When Maurita Andr? opens for Natalie Cole, BeBe Winans, and Clasicos Del Son at Friday's performance of the Bermuda Jazz Festival it will be another step along what she intends to be the path to a professional career, and she plans to seize the moment.

"When you work really hard, opportunities come and you are ready to seize them. All this came about as a result of a dream and vision I had, and I am just going to go out there and do what it takes to reach my goals and dreams," she says.

Indeed, Miss Andr? makes it clear that she not only serious but also totally focused on developing her career now that she has finally decided what it is to be.

Life was not always so easy, however. From the age of 12 she fought with the same dilemma. Growing up multitalented , she excelled at music, science and art, and wondered which of these avenues she should pursue.

Her family was very supportive as she wrestled with her decision: would she be a doctor, a fashion designer, a singer, an artist or a poet? From the age of 12 she sought divine guidance but still awaited an answer.

Then, at age 18, when she was going away to school, she told her father she wanted to be a singer. "You and everybody else," was his reply. "What makes you think you are so special?"

"That totally threw me because he had always been so supportive," Miss Andr? says. " So I pushed that on the back burner to focus on my art."

On returning home, she also modelled, and wrote and produced her own songs, but still the future was unclear. Finally, about 18 months ago when she found her life at a low ebb, with everything that could possibly go wrong doing so, Miss Andr? asked herself: "What am I to do? Where am I going?"

Suddenly she had an answer.

"It came to me almost like a vision. I suddenly saw my life and how everything I had been doing was all connected. From that point on, it was about making it as an artist. I saw the steps, and I knew this was what I was here to do. I was so excited that I jotted down the whole business plan of action, step by step. It was tremendous and big."

Aware that she did not have the financing to start, Miss Andr? decided instead to look at areas which didn't take too much money.

Thus, writing music and arranging songs became her jumping off point.

She was also working part-time at Studio B as a secretary, and shared her ambitions with owner Dwight Jones and his editor Wendell Simmons.

From those discussions she discovered that Mr. Simmons shared a similar passion for music, which he also wrote. Thus began a successful collaboration, with the promise that when she struck it good, Miss Andre would pay her collaborator his due royalties.

"Wendell has been absolutely wonderful," she says. "When people see you are serious, different doors open, and the people you meet along the way are tremendous."

The aspiring artist makes no bones about how serious she is in pursuing her ambitions, and says she has no intention of turning back.

"When I make up my mind to do something, nothing gets in the way," she assures.

So her days are currently filled with doing studio work - writing down vocals and creating and arranging music tracks of her work, a process which Miss Andr? says is relatively slow because she cannot afford to hire a studio, and everyone who assists has a full-time job.

As always, however, one contact had led to another, and she has been assisted by various engineers and producers, including Donald Robinson, whose home studio has been invaluable.

"Wendell's strength is jazz and ballads and a tinge of rock, while Donald's talent is dance hall," Miss Andr? says.

Thus it is that she will sing one of the songs written by herself and Mr. Robinson, `U Otta Know', at the Jazz Festival on Friday night.

In fact, most of her approximately 30-minute set will showcase original music written both by herself and in conjunction with her collaborators.

Understandably delighted at the opportunity which lies before her, the aspiring young artist says she is not only excited but proud of her backing band, each one of whom was carefully chosen through many interviews.

"I have some of the best musicians on the Island," she says. "I tried to find those who gelled together, and who already made great music together. Based on the music I was creating I wanted them to have the versatility to be able to play many genres."

Backing her will be Toni Bari (keyboards), Wencey Woolridge (bass), Tony Cox (drums), Randy Lambert (guitar) and Keith Caisey (percussion), with background vocals provided by Steve Easton, Shondell Easton and Loretta Adderley.

With two months of rehearsals behind them, the tracks for her new album are under way. It is no secret that Bermuda abounds in talented musicians and entertainers, so how was it that Miss Andr? was selected to represent the Island in a prestigious gig like the Jazz Festival?

Again, contacts.

Rewinding to her formative years, Miss Andr? grew up in a musically-conscious family.

Her grandmother constantly sang to her as a child; her mother taught her songs and encouraged her interest in music as well as seeing that she had music lessons; and her father, DJ Andr? Bean, introduced her to a wide variety of musical genres.

As a result, her interest in music as an instrumentalist and singer continued to grow, and on several occasions she travelled abroad representing her school, the Bermuda Institute.

Later on, Miss Andr?'s passion for singing ultimately led to songwriting. From writing poetry she progressed to setting her lyrics to melodies - a talent which eventually led to her decision to pursue singing and songwriting as a career.

Today, she describes her repertoire as "eclectic". It includes jazz, neo-soul, dance hall, ballads and "a bit of rock".

Supportive as her father was of her many hopes and dreams growing up, however, he apparently did not realise just what talent his daughter had until she made a demo tape and gave it to him.

"When he heard it, I guess he realised, `She really has something going on here'," his daughter recalls.

"Glenn Blakeney is a personal friend of his, and he let him hear it. Glenn was so taken aback by my music that he started working with me. He was impressed that I had accomplished so much on my own, and with little or no money."

So Mr. Blakeney also became her personal friend, and assists Miss Andr? with managerial support and advice, as well as being the man who told her about the Jazz Festival and urged her to send in a demo tape on the basis that she had nothing to lose.

"You have to be optimistic in what you are doing, and you'll be surprised how far you can go, the singer says of her follow-up.

The same day she sent in the tape, she got a call on behalf of the Tourism Department asking her to audition as a co-host for the Jazz Festival promotional show, which will be screened on BET's Bet on Jazz channel as part of its `Jazz in the Sun' series.

"I admit I laughed. How ironic to be auditioning to be in the Jazz Festival at the same time they want me to be a co-host," Miss Andr? says. The audition led to her being squeezed into the showcase sponsored by Tourism - an event designed to expose local talent to hoteliers, club and restaurant owners and other interested parties.

Second to last on the bill, she sang her original composition, `Fool on Monday', to what seemed an awfully quiet audience. `Thank you' she said softly when it ended. After what seemed a long pause, the room erupted in a crescendo of applause.

"I was completely overwhelmed. Backstage, a gentleman from Tourism said they had found the right person for the promotional show; minister Ren?e Webb commended me, as did then-premier Jennifer Smith and Patricia Gordon Pamplin."

From a tape sent to BET Jazz came the invitation to perform in the Jazz Festival. On Friday night Miss Andr? will also share the stage with gospel singer BeBe Winans, with whom she co-hosted the Jazz Festival promotional show.

"It is amazing. When you work really hard opportunities come to you and you seize them," the singer/songwriter marvels.

As a fashion designer, she will naturally wear something very special of her own creation.

"I wanted it to be very unique, exotic and stunning, and it has a bit of my culture in it," she hints. "Someone else is making it, but I am doing all of the embroidery work."

Admitting that she still has a long way to go arrive at where she ultimately wants to be as an artist, Miss Andr? is nonetheless confident that she will hold her own on Friday night.

"Opening for Natalie Cole is an honour, and I will do my absolute best," she says. "I have to take full advantage of the opportunities given to me. I am an unknown artist here, so for me to have this opportunity I cannot fail.

"When I go on stage I have to own it because it is difficult when you are the opening act. People are not paying that much attention. So I have to make them say, `Who the heck is that?'."

As for her future, she sums it up as focusing on her development as an artist.

During a recent trip to Washington, D.C., where she participated in the annual BRE music industry conference and festival, Miss Andr? performed in a showcase for up and coming artists, and also was chosen to sing at a well-known nightclub.

Other offers to perform also flowed in, and at one event she opened for renowned jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers.

As a result of networking, she also met renowned guitarist William (Spaceman) Patterson, Jr., with whom she hopes receive vocal training in future.

Meanwhile, she has begun vocal training with well-known Bermudian singer, Marcelle Clamens, even as she works on finding sponsors or producers to finance her album, `Fool on Monday'.