Miss Fortune, a third year accounting major with a minor in music, recently placed second at this semester’s Otters Got Talent competition. However, her journey with performing started long before her time at Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Miss Fortune has been a performer ever since the age of two, where she can remember snatching the microphone from her cousins and singing at her great-grandmother’s 80th birthday.
“I genuinely just love being on stage, performing for my family and just being in front of a crowd. That’s just something that’s always been in me. I’m from Louisiana, the birthplace of jazz and music, and my grandfather was also a band teacher for 30 years. He always had oldies playing in the car, Earth Wind and Fire, Rick James and Jimi Hendrix, those were the only options.”
Reflecting on how her family played a major role in feeding her talents and keeping her dream alive Miss Fortune said, “I’m not self made, I am fortified by the strength of my ancestors, grandpa and mom who genuinely have been pouring into me for so long.”
“My mom really introduced me to all different types of music, Sean Paul, Caribbean music, rock, Avril Lavigne, Evenessence, gospel music in church.” In her elementary years she shares, “I was also in choir and theater, basically anything creative that I could get into I did.” It wasn’t until middle school that her grandfather snuck her a cellphone so that she could download apps like Garage Band and Sound Trap to start mixing and creating her own music. “My mom got me a Macbook at 17, and at 18 my grandfather bought me the program Logic and I have been working on that ever since.”
When asked what inspires her to keep growing her talents, Miss Fortune expressed that she grows inspiration from a few different areas of her life. “Anger, when I was growing up I needed a place to use my voice, to express myself. So music was my escape.” She continues, “My boyfriend – our love really inspires me – past relationships, other people’s stories. I really try to bring empowerment to those that don’t have a voice. I also want to show my younger siblings this is what Black success can look like.”
She opened for artist Amara last year at Otterlands, sang the Black National Anthem for Black Grad (an affinity ceremony that celebrates Black graduates) and this year she walked away as one of the winners of the Otters Got Talent showcase. Within the community surrounding CSUMB, Miss Fortune has partnered many times performing at Old Capitol Books. Including most recently a sold out show on Friday, Sept. 19. She also has been expanding “The Miss Fortune experience” to collaborate with unique locally owned businesses, to host meditations and yoga on the beach and work with Black-owned businesses to create products like body butter and candles.
Looking toward the future, Miss Fortune plans to perform at Monte Mash hosted by Otter Media Oct. 31. In November she plans to take a little break to recharge and reset, be with her family and lock in for finals. However she urges those interested in following her journey to stay tuned for December. She has some plans in the works for more performances, the best way to keep in the know is to follow her instagram @missfortunebby_. Or if you are interested in her collaborations with local Black-owned companies to buy candles, body butters, stickers, and T-shirts, be sure to check out her LinkTree.
