We The Animals

What’s left when you strip everything ceremonial away? It’s a terrifying question for most artists as interlocking layers of disguises and aliases and personalities can sometimes be the only barrier between you and the weight of the world’s expectations. The prospect of facing those anxieties while laid bare can spur many to wear those masks forever, but there are some artists who see distillation as the only way forward. Denitia Odigie knows that path as well as anyone. She was stricken with such severe stage fright as a young performer that she asked people to turn around or close their eyes before she could begin. But that’s all changed, and she’s ready to face her audience eye to eye.