Creative Q&A with local musician Karisma

WASILLA — Local singer/songwriter, Karolynn Smith, better known by her stage name, Karisma, recently participated in a question and answer interview to discuss her relationship with performing onstage, her inner creativity, and growing as an artist with the local music scene.

Q: How long have you been making music?“I have been making professionally for the last three years, but I’ve been pursuing art and music since I was five years old. I started singing in my local gospel choir at five years old and I loved being on stage and singing for people and bringing them love and light. I just always went out for different plays, theatre, show choir, drama club, all of that.”

Q: How did that develop over time?“As I got older, it started to become something that I had to have in my life. I can’t go really, a day without working into some kind of music or writing some kind of poetry or doing some kind of monologue journal entry… I love to create it’s just something that’s kind of instilled in my soul,” she said with a laugh.

Q: What was it like breaking into the music for the first time?“It was a lot to kind of get over my stage fright, but eventually I just kind of just starting going to another place, like my happy place so I didn’t get nervous and have nothing came out on stage. Most of the time, I don’t usually remember who I did on stage because I just kind of get into that other mode. So, I have to re-watch my livestream, but it usually comes out quite well. It’s kind of like I’m floating outside my body.”

Q: What are your main goals for your music?“I’m excited to show Alaska what I’ve got,” she said with a laugh.

Q: What’s it like being involved with Rhymefest and seeing Devon Shaw’s vision in action?“I have met some amazing, talented people… It’s been a really awesome experience. I have really loved working with Devon and everyone at Rhymefest. It has been a real blessing… I got to meet some really amazing artists there and it was a blast for me. I love how he’s trying to bring the Alaska music scene together and put local Alaskan artists on the map. I love how he pushes for local music and local businesses. It’s a great thing to see somebody working that hard for the local Alaska music and art scene, especially out here in the Valley because there’s not a lot of people that really push the r&b and hip-hop scene out here.”

Q: What have you been working on lately?“This last year I dropped my first album entitled ‘Grown and Sexy.’ It’s an r&b/hip-hop album. I did that with Legacy 907 Studios and DJ Reggie Ward. I have been doing a lot of collaborations with local Alaskan artists all over… I’m coming out with an all visual project called ‘Angel Venom’ and the very first video off of that I dropped six months ago I called ‘Gone with the Wind’ It’s a video all about body positivity… I just wanted to show you can be any shape or size and still feel beautiful… I want to help push women to feel confident and love themselves no matter what.”

Q: What are your upcoming shows?“I’m going to be doing the Alaska State Fair [Rhymefest event Sept. 3] with Devon…I’m really honored… I also have an upcoming show with Sweet Cheeks Cabaret September 10 [in Anchorage], and I am in the works of getting another show in mid-September. I’m looking at Shoestring Studios and Music Medicine.”

For more information about Karisma and her music, visit her social media pages: “Karisma D1” for her YouTube channel, “Karisma_d1” on Instagram, “Karismaticoriginal” for her Facebook page, and “karismaak” on TikTok.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com