Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts announces the debut of powerhouse vocalist,
songwriter and soulful communicator, ANITA LEVELS – whose jazzy sound has been
described as one of power, intention, passion and soul – in an evening of R&B, Jazz, Soul & Funk with a quartet of premier musicians – on Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 PM in
Foxburg’s Lincoln Hall – with dancing at the back of the hall and beer and wine for sale.
Anita Levels brings her star-power to Lincoln Hall after starring in R.E.S.P.E.C.T – An Aretha
Franklin Tribute in Pittsburgh’s Kelly Strayhorn Theatre on February 11 and a Valentine’s
Day performance for the Cultural Trust. Anita is at the center of the dynamic performance
scene in Pittsburgh.
In a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interview regarding her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in the
Strayhorn Theatre’s February 11 performance, Anita said. “I’m a PK [preacher’s kid], like
Aretha Franklin, so you kinda just relate to that. A lot of our American iconic music comes
from that legacy of church gospel, so I just feel right at home singing her music. I often say
that gospel music is like my first language. And I feel that when I hear Aretha. When you
grow up on American music, you grow up on Aretha, you grow up on Sam Cooke, you grow
up on a lot of these sounds.”
Musician and composer Dwayne Fulton, curator of the Aretha Franklin Tribute concert,
said of finding the singer to do it, “I thought, there’s a lot of great singers, but, who can
really pull off and embody that type of prowess and legacy with Aretha Franklin? And the
only person locally that I came up with was ANITA LEVELS. There’s a lot of great singers in
Pittsburgh but there’s a difference between singing and putting on a show.”
Anita, a Texas native, grew up in a military family originally from New Orleans and lived in
many places as a kid, including Germany, where she began singing at the age of 4. “I was
really blessed by that experience with different people, different cultures and music.” In
1991, the family settled in Pittsburgh, where Levels grew into a singer while also earning a
master’s degree in training and development at Carlow University.
Mike Canton, Host and Producer of The Soul Show, WZUM 101.1 FM Pittsburgh said, “The
first time I heard Anita Levels was on a recording by the collaborative group “The
Brydge.” I was struck by her clarity, energy and joy. It became a local-music staple of my
radio program. The first time I saw her solo act live, Anita brought ALL of that, plus a new
meaning of ‘crowd control’… we found ourselves fully engaged and participative, in her
presentation. She’s a pro.”
Since then, Anita Level’s powerhouse, soulful, but lark-like vocals have graced national and
international audiences, performing in London and touring the Netherlands with world
renowned ethnomusicologist, Dr. Portia Maultsby, and appearing with the Pittsburgh
International Jazz Festival and in innumerable other private, public and virtual events in
the greater Pittsburgh area.
This will be a night to remember with dancing at the back of Lincoln Hall. Beer and Wine
for Sale. Tickets are Adults $25, Students $5 – and may be purchased online at
Alleghenyriverstone.org. To pay by cash or check at the door, call to reserve at 724-659-
3153.
