Jayanti's Blog

Interview with Urban Monks

Jayanti — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:00:52 +0000

Wow, I am very very proud to be the latest feature on Urban Monks, an inspiration website for creative people. And aren’t we all creative? You might be doing the 9-5, but you like to think outside of the box, try to find the unique little things that make your life more interesting, conjure up the most crazy scenarios, if only inside the realms of your mind. I know you do. You’re a human being (if not, please leave a comment!! please!!!!!). Hence, you’re creative. It’s in your design. You need to challenge those neurons. Let it out!

And in the meantime, if you’re interested, read my first online interview. It includes pictures! A picture of my hand and an empty tea cup!! Yes!! And also, two new photos from the Exotic Tinkerbell shoot..

Michael Jackson on Creating Magic

Jayanti — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:18:26 +0000

Michael Jackson is my mentor, that is how I feel. He inspires me like no other. I learned how to cultivate my voice, by listening to his early work, like Ben, Ain’t No Sunshine and I Wanna Be Where You Are when I was a little girl. I’d perform these songs with my afro wig on, at talent shows and weddings. After writing my first song “Starlight” when I was 7 and had just gotten back from a family visit in the States and was longing to go back, watching the tiny specks of light of airplanes moving across the sky, I studied Michael’s work on Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad and was amazed by the art of creating songs. The game of making up songs was called songwriting, and the melodies I hummed were compositions, the way I changed the melody when I found the right words were arrangements… How marvelous!!

My mom took me to his concerts and each time, we’d fly (that’s how I remember it, now I really don’t understand how she did it!) all the way to the front row, me and mama, nobody in front of us, just a clear view of The Master. She taught me one of my most valued life lessons: picture yourself already standing there, it is where you’re supposed to be! The security guards even placed me in front of the barrier when I was really young and even shorter than I am now (yeah..) so I was able to dance and run and feel like I was hanging out with Mike while he was performing… Amazing!

Part 1

On this full moon, I would like to share a rare interview my mom found (yes, mom, you were right…. it’s beautiful and I should have watched it right away and I didn’t and I’m an idiot…) which I think is so special, because he really talks about the process of creating and you can see little J5 Michael in his face, his gestures, his voice, his smile. His smile… :o)

Part 2

Thank you, Michael, and happy Full Moon to you, may your spirit be blessed and dance on the tides of the universe, as it always has!! I love you…

Marsha Ambrosius EP –> Put It On repeat!

Jayanti — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:01:11 +0000

Win sent me this link, and I had to share.. Marsha Ambrosius released her ep/mixtape Yours Sincerely and I love it! I’ve been devouring the third track, Put It On, following Marsha’s instructions as she melodiously urges us to “put it on repeat”. I Say Yes, Marsha… this song is a main course on a delicious plate of hors d’oeuvres to her upcoming album.

ArtByShake (2dopeboyz)

Download: Yours Sincerely

Nightlight: Layering the Chorus (draft)

Jayanti — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:23:59 +0000

So here’s a first draft of the backing vocals to Nightlight’s chorus. I basically recorded these vocals as a guideline which I will write the lead vocals to and Rory aka Kofi Anonymous will use to deepen the song musically.

First, I did the higher vocals which I doubled and then layered with lower vocals which I also doubled. Then you’ll see Mr Kofi aka Rory listening to all 4 voices on the basic beat (in the final version, the lower vocals will be much less prominent to mesh with the high vocals). Later on, when both Rory and I finish our parts (me: completing the lyrics and vocal arrangement for the verses, lead vocals and ad libs – Rory: completing the musical composition and arrangements), I will sing this all over again to make a perfect blend with the rest of the components of the song.

Next week, I’m seeing Al Mar and Mitchell again, the guys I made Girl From Mars with. We’re working on 5 new tracks (one at a time!! :o>) and will also do some acoustic videos in the coming weeks.

Flip Nightlight Electronica

Jayanti — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:43:06 +0000

Uhuh, now that’s a title!! :op

I’ve been awesomely busy these past few weeks, writing songs, doing the photo shoot selection, writing songs, reading the first Harry Potter for the 7th (?) time to relax before bed [vital!], writing songs, going to music sessions… Yeah. And writing songs.

Also, I am very excited to tell you that I just made my very first Flip video! Wooooo!! Yeah!!!! The idea is to bring my new lil friend with me wherever I go, so I’ll bring him (yes him, hush..) to my music session tomorrow and kind of have you tag along… In a good way! :o) So you can see what I do and how I write my songs, work with the producers and rehearse.

On this first flip vid, I was writing (am still writing) one of my new songs Nightlight. When, right in the middle of it, Win pings me to tell me about the awesome dopeness of tonight’s Jay Electronica concert. See I was supposed to go!!! But I forgot that it was on the same night that I had a session earlier and then I also had a session the day after, which is tomorrow. Anyway… this is me with the Flipman.

listen closely and hear the draft of Nightlight thru my headphones

Cruising down thesixtyone…

Jayanti — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:26:32 +0000

I joined thesixtyone, a platform for new artists. You’ll be able to listen to my music, buy my songs for $1 or simply heart my songs or favorite them. I will upload more songs along the way and keep you updated. There’s a lot of very interesting freshness going on over there, so check it out, sign up as a listener or an artist and hit the road with me!

Exotic Tinkerbell

Jayanti — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:41:29 +0000

January 26th 2010 was one of the happiest, most blissful days of my life! An extension and crown upon months of preparation, hours of conversation, saving (thanks mom & Win for the extra support!!!), creating a mood board, diary entries, inner traveling, outer channeling by means of the right setting and perfect wardrobe (Van Dijk!), working with my favorite makeup artist (Yohana!!!), an amazing hair stylist (Wendy!!!) and to top it all off: shooting with my best friends, Winand and Vinod Singh. Two rooms, two moods, two elements, two cameras, two angles, toooo smooooove!!!

We made our first selection last night, and now I’m going over the first batch to make the final cut. We will use these pictures for the new website, which will hopefully launch in March. Here’s a first glimpse of our shoot: Vin shooting Win shooting me working as the creative collective “Me We”!

-click image for full size-

Things are really coming together for me on all levels, I’m surrounding myself with the loveliest, most inspiring, gifted and giving people blessed with incredible talent and the purest of spirits. Beautiful Yohana, the makeup artist with an incredible eye for detail, literally sprinkling me with fairy dust to make the magic shine through, the ladies at Van Dijk (Barije, Tatiana and of course Wendela) helping me with my gorgeous wardrobe, Wendy the buoyant spirited hair stylist with pizazz and flair while doing hair (girl you funny!), Winand and Vinod really stripping me to my core then turning it inside out to show my soul on camera for everyone to see. We really captured me: Exotic Tinkerbell. People don’t tell me I’m an alien for no reason, and now we know what E.T. really stands for! ;o)

I made a playlist for this day, click to see the titles and create a sonic image of the Exotic Tinkerbell photo shoot. I also played the album “janet” by Janet Jackson and “Les Fleurs” by Minnie Riperton.

Tell Ya Momma about Soundwaves & Red!

Jayanti — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:14:33 +0000

Just a quick rave about Soundwaves, an LA based radio show I’m adoring. Their playlists send me into a frenzy, it’s like being at your cool friend’s house.. You know the one who has rows upon rows of all the classic gems from way back and seems to be up to date to every fresh song that just popped out of the ground? Yes indeed, the two hosts know their music and I’m happy to know about their show, so I had to share!

I was listening to this show when I first heard this song, by Red: “I Should Tell Ya Momma On You”. Check this video to watch him simultaneously using his grimy voice for the catchy hook and his deep, funked up beat boxing while literally slamming the beat on his chest. Awesome!! Apparently, he was (I hope it’s past tense..??) homeless when they discovered him, so seriously, if you dig this like I do, get on iTunes and support this guy!

I especially love -and bought- the first two versions: the original beatbox version and the Dam Funk remix.

Full Moon / Full Circle

Jayanti — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:41:47 +0000

Full Moon on New Year’s Eve. The last night of the year, when 2009 and 2010 meet. A true full circle moment!

I find myself restless, inspired, emotional and completely open when there’s a full moon out there.. Even when it’s still waxing to complete fullness, I feel my tummy churning, songs flowing out of me and I only realize there’s a full moon (coming) when I look out my bedroom window, unable to sleep. It’s the most magical of times, it feels like all the emotions that have been brewing are released…

Enjoy the last day of this year as if there is no tomorrow. Savour and marvel at every day of 2010 as if it were the first…

Happy Every Day everybody!!

Snow!

Jayanti — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:46:26 +0000

It’s been snowing and I get all fuzzy inside watching the flakes fall while crunching virgin patches of the white fluffy stuff with my boots. So for my new Life is a Musical video, I decided to do a song which I adored as a kid and makes me feel like walking through a field of snow: weak in the knees and giddy all over!

As always, video by Winand Singh aka Wintin Tarantino (as I like to call him) :op