Arischa Conner

Arischa, pronounced (Ah-rish-sha), has been singing since the day she heard Stacy Lattisaw singing “Let me Be Your Angel”, and the roadmap for her life became very clear.  She says, “I was a little girl and I saw her sing that song and I thought, I want to be just like her!”  Arischa began singing everywhere she could and at the age of 13, she won the South Carolina Hal Jackson’s International Talented Teen Pageant.  She represented the state of South Carolina at the Apollo theatre in New York City where she shared the stage with talented young ladies from across the world as well as Bobby Brown, Johnny Kemp, Carl Payne, Malcolm Jamal Warner and Taimak to name a few.  Though she did not win the International Title, her desire to perfect her craft increased as she witnessed others perform on stage at the Apollo.  The next year she competed in a talent show in the Virgin Islands for the Hal Jacksons International Talented Teen pageant, and won first place.  
While in college, Arischa joined the Vocal Jazz Ensemble (Hampton University), and the Jazz Band (Claflin University) and was the jazz bands first featured vocalist.  While in college, Arischa opened up for various artists including Ramsey Lewis, Vanessa Rubin and Sinbad, and has sung background for Aaron Riley.   She has also showcased her talent for various artists including Blood, Sweat and Tears, LOR Records (Teddy Riley’s record company in which the group she sang with won a talent competition) and Take 6’s Mervyn Warren who commented that Arischa’s voice was ‘enchanting’.  She has also been a featured performer at Euro-Disney in Paris while touring Europe with the nationally renowned Claflin College Concert Choir.  Arischa has continued to sing with bands wherever she goes.  Some of those bands include Sound FX (Hampton, VA), Special Request (Newport News, VA), Visions Band and Show (Orangeburg, SC), P.R.I.D.E. Ensemble, Nu Urband Street band (Columbia SC), Basis of Pulse (Columbia SC), 4te (Columbia, SC), Jazz Formula (Columbia, SC) Promis and Uniband (Columbia, SC) and Jazzmatic (Columbia, SC).  She often sits in and lends her vocal talents with Columbia SC's locals stars Dante Lewis and Terence Young.   Arischa is not only an accomplished singer, but she is an actress as well.  Arischa has been in numerous stage plays with WOW Productions, Trustus Theater and GM3 Entertainment and recently toured with a Brand New Sheriff Productions out of Charlotte. Her acting hasn't only been on stage. Arischa can be seen in a number of films and a national DVD release. Arischa credits her influences as Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Lalah Hathaway, Al Jarreau, Lionel Richie, Lou Rawls, Carmen Lundy, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne, and Rachelle Ferrell. Arischa states, “I am ready for a change.  I’m ready to set my sights on a career in the music industry, recording and touring around the world.  I would like to be like a female Al Jarreau, like Rachelle Ferrell.”  And with her mind set on that goal, she intends to do just that!  Arischa Frierson currently resides in Columbia SC and is married to Craig Frierson, and credits her daughter, Dyneise Conner-Johnson, as her inspiration.