I believe I am here to fulfill my life’s purpose, which is to spread love and light through my music. I believe I’m here to connect and be the voice for the voiceless.
.
.
.
State your favourite genre of music and your reason.
I love all genres of music. It’s all about the connectivity and how the song makes me feel. Music is just another language that people can use to express themselves.
.
.
.
Tell us your experience as an artist.
My experience as an artist has been exciting,
.
.
.
Tell us the theme of your song.
‘Hands Up’ is actually the story of one of my girlfriend’s experience and I decided to put it in a song because it was an interesting situation.
.
.
.
Name the people behind your success and thank them on this platform.
The people behind my success are my immediate family, Lavaba Mallison, and Cerebral Sound Studios.
.
.
.
Tell us your future goals.
My future goals is to build an empire through entertainment, acting, creative imaging and to have music that will last a lifetime.
.
.
.
Elaborate on how you think your music is inspiring your fans.
I believe that my music will inspire my fans because my music is raw, authentic, and personal.
My music goes places where most people are afraid to express, and I want my fans to connect on a level where they can feel comfortable being themselves.
.
.
.
Brief us your opinion on the music process.
The process has been very insightful and exciting. Not only am I doing what I love to do, but I’m also learning and perfecting my craft every day.
.
.
.
State the artists you cherish most and your reason.
The artists that I cherish the most are Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, and Lauryn Hill.
Growing up music has always been a part of my life; I remember hearing them and immediately getting inspired and wanting to be like them.
.
.
.
Elaborate on how you develop your lyrics.
I develop my lyrics through personal experiences. Growing up music and writing was always an outlet for me. Having the ability to convert my feelings into my music was always a blessing in disguise for me.
.
.
.
Tell us if you enjoy collaborating with other artists or just singing as a solo artist.
I haven’t yet but I look forward to doing so in the future.
.
.
.
Brief us your opinion on making music that makes people to dance or making the music with a genuine message that inspires them.
One thing I learned about music is that if you are passionate with conviction you can get a person hooked into your music, whether it’s an up-tempo song or ballad. The results will always be the same.
.
.
.
Explain copyright.
Copyright is the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.
.
.
.
Elaborate on how you develop your melody and instrumentation.
The way I develop my melody is listening to a particular instrument in the song. I find the instrument that I’m attracted to; I write my lyrics and melodies around it.
.
.
.
Go into detail on how you create your song.
When I get a beat to a song I let the music speak to me first.
I also pay attention to how the song makes me feel.
.
.
.
Discuss your music performance.
Performing live is very exciting for me; I get a rush of emotions from the music and my audience.
.
.
.
State your artist’s name and elaborate on it.
My artist name is KimieChen; it was created from the idea of being a crime fighting cartoon character that has super powers that kicked ass.
.
.
.
State the title of the song and the meaning.
“Hands Up” – Basically it means “I had enough so I throw my Hands Up”.
Go into detail on why you decided to choose music as a career.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved music but as I became an adult and started to pursue a life of accounting I realized I couldn’t turn my back on my first love.
So I left the degree of math I was taking at the time and moved to the city and started writing music and I felt a weight lift as I explored my voice in this art form!
.
.
.
Brief us the feedback you are getting from fans on your music.
The most important thing I can do as an artist is write music that people can relate to and find themselves in.
I often find solace in singing about what I know. And I find I connect to artists who do the same because it reflects a level of honesty that I really appreciate.
And the comments I’ve received after my previous release show that my fans feel the same way.
.
.
.
Discuss the relevance of social networking to music.
We live in a world where the only way to be heard is if people are willing to listen to your music and share it.
And because of that sometimes artists feel as though the music industry is oversaturated.
But the truth is that we shouldn’t shy away from sharing indie artists’ songs because it only helps everyone.
More acknowledgment of great art only pushes forward the creation of great art. So I personally love social networking with music.
.
.
.
Tell us how you record your song.
Every song I record has a bit of a different process. In the case of ‘Gold’, Sebastien Valiente and I met at his studio on a whim and really wanted to make something up! So he plugged in a quick beat and I jotted down some lyrics and in no time we had a full song!
.
.
.
Tell us the story behind the song.
I think the main reason this song was so easy to write in no time at all was that it’s basically the exact story of how I met my partner.
I was scrolling on Tinder and was kinda over the whole idea of online dating. And then was taken aback when I saw that profile. We met less than an hour later and have been dating ever since. That was in November 2017.
.
.
.
State your musical skills.
I studied at Humber and Sheridan for Musical theatre. But I grew up on in a musical household. I played piano for years going up to grade 8 in the Royal Conservatory and sang with the Juno award-winning Toronto Mass Choir with my mother.
But I think that most of my musical skills were developed when I started touring with my band JonoJosh and Fly Crew in 2013. As iron sharpens iron so do great musicians.
.
.
.
Tell us how long it takes to complete a song from the start.
I run a writer’s club for songwriters in the Toronto. And we normally write a verse and a chorus in about 30 minutes.
I personally find that the second verse can be the hardest part of a song to write which can take anywhere from another day to a year.
But once the song is written and the demo is recorded I find my music takes about 4 months before the mixing and mastering is finished and the song is ready for release.
I recorded the first take of Gold back in December of 2018.
.
.
.
Go into detail on how you develop your lyrics and melody.
Every song I write I try to find an honest statement that is the crux of the song. That’s what usually makes my hook or chorus.
The melody for the hook has to be different enough that it’s memorable and easy enough to sing along to.
For the verse, I focus on the depth of the lyrics trying to speak to the nuance of what the song is about.
As I said earlier I find the second verse is always the hardest because once you’ve said the crux of the message in the chorus and you’ve given the nuances in the first verse the second verse has the vital place of expanding the thought process – which can be difficult if you successfully honed in on the core of the thought earlier.
For my verse melodies, I focus on rhythms that support what’s being said the most. And once the rhythms are decided on the melody usually falls into place by itself.
.
.
.
Discuss music in full details.
Music is my water. For me it’s like a wellspring that never stops giving. Whenever I’m down it’s my therapy.
In February of this year I worked with a great company Smile Theatre that would go into homes of people with dementia and we would sing songs with them.
It was shocking the responses we would get from both staff and the people.
People who hadn’t connected with anybody in ages would hold our hand and sing along and find the melodies.
I’ve always known of the power of music but seeing it on a consistent basis every day really strengthened my resolve to continue in my career choice.
.
.
.
State your five favourite genres of music with reasons.
I love R&B, soul, gospel, dancehall, folk.
Mainly because in gospel music they often don’t shy away from complex musical alterations inspired by jazz but placed on catchy pop melodies.
R&B/soul has always been a part of my heritage. Growing up my mother would sing lullaby’s which pushed rhythms and heartfelt sentiment grooving off of the 12 bar blues.
But pushing forward into my creation I learned to distort the genre and ad ideas from multiple places to keep it fresh.
.
.
.
Discuss your rehearsal.
My band meets every week. We rehearse for about 4 hours and then we usually hangout and play board games. It’s pretty great to be best friends with the people you make music with!
.
.
.
State your favourite musical instruments.
I mean when I was a kid I was obsessed with the Xylophone. I really want to make a song with one. But they’re just so gosh darn big.
.
.
.
Describe the chemistry between you and your fans during a live performance.
Every show I do is meant to have a different effect on the audience than the one before.
One of the main things I do with Dan Minchom my musical director is plan out how the show will evolve and captivate from beginning to end every time someone sees it.
We have great dancers who step, breakdance, and groove with the audience. Dance is a large part of my history. I was in a breakdance crew for many years and so that is one of the few thing that we try to keep in every show.
At some point, we usually try to have a cipher where the audience gets involved.
Last show someone from the audience brought tap shoes and started tapping in the circle and then this b-girl jumped up and did some moves that no one was expecting. Our next show is May 16th at the 3030 in Toronto and I can’t wait!
.
.
.
Discuss your personality in full details.
One thing that’s really important to me is to be kind to others. I always prioritize kindness. I like to celebrate the positive parts of people while not ignoring the pains of life.
My music empathizes with the struggles of fighting for your passion and for love.
.
.
.
Discuss your music career.
I started in the Gospel world singing with Toronto Mass Choir which was an amazing experience.
I got to learn from Karen Burke and tour through Europe. Later I joined a Christian kids band called GodRocks which released 11 number one albums in the Christian music charts and as that went on I realized that I really wanted to write my own music.
I created a folk-rock band with friends called CalmOcean and we had the best time together but eventually, most of the members ended up being called across the world to different places. So I went to university for math. But I realized that I couldn’t turn my back on music. It was too deep in me. So I created JonoJosh and started writing and performing.
We released a couple of tunes. I did a tune with Andi that ended up being chosen as a finalist on CBC’s searchlight. Soon after I released Birds the EP and CBC said some really nice things about it. And from there I released the piece ‘Chance’ all about banding together in times of need. Most recently we’ve been touring with America’s got talent’s Stacey Kay.
.
.
.
List your musical work.
Andi’s: Caffeine feat JonoJosh
Birds – EP
Chance – Single
Better – Single
GOLD – Single
.
.
.
Share your memorable experiences with us.
Last year I was offered the chance to perform at the Charlottentown Festival as Gilbert. I ended up writing the song…
.
.
.
State your artist’s name and elaborate on it.
JonoJosh comes straight from my real name. I was born Jonothan Joshua. So I smushed it together to make this one!
.
.
.
State the title of the song and the meaning.
“Gold” is all about finding that person that has a golden heart.
.
.
.
State the title of the album and the reason for choosing the title.
Gold is going to be on the album Better, which is all about finding a better life in your subjective truth.
Jovanie Vitale, who goes by his first name only, is an energetic pop-oriented R&B vocalist and occasional rapper reminiscent of a young Chris Brown.
The Brooklyn native built a fan base through uploads of cover versions and made his proper recorded debut at the age of 12 with the single “Heartbreaker.”
He signed to major-label Atlantic in 2015, a year in which he released three singles (“Whip,” “Ooh Girl,” and “What’s the Move”) as well as his debut album, What’s the Move, Pt. 2, and performed as Ne-Yo’s opening act for a handful of dates. A couple years later, Jovanie returned with another single, “Two Seater,” featuring a guest verse from Lil Yachty.
.
.
.
Tell us your history.
He expressed a desire to sing and dance when he was nine years old and secure a major record deal at the age of 14.
He was raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. His father took notice of Jovanie’s innate musical ability and allowed him to pursue music as long as he did well in school. He grew up with two siblings.
.
.
.
Describe yourself as an artist.
Most compare me to a young Chris Brown, but I only compare myself to a young Jovanie Vital.
.
.
.
Tell us the genre of your music.
R&B / Pop.
.
.
.
Tell us the story behind your song.
Highlights and overwhelming infatuation with a special someone.
.
.
.
Tell us the problems you are facing as an artist.
In the past: The dilemma of being viewed as so talented but too young.
.
.
.
Discuss the recording and production of the song.
Recorded in Atlanta with collaborative writing and production of Deafh Beats.
.
.
.
Brief us what inspires you to write, compose and sing.
My life experiences and who I aspire to be.
.
.
.
Tell the advice you will give to an upcoming artist.
Don’t ever let anyone douse your creative flame.
.
.
.
Discuss at length your music careers, albums, songs, tours, recognition or awards you might have received.
Former Atlantic recording artist, who has toured with Ne-Yo by the time he was 14 years old as well as Jeremih and Party Next Door
.
.
.
Tell us how you write your lyrics, compose, sing and record in the studio.
I write in the studio and try to collaborate whenever possible. The creative process is something I think that should be shared.
.
.
.
Name your favourite artists for collaboration.
Chris Brown, Khalid, Post Malone, and Travis Scott.
.
.
.
Tell us how you will spend a million dollars.
Jordans, Jordans and more Jordans LMAO.
.
.
.
Tell us how you manage other activities with your music career.
I thank God for my wonderful team.
.
.
.
State your name.
Jovanie Vital.
.
.
.
State the title of the song and the meaning.
Addicted – Enthusiastically devoted to a special someone.
17-year-old Nia Rene is a new singer-songwriter. She was born in San Bernardino, California in 2001 and moved to Victorville, California when she was 5.
One Sunday morning during church service she and her grandmother watched as the children of the Christmas program all developed stage fright.
Nia Rene recognized early on that the show must go on. She stepped up to the mic and sang each song loud and clear that the older children had been practicing for weeks.
For that, she received a standing ovation! It wasn’t until she was 13 that her uncle, singer / producer Teflon Vest, took her into the studio for the first time. From that time on he has been taking her into the studio and watching her grow and develop into the talented singer and songwriter that she is today.
Just last year Atlantic Records recognized her talent when they had her come in for an audition. She impressed everyone to the point where the A&R Director had to come out of his office to see who was singing. They were so impressed that they invited her to stay an extra day to write and record with one of their talented producers.
Nia Rene is now ready for the world. She brings you “Caught Up”, a sexy, sultry song sure to get even the wallflowers off the wall.
24-year Dallas sweetheart, Jade Massentoff came to spotlight with the release of the song entitled ‘Depression’.
Jade is now back again with the remix of ‘Rematch’ featuring Sheldon Body.
‘Rematch’ is a striking duet is entertaining.
Jade is an influential singer that is enlivening the R&B in the era that the style is declining.
Her strong vocal is touching and driving.
Sheldon Body’s soulful vocal blends with Jade’s vocal.
Jade is a brilliant R&B/Hip-hop artist with a strong desire for songwriting and singing.
She has been performing since she was six years old in the Dallas.
Her experience in the industry includes having opened shows for artists such as Alicia Keys, Ann Nesby and Marques Houston.
She finished working on her EP produced by Grammy Award Winning Singer and Songwriter Q parker from 112 along with Adrian Porter and Abraham Poythress.
Forming the mega producing duo machine better known as AP Factor whose roster include Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Big Bang, Aaliyah, Austin Mahone, Lil Wayne, Ciara and more!
Mackenta takes an unconventional approach to R&B music, dissecting the influences of her life and generation. She serenades audiences with striking contrasts in both her sound and visuals; combining “woke” lyrical intricacy, with tripped-out experimentation. Her music is simultaneously sensitive and fierce.
Mackenta also known as Mack Davis first gained popularity with her single “Issues”, which has been featured on outlets like OVO Sound Radio, The Source, and HotNewHipHop.
It is the first single from her debut seven-track EP, Over The Influence (June 2016), which features production from JUNO award- winning, Gavin Bradley (JackSoul, Serena Ryder.) Her late 2017 single, “No Finesse”, premiered on Noisey and was featured on Spotify Official Playlists like, “Just Vibin”.
Mackenta continues to express herself vulnerably, on record and during live performances.
In recent years, she has graced the stage of festivals, including Manifesto, 199Z, and internationally at New Skool Rules (Rotterdam).
In an interview with RESPECT Mag, Mackenta comments, “I’m just writing about the human experience, through my experiences. I’m writing about the things that don’t make me perfect.”
Mackenta will expand on her creative vision in 2019, with the release of new singles and music videos.
Discuss your composition and melody.
I tend to sing-rap a lot on songs, but I did less of that on this track. I wanted to create a sound that combines a more classic 90’s R&B vibe, but with experimental production. The song builds and falls back, and the synths help create layers to the mood.
.
.
.
State the name of your producer and elaborate on the song.
Hypersensitive was produced by CZY and Gavin Bradley – both producers blend futuristic sounds and soulful feels. CZY started the initial beat and Gavin added some layers later on. It felt like each person added an ingredient to complete the final recipe.
.
.
.
Discuss the lyrics of the song.
I wrote this song about the duality between being sometimes perceived as “rough” on the outside, yet “soft” on the inside. I’m not one or the other, I’m both. But my tough exterior is there at times to protect my heart from getting hurt. The lyrics talk about me getting comfortable with expressing my emotions and needing my relationship to be vulnerable and honest.
.
.
.
Elaborate on your music career.
I released my first single “Issues” in 2015, and it was the song that really started my career. That song now has over 85K plays on SoundCloud, and led me to a lot of different opportunities and fans. Since then I’ve performed a lot in Toronto, and for the first time last year I performed in Europe. I’ve also released an EP called “Over the Influence” and a single called, “No Finesse.” This year I’ll be releasing a lot more music and music videos.
.
.
.
Brief us on how you are reaching fans with your music.
I connect with fans through the stories I tell, especially in my lyrics and music videos. I find that people who enjoy my music tend to enjoy hearing and seeing something personal that they can connect to. I also have connected with new fans on social media; I love receiving messages from people who have discovered me and I always try to respond and thank them.
.
.
.
Discuss your motive behind making music.
For me, making music started as something that was purely therapeutic. It was a way for me to express whatever I was going through. That’s how it all started — I just needed a way to vent. As I continue making music, I use it not only as a personal outlet, but as a way to reflect and critique society, and a way to challenge myself. I also want to give people music that makes them feel less alone; show others there is someone else in the world who feels the same emotions as them.
.
.
.
Discuss your lyrics and songwriting.
Lyrics are the most important thing to me, because growing up I gravitated to artists who wrote honest and intriguing lyrics. It makes you feel like you can relate to them and embody the song.
For me, my lyrics hit when they are completely genuine and a stranger can feel an emotional connection to what I’m talking about. I’ve found I write my best songs when I’m going through something real and I stop and just write down exactly what I’m feeling in that moment.
.
.
.
Elaborate on your work and achievement so far in your music career.
As an independent artist who is self-managed, I’ve been able to achieve a lot on my own. Because I rely on myself, I am always striving for more. I’ve had my music featured on popular blogs and Spotify Official Playlists, and I’ve receiving funding to create some of my music and travel for music. I was proud of myself this year for performing in the Netherlands. Most recently, I was a finalist of Stingray’s Rising Star Award, where I won a trip to Montreal to be mentored at the Stingray Music Headquarters. However, of all achievements, I feel most successful when I can really feel the human connection my music has on other people. That’s most important to me.
.
.
.
Tell us your opinion on using rhymes dictionary or writing software to develop lyrics.
I tend not to use them; I prefer to see what flows naturally. But I don’t judge songwriters for using them. Sometimes you just need that extra nudge to get your message out. Every artist has their own process.
.
.
.
Discuss the music industry.
The music industry feels like the wild wild west at times. Other times it’s helped me meet some of the best people in my life. Overall, it challenges me to stay true to myself no matter what. I think the music industry has a long way to go for women and the LGBTQ community. We need to start honouring and making more room for diverse voices and perspectives. I feel this is beginning to happen, but we have a long way to go.
.
.
.
Elaborate on how you prepare yourself for a recording session.
I try to meditate, and burn some sage before I record or do something just to quiet my mind. I also like to have a healthy meal and drink lots of water or tea.
.
.
.
Brief us on your preference in terms of tempo as in up-tempo, mid-tempo or slow tempo.
Mid-tempo and slow-tempo are my favourite. I like a tempo that allows some space to work around and get into my feelings. I tend to only listen to up-tempo music to work out or party to.
.
.
.
Discuss your shows or live performance.
It’s important for me to connect with the audience at my live shows and feel their vibe. Sometimes I play with a band and sometimes with a DJ. If I can, I try to incorporate some type of trippy visual projection or lights because I like to create a whole mood that matches my songs.
.
.
.
Share your emotional feelings.
I can’t be superficial in my relationships, if you want to get close to me; you have to be willing to be vulnerable.
Feeling trapped inside a generation where it’s considered “cool” not to catch feelings, I am the exact opposite.
In the past, I’ve written lyrics about hiding my feelings. Although my exterior may appear one way but deep down, I’m also emotional and romantic. I got so sick of trying to act like nothing…
In the “Hypersensitive” music video, I play a being that is not human (either alien or robot – you can decide) but it seems as if they’re being held hostage by human emotions. Eventually, they break down. That’s how I was beginning to feel in a world where emotions are related to weakness.
At the end of the day, I’ve come to recognize that my ability to be vulnerable actually makes me strong, regardless of how others perceive me.
.
.
.
Send a message across to your fans and supporters.
As an independent artist, your support means the world to me. I have gratitude for every single person that connects with my music.
.
.
.
Discuss the story line of the song.
This song is on being trapped inside a world of insensitivity and “Savage” behaviour, which was something I used to perpetuate.
It feels like being honest about emotions is looked down upon. It’s about my transformation into embracing a sense of strength and sensuality in expressing vulnerability.
.
.
.
Tell us what makes this song unique from others.
A lot of artists in my generation brag about being emotionless or hurting others or not “catching feelings.” I’m going in another direction and being open about the fact that I am sensitive and romantic. I’m going with what’s true to me, not necessarily what’s “on trend.”
.
.
.
Tell us the theme of most of your compositions.
Most of my compositions are a reflection of my experience as a young woman who is dealing with the pressure of society, life, love, and growing up.
