Archive for the ‘On Blast’ Category

Natalie Brown – Random Thoughts

Monday, June 15th, 2009

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The internet can truly be a beautiful place. While jumping around from site to site, I found myself on iseecolor.com and was drawn to the intriguing photo you see to the left.  After being taken to her profile, I realized that she is a recording artist and listened to her auto-play of tracks…  I was impressed.  In today’s world, everyone is a rapper, DJ, producer or singer and sadly, very few of them truly are, any of the above.  But Natalie Brown, she is definitely a singer and a good one at that.   Hearing her voice brings me back to the old days, with gems like Teena Marie and Luba Kowalchyk, and like Luba, Natalie Brown is also Canadian.  Yes, Canadians get a little extra love from me, because I know how hard it is for Canadian musicians to get recognition and more importantly, airplay in the US.  But thanks to the internet, the quality sounds of Natalie and other talented performers will be seen, heard and purchased without the need of big production and distribution houses taking the lion share of their money.

Natalie’s music is crisp, refreshing and personal.  Listening to her tracks, I can feel that she puts every ounce of herself into her music.  Her songs have meaning and substance, which is refreshing, after being hit with “look what I have and you don’t” type music.  She is truly old school and her love of that generations music, shows in her own. I just hope people appreciate it.  She has released 2 albums : Let The Candle Burn in 2000 and her most recent works, Random Thoughts in 2008 and my favorite tracks: Around The World, What’s Going On Next Door and Queen of Me.

Here is a short excerpt of Natalie’s Bio and a video of Diva, Teena Marie, showing Natalie some love. A fantastic milestone:

Born in Canada, Natalie Brown’s passion for music was nurtured from a young age by her involvement in theater, gospel music, creative writing and local session work as a vocalist and writer. Upon deciding to pursue a professional music career, she moved to California and was selected to sing with internationally acclaimed Gospel recording artist Ron Kenoly during his "Welcome Home" tour in 1996. She toured around the USA and upon returning to California, Natalie studied with world-renowned vocal instructors Seth Riggs (Stevie Wonder, Tevin Campbell, Deborah Cox) and Dave Stroud (Terry Ellis of En Vogue, Rosie Gaines).
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Ms. Brown, I sincerely wish you all the best with your music career. You have made a fan and friend of me. Your music is full of heart and soul because of the good person you are and that your intentions are pure. Keep up the fresh crisp sound and the clarity of the acoustic instruments only enhance your beautiful voice.  And should you choose, modeling is obviously another option.  To all the radio station listeners, demand more from your stations, or quality artists like Natalie Brown will not get equal airplay and you’ll be stuck in an endless loop of the same music.

Contacting Natalie Brown?
Online:
Official Web Site: www.natalie-brown.com
Official Personal Blog: www.nataliebrown.info
MySpace: www.myspace.com/nataliebrown

Management Contact:
Jeremy Rwakaara
InMotion Management
Email: jeremy@inmotionmanagement.com or jeremyrwakaara@gmail.com

Snail Mail:
c/o Identity Music Group, Inc.
554 North Frederick Avenue #218
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Online Store Links
Natalie Brown Official Site (Offering Physical and Digital direct from web site) Natalie Brown Music, Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, iTunes and Amie Street

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Video by Creative Imagery Toronto.

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

Capture It’s taken her a little time, but a very good friend of mine has stretched her entrepreneurial legs and cut her first video project, a promo video for the rock band, Bombs.  Congratulations!

 

Lianne Gesior has been a student and fan of the graphic and video editing world for a long time, but felt she didn’t have the skills to turn it into a business.  I’m happy to say that she was wrong and I knew she could do it all along.  You won’t find a harder working person, with a great work ethic, huge heart and sense for doing what’s right, than Lianne.

So if you are looking for promotional videos, graphics or anything that catches your eye on a computer, contact Lianne at Creative Imagery Toronto.

Good luck and all the best, Lianne!

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Take a "Stand" with Tavis Smiley

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

stand by tavis smileyI just received word that Tavis Smiley has produced and directed his first feature film: Stand, although I haven’t seen it yet.   If you don’t know Tavis Smiley, he is the host of his own syndicated radio show and television show on PBS.  Quite a few years back, Tavis was the anchor on BET’s News Program and it was obvious that he had talent, knowledge and the ability to conduct an interview and keep both the viewers and interviewee entertained. Although I’ve never seen Tavis get angry (he has a very kind and quiet demeanor), he has the courage to ask the tough questions. 

I am very happy to hear about Tavis’ first film and the content, subject matter and brief previews I have seen so far seem promising.  I wouldn’t expect any less from Mr. Smiley.  Congratulations Tavis!

The tag-line for the film is: What do YOU stand for?  I stand for equality. Everyone given the same chance to succeed and fail, no matter what colour they are, religion they follow or their sexual preference.

Film Synopsis:
It was the summer of 2008 in Memphis, birthplace of Blues. America was commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., against the backdrop of then Senator Barack Obama emerging as the first African American to become the Democratic presidential nominee. As America approached the historic presidential election, the national dialogue and debate intensified about race relations, politics and the legacy of the civil rights movement.

Broadcaster Tavis Smiley dissects this national discourse with ten Black male friends over several days during a special road trip through Memphis and Nashville. While visiting places like the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King died, and Stax records, credited with laying the roots of southern soul, Smiley and friends explore the diversity and complexity of the Black male experience in America past, present and future.

STAND reveals the journey of a unique group of scholars, musicians, comedians and social critics as they gather for a rare reflection of brotherhood while confronting their own roles and responsibilities as pioneers of social progress.

CAST:
Tavis Smiley, Dick Gregory, Michael Eric Dyson, Cornel West, Cliff West, Eddie Glaude, BeBe Winans, Wren T. Brown, Daron Boyce, Robert Smith and Raymond Ross. Special appearances by Sam Moore, Isaac Hayes and David Porter.

As Malcolm X once said: "If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything."  So… What do YOU stand for?  Check out some video below.  And watch the movie!

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Mr. Reign – The Real Me

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

Vote for Mr. Reign Today! Click Here!

My long-time friend, Marvin Prince: the man that introduced “Snow” and the track “Informer” to the world, often sends tracks from new artists, my way. We are both old school DJ’s from the 80’s and 90’s and he respects my ear and opinion on the tracks. There have been quite a few good ones here and there, but when he sent me a track called “Booty Up” from an artist called, Mr. Reign, I told him that this kid was the real deal.  Brooklyn-born and Queens raised Raymond Basora aka Mr. Reign has a skillful and clean sound with the ability to mix reggae and dance-hall skills with R&B/Hip-Hop tracks, all on his own, something many artists need a collaboration to pull off.

Check out the video of Mr. Reign’s visit to Toronto to meet up with Marvin Prince and Charles Peart of MAC-FAC Management.

If you like the sound of this new talent, show your support, listen to the track and vote for Mr. Reign and “Booty Up” on Unsigned Hype Music. Vote today and every day!

Press Kit Blurb:

Brooklyn-born, Mr. Reign (aka Raymond Basora), asserts an exciting musical style that complements the diversity of the city of New York.  Raised in a religious, Caribbean family, Mr. Reign appreciates his humble beginnings and his musical roots, while growing up in NY has expanded his musical palette greatly to include a mosaic of musical genres.  Early in his youth, he began to gravitate to urban music and it is here that he began his search for his own, distinctive sound. Reign’s open-minded, well-rounded musical tastes have encouraged the infusion of various musical genres into the Reggae/ Hip Hop vibe of his music.  Mr. Reign’s artistic influences include Michael Jackson, The Police, Barrington Levy, Slick Rick, Julio Iglesias, 2 Pac and Rakim.

Currently in the studio on his latest album, this talented singer/ songwriter released his critically acclaimed debut album in 1997, entitled “Indestructible”.  His distinctive style and collaborations with Cannibus and Amel Larrieux (formerly of Groove Theory) on the album revealed that Reign was way ahead of his time, making music that we would come to know, years later, as Reggaeton.  Mr. Reign has penned lyrics for such artists as Snow, Amel Larrieux, Silk, Voices of Theory and Lumi Dee.  His other musical endeavors include working with producers Bobby Konders (Massive B, Hot 97 DJ), Salaam Remi (Nas, Fugees, Lil Kim) and Steve Morales (Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Celine Dion).  Mr. Reign has toured across Canada, Europe, the U.S. and to parts of the Caribbean Islands.

Reign has recently teamed with M.A.C.-F.A.C. Management for the production of his new album.  “I met M.A.C.-F.A.C. Management through producer Marvin Prince Reconnecting in 2008 through facebook, Marvin and Reign became acquainted at a NYC studio in 1992.  “Recently, I flew up to Canada to meet Marvin and his partner – Charles Peart, and now we’re family”.

Reign’s long-term goals include becoming a magnate in the music industry by enterprising his own multimedia company.  His innovative passion for everything musical will not disappoint.  “My music is like a stew…If you put just the right amount of ingredients even though it may seem too much. It comes out just right.”

I want to wish Mr. Reign all the success in the world and just know that with hard work, great rewards are inevitable.  You’re also in great hands with Marvin Prince, you won’t find a harder working and honest man in the business.

Contact info:
M.A.C.-F.A.C Management Inc.
Attn: Marvin Prince
Suite 2700-161 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M7H 2H7
Tel: 905-903-8328
Fax: 416-282-2929
e-mail: marvinprince@hotmail.com & macfacmanagement@gmail.com

What? No web-site, Prince? Get at me, I’ll hook you up!

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