The David Mensah Interview

Make mention of British Soul & R&B, and any astute music aficionado’s mind quickly darts back to the era of The Real Thing, Hot Chocolate, Five Star ,and more recently,the music of Loose Ends, Mica Paris, Ephraim Lewis, Craig David and Omar just to mention a few. However, one will be remiss if no mention is made of the other marginally unknown British artistes who toil laboriously to break into the highly competitive US market, but without whose otherwise multi-faceted approach to the R&B music, the world will never have a deeper appreciation of the diversity of R&B from the UK, undeniably the second largest market for this genre of music. This brings me to David Mensah, a budding R&B singer who is quickly coming to the public’s attention with a unique sound reminiscent of the likes of Luther Vandross and Donnie Hathaway.

            Born in Hackney, North London and raised in Wales by British and Ghanaian parents, David benefits from a configuration of cultures and musical traditions that have come to define his musical DNA. His early exposure to reggae, lover’s rock and America R&B will inform his music to this day, as he offers up a mix leaning strongly toward urban pop and jazz soul music.  He is also heavily influenced by other R&B heavyweights such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and Maxwell. David will get his early vocal training quite interestingly from his older sister and much later, professionally from Patrick Jean-Paul-Dean. As a member of the vocal harmony group, Dark Roses he would hone his craft, leading to critical reviews of his powerful vocal abilities and eventually securing the group a deal with Universal Music on the success of their underground hit "I like the girls". Perhaps, what’s endearing about David is the personal quality in his voice, and his charismatic persona that have helped propel him to a much wider audience.

            Being a member of Dark Roses offered David the opportunity to share the stage with some of the biggest names in music such as Alexander O'Neal and Jimmy Cliff, at prominent events such as the Commonwealth Games, The Hackney Volcano Festival, Burgess Park and The Regent Street Festival just to mention a few. More recently, he has performed alongside Omar Lye -Fook, Lemar Obika and Effie at the Jazz Café and The Klute Lounge.

            In 2006, after several months of spinning their “creative wheels” and lack of musical opportunities, the group disbanded leaving David to pursue a solo career. After a two year break from music, David returned to the recording studios to work on his debut album.  For his debut album, “Food Is Love” released in 2008 on the Universal Music records label, he will work the crème de la crème of some of today’s music producers. The album features the creative touches of well-regarded producer Wayne Brown who’s worked with such stars as Jonathan Butler, Ruby Turner, EWF, Lulu and Billy Ocean. The album will also be given additional star production work on tracks such as “Day Dreaming” and “Independent Woman” by no less an individual than Eric Kwabena “Coptic” Matlock, the famed producer who has worked on albums featuring  Puffy, Jermaine Dupri,  KRS-One, Black Rob, Mase,  Carl Thomas, and Ice Cube. The title track of this debut album was David’s contribution to a compilation CD that commemorated the abolition of the slave trade. The album is soulful, sensual, sublime, a mix of retro grooves and hip-hop beats, songs that address the everyday aspects of love, sex and social issues.  The CD has received massive airplay across Europe, America and Africa, soon cementing the public’ instant attraction to this new and refreshing face of British R&B music. 

            A tireless performer and prolific songwriter, David will follow up on the success of his debut album with singles such as Ghetto (track never released) and Straddle Me, which will be released sometime in January 2011. The single “Straddle Me” is currently on rotation on Virgin Media and several stations across the world. The buzz surrounding this single has so far garnered over 4000 vue hits on You Tube and over 750 vues on Virgin Media. It affords David another opportunity to showcase his vocal talents and a return to a genre of music he was once dabbled in.

            On October, 16 2010, David Mensah granted yours truly an on-air interview about his music, his passions and future plans among others. The following are excerpts of that interview.

 Q.A: What’s a day in your life like when you’re not on stage?

David Mensah: Normally, because I am quite hands on with everything, I tend to do a lot of the admin and the business side of music. My day starts off with that kind of stuff, getting back on emails and pushing my music out there. On a good day, I will be in the rehearsal studio for quite a while with some great musicians and try to write to as much as possible in between things.

Q.A: On your debut album, you worked with noted music producers Eric “Coptic” Matlock, Wayne Brown and Jimmy Anthony. Do mind telling the listeners how you met P-Diddy producer Coptic and if possible, share with us how was it like working with him?

David Mensah: Hmm! It was really relaxed I will say working with him. I was introduced to him through a mutual friend. Coptic is very much in touch with his Ghanaian roots, and he loved the fact that I was also Ghanaian and working hard to make my dreams come true. So he took to me immediately and worked with me on my debut album, which was a huge thing for me. He co-wrote Close to my Roots with Memphis Bleek, who featured on Jay-Z's debut album.

Q.A: What image do you think your music conveys?

David Mensah: You know what (hmm). That’s a hard one. I simply want different people to identify with the music. Different songs convey different emotions. I try to make music that people can relate to, and I hope people can relate to in different ways. Hopefully, it means something personal to them.

Q.A: Do you write your own songs?

David Mensah: Yes. I tend to write mostly on my own, at the piano. The lyrics and music are almost always written in tandem. I’ve also had the good fortune of co-writing with some really great people.

Q.A: What are your music career goals?

David Mensah: My music goals are to make my music even better with the next album, to grow as an artiste and a human being, my fan base to grow and tour a lot because I love to sing live.

Q.A: When all is said and done, what do you want the lasting impact of your career to be? What do you want people to look back and say about you?

David Mensah: Bringing it back here to the UK, I will want young people to hear my music and see that I have managed do what I’ve done and be inspired by it. I was lucky growing in the heydays of black music in this country, there was the music of Soul II Soul, Junior Giscombe and Billy Ocean; people I looked up to. It will be nice to similarly inspire other people like that. Some of my music is quite slow and sexy, so if any babies have to be attributed to listening to the album, I don’t mind (laughing).

            Readers, it was a pleasure talking to and interviewing David Mensah. I came away from this experience with such respect for an individual who is marking his time for the big moment. In an industry dominated by individuals with inflated egos, it is indeed comforting to find a bloke so real and down-to-earth. He actually communicates regularly with his teaming fans!! What an entertainer, he is a master in his own right, an amazing artiste and a fine gentleman. If you want grown and sexy music with an occasional trip down memory lane, then make it a point to check out his music or visit a concert event, next time he’s in town. Another undisputed triumph for one of the key young artistes of our time!!

        My special thanks go to Margaret, David’s publicist who facilitated this interview and for her boundless reservoir of patience.

 

The Afrikan Child © Copyright 2010. All Rights reserved. No part of these pages, either text or image may be duplicated without the author's permission. Also, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. General inquiries should be directed to our Web feedback box, accessible from this link or from the footer at the bottom of most pages on our site.

 

Jay Ghartey : "Presentin' tommorow's GH music today"

    What do you get when you blend highlife music with American R&B, hip-hop and urban pop?  You get Jay Ghartey! One may then ask “Who is Jay Ghartey”?  

Jay Ghartey is a Ghanaian–American singer/songwriter and producer. He was born in the US but spent his formative years in Ghana.  Jay hails from an artistically and musically gifted family. His paternal grandfather was a playwright and poet, and his grandmother, Sabina Hope was a chorister/actress. The latter was instrumental in Jay’s development as a singer and stirred his passion for music and performing.

In the early 1990’s, Jay and two of his friends, Kwaku T and Abeiku, along with his brothers Tufu and Moses formed the rap group Chief G and the Tribe. This rap act along with KKD’s posse and Reggie Rockstone were the earliest exponents of rap music in Ghana. This early taste of stardom was temporarily curtailed when Jay moved back to US to complete his high school education and  later attend Boston University.

In 2009, Jay made the trip back to Ghana to re-launch his career and the overwhelming success of his debut singles “My Lady” and “Me Do Wo made him an instant recognizable musician. The full length album titled “Shining Gold” has 14 tracks and was released in April 2010. The music is festive, vibrant, original and fresh. Each composition is a celebration of encountering new places and people, experience travels and the daily life of this exceptionally humble individual.

Jay Ghartey's signature sound is a kind of multi-layered sonic collage, assembled from scraps of diverse musical elements. Jay’s music is, in short, made up of a little bit of everything. Thus it's no surprise at all that his musical influences have been wide-ranging. In fact, he counts among his many influences  Bob Marley, Sade and Tupac Shakur just to mention a few.

Whilst he acknowledges the huge strides made in the Ghanaian music in the time he spent away from the industry, Jay bemoans the lack of live band music, which has taken a backseat to artistes rapping over beats.  He pleads with his fellow musicians not to acquiescence their rich musical heritage for a more western one and urges them to stay true their musical traditions.  His views are also shared by the respected Ghanaian musicologist, Professor John Collins who notes that “no one abroad wants to hear the African variety of World Music without African dance rhythms”.

During our interview, Jay disclosed that hiplife artiste Sarkodie had worked with him on a remix of the hit single “My Lady”, which will be released during the Christmas festivities in December this year. Jay Ghartey is currently domiciled in New York City, where he writes, arranges and produces music with his brother and business partner Joe.

The following are key excerpts from a radio interview, conducted with Jay Ghartey on 9/18/2010.

Here's my question for you, what was the pivotal moment when you decided that you were going to sing and not rap?
As you already know, I was always singing. I always just felt liked melody, for some reason, brought out the emotion more. This is how I view it. It is just like when you go to church and the choir sings the same words that the preacher preaches, you understand what I'm saying. Unless the preacher has that raspy voice or a voice that just projects out, where he has to yell it out at you for you to really get it. Whereas the choir could sing it in a soft melody and you'd really start crying because you understand it from that immediate connection. Melody has a certain way that projects back to you. It triggers certain nerves in your body and certain instincts that normally wouldn't be triggered by a normal voice. With me, personally, it always started with the message and it's going to end with the message, so I want to make it feel and project back properly to where you can understand it and it translate well to the audience.

The video for the new single “So Wild” was recently completed and is on rotation on TV stations in Ghana. What has been the reception or feedback to the video thus far?

The reception has been great. It is a high energy video with up-tempo dance beats. The video features some scenes filmed at the Arts Centre with drummers and traditional dances. I like to juxtapose the traditional with the more contemporary aspects of our culture. I have had feedback from a lot of folks who have commended me for showcasing the rich elements of Ghanaian culture in this video and sharing it with the rest of world. The video is also currently on rotation on MTV Base and Channel O!

You have described your style of music as “urban pop life”, which is urban music mixed with R&B and a sprinkling of African percussions and highlife guitar. Do you mind expounding on that and what is so different about your music?

The reason why I call it “urban pop life” is because it’s urban music in a sense of the beats, the hip-hop and R&B. I mean in the whole world hip-hop and R&B is big right now, and I’m also part of that. At same time I like highlife and reggae music. I grew up to it when I was in Ghana, so I stress very strong melody; and have a lot of guitars and african percussion in the music.

And so, what is different about my music is that I am bringing out African music in a pop sense but keeping it broad, so a lot of people will want to hear the melody and style. It took a really long time be able to do that because when you try to make a mix of styles, you have to be careful what you lose when you change it too much. People really find my music universal, and so mixing the African percussion, bringing the African guitar and bass lines in makes it unique, but at the same time it has a mass appeal. 

Jay, I learned from reliable sources while preparing for this interview that you and your brother Joe, were involved in some charity work.  Could you tell us the name of the Foundation and what you plan on accomplishing”?

The name of the foundation is GH Brothers Youth Foundation (My brother Joe Ghartey & I). We’ve always wanted to do something like this, and we did not want wait until years have gone by. The album is coming out now, we wanted to give something back while we are still working. So we decided to do it. The first center we have will be in Nima, in the heart of Accra as you know. We went to see the chief of Nima who gave his blessings for the Foundation. A site has been found and we’re renovating it as we speak, so hopefully by the end of the year it will be running. We have a full-time teacher who will be teaching at-risk kids and a music program. It is going to be a very challenging foundation because we will want to get the dropouts back into the education system. We are going to get a lot of people involved with it, whether in Ghana or in the US, so you’re going to hear a lot about (edited).

          Jay’s music has the universality and appeal that transcends his own personality. Just as the Black Stars put Ghana on the soccer map, so will Jay Ghartey through his music. Jay Ghartey is certainly taking music from his native Ghana to the next level!  Many thanks go to Joe Ghartey for making this interview possible. Stay tuned!

Here is a link to the full radio interview.

The Afrikan Child © Copyright 2010. All Rights reserved. No part of these pages, either text or image may be duplicated without the author's permission. Also, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. General inquiries should be directed to our Web feedback box, accessible from this link or from the footer at the bottom of most pages on our site.

Loyiso Bala : A Quintessential R&B Artiste from the Rainbow Nation

             In all my experiences, there have been very few musicians whose talents embody all what a true musician should be like. At a time when the music scene is littered with too much borrowing, artistes resorting to auto tuning and eyebrows raising, there is one artiste whose musical style and depth sets him apart from the multitude of artistes the world over. Loyiso Bala is that one musician. Throughout his career, Loyiso's creative impulses have been inspired by a deeply-held spiritual commitment to improving the world through his music and actions. While many musicians fit easily into a single category, Loyiso's unique musical vision remains unclassifiable. 

Born and raised in Uitenhage, in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa, Loyiso comes from a musically rich background. His maternal grandfather was a well known composer in his time and his parents met in choir. Those sounds and the music of the church (Loyiso began singing in the choir at age 3 as a curtain raiser) shaped and developed his love of multiple music styles. He trained at the prestigious Drakensburg Boys Choir in South Africa where he nurtured his voice like his sibling Kwai before him. At age 7, he first recorded "Mama come back" with Sizwe Zakho, Rebecca Malope's producer.  In 2000, Loyiso then 19 years old, was appointed conductor of the National Youth Choir, the youngest person ever in that position.

In 1996, Loyiso’s brother, Kwai together with a couple of his friends formed what will be one of the most successful groups in South Africa called TKZee. This Kwaito group would provide a platform for Loyiso to kick start his career when he featured on a couple of TKZee’s hit songs. In 2000, Loyiso recorded "Girl without a name" for the TKZee family album (TKZee was later renamed “TKZee family”) which won the group a number of awards. After much success with the group, Loyiso decided to go solo, culminating in the release of his own singles “Musukukhala” and “Silky Soft Skin” in 2001. He followed up those hit singles with two full length albums in 2002 and 2004 “Wine Women and Song” and “Amplified”, establishing him as the best R&B artiste in South Africa. During this period, Loysio enrolled and completed a music degree from the University of Pretoria, a long held dream of his to add a professional touch to his music.

Loyiso, a multi-award winner, has performed in over 16 countries and has legions of fans the world over. He sings in his native Xhosa and in English. Loyiso counts Prince, Michael Jackson and Bach as his major influences. It is certainly worth noting that between October-November 2008, Loyiso achieved a feat  no South African  artiste has ever attempted,  by having singles from his current album ‘I want you’, ‘Blow Your Mind’, ‘Take Me Back’ and ‘Dali Wami’ and ‘Maybe’ simultaneously on rotation on  the top 100 radio charts in South Africa. Call it luck or karma, but this writer believes that the event was a result of his relentless drive and hard work to get his style of music heard the world over. Pure dedication to his craft and it will only get better!!

   In May 2010, Loyiso released a new single ‘Wrong For You’, a song written by singer Robin Thicke and Sean Hurley which has enjoyed considerable success on radio stations. There are plans to release a full length album in October 2010 which will feature production work by noted American and South African producers. My early take on this forthcoming album is that it is a well-written diary, set to amazingly lush production and vocal arrangement.  This is certainly nice R&B. So light up the dinner candle and enjoy the refreshing sounds of an artiste who will remind you of your first love!!

        Recently, Loyiso granted me a telephone interview from his base in Bryanston, South Africa. This interview covered an array of topics and subjects. Below is the full text of the interview.

How has your family and upbringing shaped your singing career?

Since I started singing at such a young age and attended music school thereafter, it has taught me how to discipline myself whilst striving to become the best at what I do. And that has carried over into all areas of my life.

What has been your most memorable experience as a musician to date?

I would sincerely have to say it was performing at this years’ FIFA World Cup Kick-off celebration, right here in South Africa. Second to that would be performing at the 46664 Nelson Mandela’s 90^th birthday dinner and concert in Hyde Park, London in 2008.

How does your songwriting process work?

I usually start off with a melodic idea, and then I’d figure out the accompanying chords on my piano, write the verse and chorus lyrics and then take it to studio to finish the writing and production process.

What is the importance to you of having meaning or stories behind all of the songs you write?

I feel it is very important to have a story or meaning behind a song, even if it is not a personal one, so that people can relate to it on various levels.

How difficult has is it been trying to sell R&B or your style of music in South Africa?

When I started out, R&B was synonymous with American artists, so at first the South African audience didn’t take to a South African doing R&B easily. I think they felt that I wasn’t being myself. It took a few years for my music to win them over to my unique style of R&B and that is when the awards and platinum sales started. My style of music started out as pure R&B, however it has evolved to what is now classified as “Urban”, a fusion of contemporary R&B, soft rock and urban-styled pop.

You are one musician I know who has made it a goal to try to have your music reach a diverse audience beyond the borders of South Africa. In trying to do this, you have worked in the past with the Bala Brothers, including the gospel project and being a celebrity judge at the 2010 MNET Idols. Have those efforts helped, and is it fair to ask if your fans should expect another gospel album in the future?

Yes, some of them have definitely helped in one way or the other. Case in point, on a trip with my brothers Zwai and Phelo (Bala Brothers) to the UK in August 2010, we received several positive reviews by independent media. I believe that there has been even more interest to perform abroad from the beginning of 2011. In terms of MNet’s South African Idols, it was certainly fun but I don’t think it will get me Simon Cowell’s job (laughing). And yes, my fans can look forward to a gospel album in the near future, though I can’t say exactly when as I will be releasing my 4^th urban album, titled ‘FULL CIRCLE’ at the end of October 2010.

You have been known for your work in a number of social causes. You are currently involved with the charity event My 94.7 Cycle Challenge (MaAfrika Tikkun). How did that get started and what are you hoping to get out of that?

MaAfrika Tikkun is an NGO that has been around for quite some time already and have done amazing work in local communities here. So I am going to ride 94.7 kilometers to help raise funds for the great work they do. In fact I would like to please ask that everyone reading this helps me in reaching my goal by simply logging on to: www.backabuddy.co.za/beasport/project/loyisos-947-cycle-challenge   

In  a 2008 interview with 46664.com, you stated that with “all your success and accomplishments  over the years, this is no  doubt the greatest honor that  you have  received  was to be a part of such a prestigious event alongside the world’s most inspirational man, Nelson Mandela”. Could you tell the readers how you came to be selected as an ambassador for the 46664 campaign and the feeling performing live before a world audience at Hyde Park?

I was invited by the chairman of 46664 to an orphanage in 2007 (if I remember correctly) and a few days later I was called into a meeting to discuss me becoming an ambassador for the brand because of the way I apparently conducted myself during the visit a few days earlier. Performing before an audience of, what I believe was in the region of 50,000, was electrifying! I don’t think I can find the right words to describe it actually. But it was certainly an honor!

You have an album that is set to drop sometime in October of this year. What should your fans and music lovers in general expect with this album?

As I previously mentioned, my 4^th album is titled ‘FULL CIRCLE’ as I believe that as a musician, after 10yrs, I’ve come full circle. People can expect variety; it’s does not reflect a specific genre of music. It can best be explained this way, “it is a singer-songwriter album that is sure to keep you entertained”. 

What has been the response of the American market to your music thus far? Are there any plans to sign up with any US record label and any immediate plans to tour the US?

I recorded some of the songs off my new album in the States and hopefully once the album is out I can find a market for them there, too. 

Are there any international musicians you would love to collaborate with?

Yes!!! Please try Pink, Beyonce or Keri Hilson for me!!

What’s the one thing you most want people to know about you and your music?

It’s hard to say because I think my music speaks for itself.

How can people check out your music?

You can find my music on ITunes, Amazon.com, ReverbNation, and at my website www.loyisomusic.com

What are your immediate music career goals?

In the next year and a half I hope to have gained more success through the release of FULL CIRCLE, to have recorded a gospel album and have toured more with the Bala Brothers internationally.

I think I am  going to wrap it up now. It has been an honor and pleasure to talk to you and to get your music out to our readership. I think our readers are going to be absolutely thrilled to hear your music and look forward to more great works in the coming years. Thanks!

The Afrikan Child © Copyright 2010. All Rights reserved. No part of these pages, either text or image may be duplicated without the author's permission. Also, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. General inquiries should be directed to our Web feedback box, accessible from this link or from the footer at the bottom of most pages on our site.

Avril-Kenya's Newest Singing Sensation

Avril (aka Judith Nyambura Mwangi) is a new star taking over the Kenyan music scene. Unlike many musicians, she did not start in the church choir or in school. She did poetry and drama in high school but that was just about it. It wasn’t until after completing her secondary education in Uganda that she realized that she had a captivating voice. She initially plied her trade doing voiceovers for Trapeez when she was invited by Banda and Lucas of Ogopa.  In 2005, Avril sung backup vocals for a number of artistes before her producers thought that her sound was refined enough to start working on collaborations. She was later signed by the Ogopa Deejays label.

      In late 2009, she released her debut single 'Mama' that is being played in Kenya and East Africa in general and has been a huge hit for her. The song is a about a girl pleading with her parents to understand her and accept her choice of a boyfriend. It has resonated well with many people because it is an issue that the youth occasionally have to confront. She has also collaborated with a number of artistes including with Jaguar on the hit track ‘Tayari’, LAM from Sudan, with King George on ‘Number 1’ and lastly, with Tanzania’s AY on the track ‘Ahsante’.

      The sky continues to be the limit for Avril as she has opened for the Morgan Heritage reggae show in April 2009, performed at the Mr & Miss UON (Carnivore), International Women’s Day, and Stardust in Malindi and at the Youth Convention at Bomas of Kenya among other places.

     Avril is currently pursuing a degree in design at the University of Nairobi and counts her mother as one of her biggest fans. Be on the lookout for more hits from Avril and the Ogopa label.