Rising Music Music Star Marina Massanova: “Why I’d like to inspire people to kiss each other more often”

I’d inspire people to kiss each other more often. A kiss does wonders for our bodies and mind. Scientists would say it boosts your “happy hormones”, relieves stress, reduces anxiety. It even fights against headaches. And it is not a pill but a pleasant thing to do.

Hug is a very nice thing as well. I feel like there are never enough hugs and kisses in our lives. So I’m sending you a virtual kiss right now!

As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Marina Massanova, a Ukrainian singer and rapper. Her style incorporates a bit of screaming, more or less rapping, vocals here and there and so on…

As Marina puts it: “It’s nothing particular, but a current mood”.

The emerging singer has shown off her show-stopping performances on prime time TV. Even being aired on some of the biggest Ukrainian radio stations. Her electrifying live performances were described as “SEXY LOUD HELL”, so police had to intervene several times during her shows.

These days, she’s composing fresh tunes and has decided to go into punk rap. Rumors say a full-length album was mentioned to be released very soon…

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I am a daughter of a professor ,who is too shy to say that his daughter is a punk rap singer. My parents were trying to persuade me to make a career in education. They had 2 reasons: family dynasty and 2 months vacation every year. I found those reasons insufficient for changing my attitude for university standards.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was thinking to be a very serious persona with a PHD, like almost all of my family members, and friends are. I easily left my scientist’s career to a bizarre world of punk rap show biz. I was so mad and aggressive that shouting on stage suited me way better than teaching.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Recently one of my listeners wrote me that he quit drinking after watching the video for my song Dank’o’holic. The fun fact is that my music video wasn’t “The Easy Way to Stop Drinking Guide” at all. Drinking vodka, passing out on the floor drunk out of my mind, and being an honest chaos itself, I’ve managed to convince one man to stop drinking immediately.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Mistakes are happening all the time. Torn pants happened. Too much naked body because of the dress that moved too far. Forgetting lyrics and mumbling something in an “alien” language. There is always something unexpected waiting for you during a live show. So I’ve learned to enjoy doing it no matter what.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m creating Marina Massanova. Basically it’s a process to figure out what parts of my soul I would like to reveal to the audience.The magic of being an artist is putting on eccentric layers, add illusions and play with the most scary fears. Marina Massanova is me but also a beautiful art creation. Which is amazing, which is dazzling!

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

There are three simple things: first — all people are equal. Second — the talent goes first. Third — the more different people we see on media, the more deeply we can understand other cultures, the richer our inner world is.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

My favorite is — do not make perfect music. Sounds questionable. But I remember myself trying to find that perfect chord and phrase, and never stop before I reach perfection from the bottom to the top. Eventually I’ve ended up not releasing my music at all. Then I realize that I don’t need to be a Beethoven to make some good songs. The world is an awesome chaos, and to be true you’ll never meet anything perfect.

Also I supposed that it takes just one good song to make Jay-Z call me right away. Really. But it’s a very long road. So if you don’t enjoy it, you’ll just spend 10 years being sad and angry. I’d like to see it as an adventure full of fun and mistakes and not luxury hotels.

Of course there are some obvious things like — “It’s not about the greatest talent, it’s about hard work”. You think that you are so talented that everybody would faint just looking at you, unfortunately It takes time and hard work to present your talent to a right audience. When you find them they’ll faint, I promise.

A quote of Dita Von Tease -“You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches” — is really helpful to save your identity.

“Don’t be afraid of showing your true self” — sounds obvious but it can be very hard to reach.

Anyway, as we know, advice doesn’t help until you face the problem yourself. So maybe I didn’t really need any of them beforehand. I’ve got all the hits during the process.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

At first to be “burn out” is absolutely OK. It is an important emotional statement to rethink where you are and to figure out what you want. Also, sometimes you simply need some rest.

I believe there is a unique way to thrive for every person. When I’m out of resources I pause the world and charge myself. Sometimes it can be just a 10 minutes tea break, or an evening with friends, or a year of a completely new occupation.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I’d inspire people to kiss each other more often. A kiss does wonders for our bodies and mind. Scientists would say it boosts your “happy hormones”, relieves stress, reduces anxiety. It even fights against headaches. And it is not a pill but a pleasant thing to do.

Hug is a very nice thing as well. I feel like there are never enough hugs and kisses in our lives. So I’m sending you a virtual kiss right now!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

There were a lot of amazing people who supported my project. But I think the most supportive person in your life is yourself. I’ve noticed that when I have doubts doing my thing, my supporters hesitate too.

Although sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed and depressed, a random comment from a fan can boost my activity tremendously! I’m really thankful for those unexpected moments.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

The phrase that always reminds me to stop trying to rule the world, and to let the universe do its thing is — “My freedom ends where another person’s freedom begins’’. I guess it’s the most important thing to follow. People around you always thrive when you respect their independence and personality.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

To be true I’m waiting for Post Malone to invite me for a date. I’m not kidding. I think we can have a good time together. He seems like a gentleman who can handle a lady who swears.

Hey Posty, I’m the right choice! Call me :-)

How can our readers follow you online?

Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyMarinaMassanova

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/MarinaMassanova

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MarinaMassanova

SoundCloud: https://Soundcloud.com/MarinaMassanova

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

About The Interviewer: Karina Michel Feld is the Owner and Executive Producer of Tallulah Films. Karina has 20+ years of experience in TV, film, and print and is a respected member of The Producers Guild of America. The mission of Tallulah Films is to bring together directors, entrepreneurs, film investors, and screenwriters to produce award-winning TV and film projects. Tallulah Films continues to be drawn towards films that are meaningful, influential, and uplifting. Karina is also Co-Owner and CFO of Fresh Patch LLC (as seen on ABC’s “Shark Tank”).