the feeling and the story. I really didn’t pay attention to the who’s and what’s, I just remember how music made me feel and I knew I wanted the power to influence someone else so deeply. That definitely sets me apart… With my most recent EP ” Storyteller ” there’s an emphasis on just that… the story. When you play me on your speakers I don’t want you to think about what I look like but rather be impacted by what i’m saying and reflect on your own life. I love where I am professionally, I’m making music I love and bringing my vision to life everytime I do – although I’d love more opportunities to work with notable creators and performers, and opportunities for more people to hear my music, I know that when the time is right, it’ll happen. I’ve learned to trust that timing is out of my control and the only thing I have control over is the quality of art that I produce.
What do I want you to know about me ? I want you to go listen to my music and that’s everything you’ll need to know (;

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in long beach so that’s the spot! Long beach is the perfect place for an island girl like me who loves the city…. its a city on the beach! You can go to the beach, enjoy the sun and sand, swim, skate, play basketball, ride a bike or take a walk! Then when you get hungry you can stop at any of the amazing restaurants that cater to all kinds of diets – non-restricted, vegetarian, vegan, etc. Then later in the day, a couple blocks away, you can experience the nightlife ! Bars, lounges, clubs, anything you want, we got in long beach! Its extremely diverse with people from all over the world. Its an entire vibe and you can’t go wrong with long beach! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be who I am without the love, support and mentorship of my family – My amazing parents and supportive sisters all the way back on the little island of O’ahu, Hawaii. My artistry is completely and utterly influenced by who I am and my family made me ! But also, I like to call him my musical baby daddy, cause all we do is get together and create beautiful things! – his name is Djon Johnson. This man is not only such a beautiful soul and friend, but he’s the frosting to my cake. He’s super talented and multi-faceted and when I bring music to him, he takes it to the next level. I would not be the artist I am nor make the magic that I do without him!

I could say Thank you a million times to all the people mentioned above and it still wouldn’t be enough <3

Website: www.masinamusic.com

Instagram: @xomasina

Twitter: @xomasina

Facebook: Masina

Youtube: Masina

Image Credits
Victor Guillen, Rene Renderos, Jesse Milledge,