Ep 201: Let’s Fly with Singer and Expat Alissa Sanders

In this episode of the FLY BROTHER RADIO SHOW, host Ernest White II chats with his friend Alissa Sanders, a singer, writer, and traveler extraordinaire. Born in Hollywood, California, she has spent much of the past two decades in Brazil, studying voice with mentors such as Wagner Barbosa, Adriana Godoy, and Neto Costa. Alissa sings a multilingual mix of jazz and Brazilian music. Alissa has performed in many major jazz festivals and appeared on NBC’s "Carson Daly Show." Throughout their discussion, Alissa shares how her passion for travel influences her music. She takes Ernest through the founding of her project, “Finding My Voice.” The project follows Alissa as she searches for her sound and artistic identity. She left her home in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, and spent a year traveling and performing with musicians in Israel, Ethiopia and her hometown of LA. This cross-cultural musical exchange resulted in a web series. Alissa believes that the best way to learn and experience the culture of a new country is to fully immerse yourself, avoid isolation, and live among the people by participating in the community and learning the language. Throughout the episode, Alissa looks back on the days when she first hopped on a plane to live abroad as an expat. Alissa and Ernest discuss their time living in Brazil, particularly their unique shared experience as Black expats exploring the Afro-Brazilian culture and furthering their immersion within the African diaspora through travel. Get ready to learn all things Brazil and the Black expat experience. Let’s Fly! Chapters: 0:00​ - Intro 1:10​ Alissa’s introduction 2:53​ Alissa’s journey from the U.S. to Brazil 13:48​ Alissa’s experience in Salvador 17:22​ Connecting with people in a new country 22:18​ How Alissa relates travel and music 26:44​ The creation of “Finding My Voice” 37:37​ What draws Alissa to Brazil 39:51​ Socio-cultural differences between the US and Brazil 43:26​ Safety as a Black woman abroad 45:50​ Finding community abroad 50:00​ Socio-political issues in Brazil 57:52​ What Alissa loves most about living in Brazil 59:44​ Black Brazilian culture 1:05:02​ Outro Stay connected with Alissa: Website https://alissamusic.com/​ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alissasande...​ Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/alisajan...​ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/alissasanders​ Stay connected with FLY BROTHER: Website and TV Show Viewing Information https://flybrother.net/​ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/flybrother/​ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FlyBrotherFly​