Who is in your band? Right now I
am a solo artist. However, I have done collaborations with a host of emcees,
singers, poets, and producers.
How do you get along? I try to make every artist that I work
with feel like they are at home when they are in my studio. The easier you are
to work with in the studio, the better the harmony is. I haven’t always been
the perfect person to work with because I have had to realize that every artist
will not function the same way I would behind the mic and the controls. But as
I’ve grown into a level of maturity, and in 20 years of making music, I’ve
tried to develop a system that works well for me and that I think would work
well for any artist I work with.
Where did you get your name? My stage name came from The
Original Soul Stirrers, as I had some family members that sang with their group
in the 60’s…the Sam Cooke era. The music will come from the heart and from a
positive mind, so the name Original Soul is one that I feel is befitting for
the type of music I want to share with the world.
How would you describe your sound? I do thought-provoking
music. Music with a message. There is enough club music and watered-down music
out there, and the people are tired of hearing the same old thing. My music is
a blend of conscious hip-hop and neo-soul. It’s hip-hop like it should be, like
we grew up on, that uses our voice instead of what the industry thinks people
should hear.
Why did you get into music? I got into music to make a
difference. People are tired of hearing the same old thing on the radio. I’ve
always been one to be an advocate for change. It has to start from within. The
youth needs to know that there is a life outside of the glamour world.
Who is your favorite independent/underground artist besides
yourself? I like the artists that are creative and can make you think, artists
that have solid production to back their words. There are so many great artists
in DFW, almost too many to name. Many of them I have worked with personally.
What and who inspire your lyrics? I am inspired by artists
like Common, The Roots, Conya Doss, Kanye West, because they dare to be
different. They speak from the heart and push the envelope of greatness. And
then I’m sure they were inspired by artists like The Last Poets, Earth Wind And
Fire, the O’Jays, Minnie Ripperton, The Isley brothers, because of their
showmanship on stage, and the content of their music.
What are your live performances like? (Example: Laid back,
energetic) Picture a coffee house. Dim lit room. Cozy. Packed. Enough room to
move in a small circle behind the mic. I’m usually gonna start with no music
and spit acapella. Then dive in with some new material, and end with the single
I’m pushing at the time. Now, this depends on the venue and the time limit I’m
given. It varies by venue. But the concept is generally the same.
Who is the craziest person in the group?Well, when I do
invite guests to perform with me, they will usually do their own thing so I
kinda know what to expect. Cats like Black Supaman, Pestalance, they bring a
different element with their sound, so they will typically be way different
than I would on stage, where I’m more laid back and focused on every word
coming across and completely understood.
What is a typical studio session like? Usually we try to
build on what our next moves are, the music scene as a whole, and vibe off each
other’s energy before we even record anything. Or we check out new beats and
write something on the spot. If we record something, I’m recording and mixing
at the same time, to help speed up the process, plus I’m listening for flaws
and additional ideas. And since my studio is in my home, I want you to feel at
home when you come to record.
What do you love most about the music scene these days? The
music scene is…changing. The thing about it is, the scene will make you grow up
quickly because it is not easy to master.
What do you dislike? What I dislike is the fact that Dallas
is such a bandwagon city. You should not have to go outside of your own city to
get recognition, when you should have sufficient amounts of people in town
already supporting you. There is a great lack of support here. No showmanship.
No pride in the craft. People are lazy and expect someone else to do the
footwork for them. There are also too many ‘cliques’ and people playing
favoritism.
What is your songwriting process like? I write a song, with
the video in mind. Or, I also imagine certain songs I like, and what they would
sound like if I was on the next verse.
Do you do other things besides music? Well, I have plans to
start an artist mentoring program, which would teach people how to do music
from start to finish; from writing a song to how to conduct themselves in a
studio, to how to get shows. I also do professional mastering.
What kind of artists do you want to work with? I’m willing
to work with any artist, as whatever message they are pushing has a divine
purpose.
What are your fans like? It’s hard to find fans because my
music is so different from the Dallas sound. It makes it hard for promoters to
put me on shows because they don’t know exactly where to put me on a bill
filled with club music.
Who has the most twitter love? Twitter is a work in
progress. But I have more Twitter followers than Facebook fans. Go figure.
Who eats the most? LOL, next question.
Who is the worst driver? I trust whoever drives my car.
Otherwise I’ll take the wheel and keep it. LOL
When you become millionaires, what fun things will you do
with your money? Well, all I know is, becoming a millionaire means investment
and becoming debt free before any enjoyment is possible. After that, it’s
making sure my family has what they need and want.
What are your favorite websites? I frequent sites such as
Reverb Nation and Jango because of the connection that I make with the fans.
They are both also very easy sites to upload music and ideal for networking.
Who are the special fans you want to thank? I have several
lifelong fans as well as new lifelong fans that really take time to listen to
the music and not just say ‘It’s good’. There are also a few fans that have
every single album I put out. And of course the fans overseas.
What do you want to accomplish with your music? My message
is simple. Speak from the heart, and speak the truth. Be you. If you spend so
much time imitating others and what works for others then you forget who YOU
are. The people will know the real from the fake. Quick money is not long
money. And I didn’t get in the biz to be a one-hit wonder. So I really hope the
fans can appreciate a heartfelt message more than anything, and appreciate good
music.
Any extra footage or comments? I have three videos currently
on YouTube, two of which are on my website.
Where can your fans get your music? Visit www.originalsoulonline.com. Click
on ‘Online Store’. All the current music is on sale there, as well as web links
to all other online stores, including iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, Amazon, and
many more.
Where can music executives contact you? I can be reached via
email at soulmail@originalsoulonline.com.
Or by phone at 214-236-7149.
Add press kit if desired.
Wanna reach me for your own "In My Own Words?" Check out me out at www.twitter.com/caramelsarajo or email me.
Thanks,
Sara Jo
No comments:
Post a Comment