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Since his days on 'Idol,' the Newark, New Jersey-bred vocalist starred in the national and international touring cast of the Broadway musical 'Rent; and played Jesus in a New York production of the show 'Godspell.'
The 31-year-old talent made his movie debut in Maurice Jamal's 2008 independent film 'The Ski Trip 2: Friends and Lovers.'
Having released several singles over the last several years, the former dreadlock-sporting Robinson is now gearing up to release his full-length independent CD, 'Everything' on Jan. 25, 2011.
BlackVoices.com caught up with the singer - who continues to teach music education - and had him take our Buzz Blitz.
Which 'American Idol' winner is your favorite and why?
I must say that I find myself relating to season three's Fantasia Barrino. Every single time she sings, it goes through my soul, especially live. When she came to visit our season four top 10, she sang 'If You Believe' and my hand flew up as if I were at a revival. Fantasia gave each of us pearls of wisdom. I waited to be the last one that she spoke to and she told me that I was special. I have held our interactions very sacred and took Tasia's words to heart.
If you could cast yourself on a television show which one would you chose?
Well, it'd be a toss-up between three shows: 'Glee,' 'The Sing Off' or 'The Game.' Practicality would have me choose the first two shows. The choice of my favorite dramedy would be the rationale of my third choice.
If you had to chose between G. Garvin, Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse preparing dinner for you, who would you chose and why?
I love this question! Out of these amazing culi
nary phenoms, I'd have to say Emeril Lagasse. Aside from doing a couple of guest spots on his show, he really puts so much love into his cuisine. A kind soul, indeed. BAM!Best thing an 'American Idol' fan has ever said to you after recognizing you?
Wow, okay, the best thing that many people could ever compliment me on is the content of my character either in relation to my time on 'Idol' or my being able to inspire others to further their lives through music education.
If you could change something about the music industry, what would you fix?
I used to want to change to music industry for what I thought in my myopic perception was better. Then, the industry actually changed and had its breakdown and then I came to realize that it was not as lucrative as it o
nce was - especially on the surface. Then, I decided to change myself and embrace those who wanted to hear from and help me make it work. Now, I have an album completed and unwavering support from my loved ones and a fan base that has abode with me from my times in bright lights and as a music teacher.Complete this sentence: "I'm my happiest when..."
I am performing on stage!
What's the one bad habit you can't seem to break?
I used to have a habit of qualifying how I felt about most things. Now, I don't apologize for my thoughts and positions on thin
gs anymore.If you could chose any singer to have a major resurgence in music, who would you pick and why?
This is a very hard question because there are now so many different ways to measure success in music, especially with technology being at the helm of how music is created, distributed and perceived. I will share that it is extremely fulfilling to see El DeBarge getting a 'Second Chance' and furthermore to hear (vocally) and see (visually) that he is pretty much unscarred. I am quite content with most of the artists whom I look up to and their current standings.
To follow Anwar Robinson on Twitter, go to twitter.com/AnwarRobinson.
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