By Charity Montieth/se news editor
Few people have a day named for them, but Temmora, a rising musical star, now proudly points to Feb. 3 as the official Temmora Day in Arlington.
Temmora, an up-and-coming R&B artist, kicked off a month-long celebration of Black History Month on SE Campus with a vibrant vocal performance.
Prior to the performance, Dr. Judith Carrier, SE Campus president, presented Temmora with a proclamation by Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck that recognized her performances for troops after the Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina disasters.
“ This is such an honor. I just feel like I am bubbling inside,” she said after receiving the award.
Temmora, who is influenced heavily by Erykah Badu, Christina and Phyllis Hyman, performed a mix of original and previously recorded songs on campus.
Temmora said her life has been a struggle to get to where she is today.
She often mentions her mother, who was killed in a train wreck three years ago.
As a young girl, Temmora and her mother would watch the Grammy awards together. Temmora was destined to go to the Grammys, her mother told her.
“ Before my mother died, I used to dabble in my music. I wasn’t really serious,” she said.
“ But after she died, I became totally devoted to my music. It was as if God chose for me to go in that direction,” she said.
Temmora was self-conscious when she was younger.
“ When I was young, I was this little girl with this big voice. I absolutely hated it,” she said.
As a young girl, she took ballet, jazz and modern dance classes. As a teen, she took formal voice lessons in jazz and opera, and the training eventually paid off.
“ It took me a while, but I realized that I had grown into my voice, and I grew to love it. Now, I would not trade it for anything. My fans love the depth and raspiness of my voice,” she said.
The 24-year-old, who is currently being looked at by nine labels, said even though she has come a long way, she still struggles with her image.
“ Record companies want to fit you into this little mold, and if you are a young female artist, they want you to present yourself in a provocative manner,” she said.
Temmora recognizes image is everything in the music industry, but she is standing up to the industry and refusing to be exploited.
“ If you go too far [with your image] one time, they want to see that every time, and it’s easy to lose yourself like that,” she said.
Temmora ultimately hopes to break the illusion that young girls must sacrifice their self-esteem in order to be successful in the music industry.
“ Ultimately, I want to make choices that my mother would approve of if she were still here,” she said. “Yes, it is true that sex sells. But I believe that knowledge is power, and that you can be appealing without being revealing.”
Temmora envisions only great things for herself in the future.
She will continue to perform for the troops, as well as touring. She has an upcoming performance in Houston.
She is actively promoting her upcoming album, scheduled for release May 5. The album will feature a collaboration with Howard Hewitt.
In addition to receiving many accolades for her performances, she is branching into fashion. Temmora has been named as one of the faces of PZI, a clothing line that caters to young women with curves, joining heavy hitters such as Vivica A. Fox and Ashanti.
“ I feel so blessed to have been given so many wonderful things so early in my career,” she said.
Temmora recognizes that everything can be considered an accomplishment.
“ Even if I only have one fan, I will have that one fan for life,” she said. “I hope that I can at the very least inspire students to follow their dreams. With hard work and perseverance, they can achieve their goals.”
With each small victory, Temmora knows she is one step closer to her ultimate goal: the Grammys.
“ It may take me a while, but I am going to the Grammys,” she said.
And Temmora knows her mother will be watching her when she gets there.
