Kara Mack, A TRUE SOUTHERN GAL

Kara Mack, a true ‘southern gal' got her start in Columbia, South Carolina, her birthplace, performing for youth ministries, schools and conferences as a singer/songwriter, dancer, and poet. Since her move to Los Angeles, she has developed into a beautiful, budding artist…AND has also become a Theologian by just not getting her B.A. in Religious Studies, but also a Master of Arts in Divinity due to her interest in depicting historical stories through film. As a dancer she performed on stages including the NAACP Image Awards, the BET Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, American Idol, The Voice, and the Grammys. She has taught at the world-renown Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and continues to teach til this day at various dance conferences and colleges across the nation; including being an creative director for HBCU Alabama State University's premiere Dance on Screen Certification Program, and an adjunct professor of World Dance at Hussians College in Los Angeles. Placing no limitations on her God given abilities, she has two albums currently out all over the world; her EP “Selah” and her debut LP “A Negroe’s Spiritual”. This singer/songwriter and spoken-word artist also currently sings background for Ghanaian superstar and Grammy nominated artist Rocky Dawuni and is set to release a mixtape this year.  During her trip to Senegal, West Africa, Kara premiered her first single “I Love You So” from the mixtape on its number one network SenTV. 

Kara Mack has performed with music and dance companies like Canne', a West African dance troupe, Swing Brazil, Viver Brasil (Afro-Brazilian and Contemporary Dance and Drum Companies), and Balandugu Kan; a Traditional West African Drum and Dance Troupe where she served as Artistic Director/Choreographer. Her choreographic works can be seen at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Party, Gwen Stefani’s performance of her hit song “Misery” on The Voice, Kanye West’s Easter Sunday Service for Coachella, Kendrick Lamar’s historic performance of “Alright” on the 58th Grammy Awards, and Chance the Rapper's performance of "Zannies and Fools" on Saturday Night Live.  Her choreography is also currently featured on three international music videos, including Ghana's "African Reggae Fever" (Rocky Dawuni), "African Thriller" (Rocky Dawuni), and FIFA World Cup Official Song performed by Shakira "Waka Waka".   Having trained in many African Diasporica styles with dance masters from Brazil, Cuba, West Africa and Central Africa, her goal is to master as many styles as she can, while showing the similarity within every movement though we are geographically spread apart. She showed how this could work by premeiring two sold-out shows for her successful work entitled, “The Essence” on September 29th and 30th, 2012. Choreographed, written, and directed by Kara Mack, The Essence is a unique approach to the retelling of the multiple realities of Africa. For the first time on a Los Angeles stage, dancers and drummers from West Africa, Brazil, Cuba, and the United States united for a single purpose.

Fifteen years ago, Kara Mack made a strategic and radical decision to focus on music and dance styles from the African Diaspora after years of contemporary training in both respective fields. As she began to practice these different art forms she recognized that in society these styles are seen as electives and hobbies artistically that in turn force them to fall short of being respected as technical styles. Kara wanted to change this reality and decided to create the trademarked brand, Africa in America® in 2014; a brand that serves as a primary resource for both professionals and participants of African Diasporic music, dance, arts and culture in America. Through Kara Mack's work, she is determined to change the direction and rewrite the narrative. She utilizes a language, vocabulary, and rhetoric that is relatable in order to bring back a sense of visibility that will cultivate well-rounded artists capable of succeeding through any artistic expression they choose.

It is apparent that performing is a "natural" for Kara Mack, as she communicates with the confidence and style of a seasonal professional. Because of her style, you will immediately grasp the seriousness of this artist; which reveals the graces of a young lady determined to make her own niche in dance and the musical arena. With her jovial spirit, Kara, through dance and song, expresses her love for the rhythm in music, which is why she embraces and continues to learn more about the different forms of African diasporic culture. Kara believes that through her gifts she can stir up the gifts in young people; renewing hope in their hearts, inspiring them to reach for the impossible. Kara Mack is truly an artist you must personally encounter.