First Listen: Art Auré motivates us to "Keep On" despite challenges

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    (July 22, 2020) The turbulent times we are living in have sparked the creative juices in many artists, leading them to write and/or release music that shows they have their finger on the pulse.  Art Auré - a classically trained vocalist-songwriter and alumna of the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC - is one such artist.  She's providing some musical motivation in the form of her new song release entitled "Keep On," which she co-wrote and co-produced.  In the chorus of the guitar-driven track, Art Auré encourages the listener: "Tough times don’t last long. You gotta keep on...You are much stronger than you know." The song's inspirational message exemplifies Art Auré's mission to create music that is "positive and empowering," and her wish to fulfill "the artist's duty to reflect the times," as Nina Simone once said. 

    (July 22, 2020) The turbulent times we are living in have sparked the creative juices in many artists, leading them to write and/or release music that shows they have their finger on the pulse.  Art Auré - a classically trained vocalist-songwriter and alumna of the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC - is one such artist.  She's providing some musical motivation in the form of her new song release entitled "Keep On," which she co-wrote and co-produced.  In the chorus of the guitar-driven track, Art Auré encourages the listener: "Tough times don’t last long. You gotta keep on...You are much stronger than you know." The song's inspirational message exemplifies Art Auré's mission to create music that is "positive and empowering," and her wish to fulfill "the artist's duty to reflect the times," as Nina Simone once said. 

    For Art Auré, "Keep On" is more than a song, though; it's her life story.  She explains: "I have lived with the chronic and very painful illness Endometriosis from birth. I have had to cater my life around this illness. I was tired of fighting almost every day. So I decided to proceed with my laparoscopic surgery procedure. The healing process after the surgery was a challenge. I could not use my abdominal muscles for months. I had to train myself to sing from my diaphragm all over again. I didn’t think I could fully recover. But, I just kept going. Throughout the healing process I had lots of time to create new music. The very first song that I wrote after my surgery was 'Keep On.' The lyrics speak my truth."

    While "Keep On" was inspired by Art Auré's personal journey, she wants her message to appeal to the masses, in light of the current pandemic, social injustice, and other struggles people face individually.  She says: "I would like for everyone to digest 'Keep On' and use this song to uplift them. We all are going/went through something in our lifetimes...This song is not just for this season. I would like for this song to live on forever." 

    So check out the official video for "Keep On" below, and let's welcome Art Auré to SoulTracks! 

    By Darnea N. Samuels

    Darnea N. Samuels is a Washington, DC-based sports radio producer, news personality, writer, and host of her own radio show, "The Sound of Soul with D'Nicole" on Takoma Radio, where she shares her love of classic R&B/soul music. You can read her blog here and connect with her on Twitter.