AKICITA TO SUPPORT LEONA LEWIS ON UK TOUR

Newcomer AKICITA is an artist and singer-songwriter with Dominican and Native American heritage, who has transformed her truly tumultuous life journey into an enigmatic, graceful and complex pop persona. Those traits all stand proud in her recent single ‘FWMN’ and today she announces she will support Leona Lewis on her UK Christmas tour, which kicks off on 28^th November in Nottingham, incudes a date at London Eventim Apollo on 12^th December and culminates in Brighton on the 15^th December. Listen HERE.
 
Akicita says, “I could not be more honoured to be opening for Leona’s Christmas Tour. It’s such a blessing for me to have met her and to have touched her in a way where she is letting me perform for her loyal, beautiful fans. This is huge for me and I am so grateful. I promise to give her fans my all and I cannot wait to perform in front of such incredible audiences. I’m definitely bringing a different flavour to start the night so I hope her audience will enjoy the different vibe I’m bringing! It will be my first time in the UK since I was really young so I’m also just excited to explore, try new things, meet great people and drink a lot of tea . I really can’t wait!!!”
 
Leona adds, “I’ve known Akicita for a while now and have been following her journey, I love the truth and power in her music. She is Native American/Dominican and its going to be such a powerful way to start the night together”.
 
‘FWMN’ is an assertive dark-pop anthem in which AKICITA channels the skyscraping power of her voice to declare that she’s going to triumph against any obstacles that stand in her way. For AKICITA It’s a cathartic, blood-letting release of angst and insecurities that heralds her as a striking new talent with the ability to wield edginess in an instantly accessible way. As she so boldly affirms, “Who thought I’d burn brighter, brighter than this town?” She wrote ‘FWMN’ with the track’s producer Ben Wylen.  
 
Taken entirely upon its own merits, ‘FWMN’ is a big introduction from an artist with world class potential. Yet it takes on a greater significance within the context of the 27-year-old’s life story. Watch the live performance HERE.

AKICITA grew up in the small town of Prior Lake, Minnesota, and was raised on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Siouxreservation. Her early life as an independent, confident and Disney-obsessed child was entirely normal. But her home life was changed by traumatic events, and her escapes to various boarding schools only resulted in further abuse. She broke away as soon as she could, as she headed to Los Angeles when she was 18 to pursue a career in music.
 
Without any connections or real knowledge of the industry, it was initially an uphill battle. She spent much of her time partying to try to fit in and gradually discovered that her drinking had become an addiction – a story she explores further in her recent track ‘Liquor’. It remains an ongoing struggle, but AKICITA got back on track and a chance meeting with Ben Wylen helped to unlock her creativity. Bravely exploring her past and calling upon influences such as Banks, The Neighborhood and Nirvana, AKICITA discovered that she had both the confidence and the ability to become the artist that she is today.
 
There’s an indelible link between her choice of AKICITA as her artist name and the music she creates. Akicita translates as warrior in the Dakota language, and that’s exactly what she embodies and conveys within every song. In spite of the many hurdles that she had battled, AKICITA has gained power by fighting back against circumstances that threatened to silence her. She has navigated a troubled past to shape an immensely bright future for herself.
 
Leona Lewis UK Support Dates: