The Flint Of His Mind
March 5th 2011 16:18
The flint of man´s mind can strike Fire to music
-Ludvig von Beethoven
Meter defined as; the regular recurring pattern of strong and weak beats of equal duration also known as time (oraclethinkquest.org). Time is the operative word as it is not only encapsulated in beat, rhythm soul and memory, but it lends itself to be a combination, known to produce symphonic harmonies that feeds and inspire the soul.
So please allow me to transport you back in the belly of time to the beats of old school, blues, jazz and soul. A time where beats of amoroso (tender and affectionate) and animato (lively) reigned supremely in the hearts and minds of the young and old.
As a child of four or so I was constantly swaying my hips and bobbing my head to the music of Diana Ross, Isaac Hays, Teddy Pendergrass (affectionately known back home as TP)Brook Benton, Carol Carpenter and of cause the great Barry White to name but a few. All of them of cause religiously played by mommie and daddy.
I remember how the lyrics of Dianna Ross´s Do You Know Where You´re Going To, always seem to keep me spellbound, by slowly suggesting the idea of destiny and dreams to my young brain.
You see as a young child I had no idea that the composer calls upon lyrics (though not always the case these days) and the natural science of acoustics, psychology, physiology, neuroscience and aesthetics which are crucial elements to be found within beats and rhythms. They are finely strung together like pearls to produce sound. As mom and dad tend to dancingly sway in each others arms to these beats, they were happy and I loved being happy too.
As time progressed to the realm of puberty and I had my heart broken for the first time, I realized that doloroso, (which is the Italian word for sorrow) is a feeling beautifully explained in music by master vocalists Toni Braxton (Un Break My Heart), Patti Labelle (On My Own), Whitney Houston (Didnt We Almost Have It All) to really just mention a few. I somehow just gravitated to melancholy, while allowing the intense feelings of loss wash over me The music made everything so much more intense, as if itunderstood your feelings completely , like a fiddle bough hitting the right notes!
Fortunately we all have to grow out of puberty, I am more grown up now and my hormones and heart are more in check so in check, that I listen to music with a greater consciousness. Allowing for the soul of the music to speak to me and yes entertain me
Still on the subject of music my first encounter with Jay an artist was just that an encounter because it stayed with me for years to come .
Leonardo Da Vinci says Do you know that your soul is composed of harmony?
Now allowing the word harmony to conjure up sounds and as interval is the distance between two notes, it is at this interval that I would like introduce you to a young artist of note; TuJay Harmoniques or fondly known by us back home in Eersterust South Africa as Jay.
-Jay I met you at your sister`s house many years ago, you and your friend Nelson were flowing in verse. I remember observing you and thinking; `you guys do it as if where rolling down an ever green hill, rolling and rolling jubilantly and laughing at a private joke.´ Needless to say you would flow then laugh at intervals, then flow in verse again, while the staccato, rhythmic beats of Hip Hop filled the room.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
-I am an observer of life, a seeker of knowledge and truth in all sense of life and love. I am a philosopher thats in-love with Greek mythology at a tender age. As a result of that, it has a major influence in my music and poetry, forget Zeus, call Jay for the smiting. I am young at heart, an avid listener of music, when it comes to art and life because I believe have been blessed with foresight.
How would you describe your music?
-My music is informative, lyrical, thought provoking, trend setting and not trend following. I like experimenting with different concepts, love to play with words. In all honesty, I try and make progressive music, something one can relate to and refer to.
What inspires you to write?
-Urban culture, morality, politics, Different artist and different genres of music, a dope beat and a nice hook in short Life!
Give us a little background on your song Miss Caramel.
-I first wrote miss caramel two years ago. It started off as lyrics without the instrumental until I requested production from my stable (Hitmason) and then Decency jumped at the opportunity; he had a beautifully composed sample of Teddy Pandergrass. We then collaborated with Ether Versez (Durban) and it came out beautifully. A nice way of paying homage to all women of mixed race and light shades.
Miss caramel has a strong old school quality but the lyric lends towards the hip hop genre, was that on purpose?
-We noticed that in my region, the audience listens to a lot of old school musicians. So with this track, we wanted to cross over to that market, in providing something for the old but still appealing to the modern.
How do people respond to your music?
-I get different responses from different audiences. Fellow emcees appreciate the work put in to making the music and regular people, simply admire the man in chair for his talents.
Would you regard your music as expressed social comment?
-Yes it is. I have a lot to say about various subjects. Being opinionated does come in handy.
What makes your music unique?
-Id say my voice because it sounds out of this world.
Which issues or themes are mostly highlighted by your music?
-It goes by phases, at first it was dark and somber then I went all revolutionary and now I spit grown, mature rhymes. Notice the growth? Hahaha!
Is Miss Caramel a single or part of an entire album?
-It is a part of forth coming free mix-tape The Chairman mix-tape which is dropping 11th may.
Artists seem to be turning to YouTube to promote their music, is that an avenue for you?
-Not yet, I want people to judge the music before seeing me. Reasons being because Im on a wheelchair, people tend to lend sympathetic ears.
What mediums do you use to promote your music?
I use twitter, media fire, sound click and various audio enabling social networks, promotional discs and peer to peer sharing.
What difficulties are artists facing when they attempt to break into the mainstream market?
-This is one carnivorous industry, sharks hang with sharks and if youre small fish, youre either eaten or swim alone. Funds are needed but most importantly, no one wants to share resources and ideas, so hip hop suffers and the poetry lands on covered ears. Right now everyone is going independent and as a result everyone is forced to think that they can lead without mentorship or external assistance. In the end its not the artist that suffers, but rather the culture, genre and family of Hip Hop.
So Jay what´s next on your busy agenda?
Look for my mix tape The Charman Mixtape dropping 11 May 2011 and my album Slamcee dropping late or early next year ..
If you could impact young people with a final word in this discussion what would it be?
-Pressure turns coal into diamonds!
Music is a continual state of being Aaron Copland
This young man´s continual state of being, is one that he is fighting for on a daily basis, however this article is not about Jay´s struggles its about his passion, his craft and how his rhythm, words and harmonies find their way into the secret places of the soul.
Take a listen to some of his work on the link provided
http://mp3twit.com//86U
And so in the words of Charmaine Ziert: I seize the voice my favourite Fred Hammond and command it to fill my space with his finely strung notes so that I can engage with my continual state of being
.. Lord your grace, covering me like a soft summer shower
-Ludvig von Beethoven
Image: TuJay Harmoniques
Meter defined as; the regular recurring pattern of strong and weak beats of equal duration also known as time (oraclethinkquest.org). Time is the operative word as it is not only encapsulated in beat, rhythm soul and memory, but it lends itself to be a combination, known to produce symphonic harmonies that feeds and inspire the soul.
So please allow me to transport you back in the belly of time to the beats of old school, blues, jazz and soul. A time where beats of amoroso (tender and affectionate) and animato (lively) reigned supremely in the hearts and minds of the young and old.
As a child of four or so I was constantly swaying my hips and bobbing my head to the music of Diana Ross, Isaac Hays, Teddy Pendergrass (affectionately known back home as TP)Brook Benton, Carol Carpenter and of cause the great Barry White to name but a few. All of them of cause religiously played by mommie and daddy.
I remember how the lyrics of Dianna Ross´s Do You Know Where You´re Going To, always seem to keep me spellbound, by slowly suggesting the idea of destiny and dreams to my young brain.
You see as a young child I had no idea that the composer calls upon lyrics (though not always the case these days) and the natural science of acoustics, psychology, physiology, neuroscience and aesthetics which are crucial elements to be found within beats and rhythms. They are finely strung together like pearls to produce sound. As mom and dad tend to dancingly sway in each others arms to these beats, they were happy and I loved being happy too.
As time progressed to the realm of puberty and I had my heart broken for the first time, I realized that doloroso, (which is the Italian word for sorrow) is a feeling beautifully explained in music by master vocalists Toni Braxton (Un Break My Heart), Patti Labelle (On My Own), Whitney Houston (Didnt We Almost Have It All) to really just mention a few. I somehow just gravitated to melancholy, while allowing the intense feelings of loss wash over me The music made everything so much more intense, as if itunderstood your feelings completely , like a fiddle bough hitting the right notes!
Fortunately we all have to grow out of puberty, I am more grown up now and my hormones and heart are more in check so in check, that I listen to music with a greater consciousness. Allowing for the soul of the music to speak to me and yes entertain me
Still on the subject of music my first encounter with Jay an artist was just that an encounter because it stayed with me for years to come .
Leonardo Da Vinci says Do you know that your soul is composed of harmony?
Now allowing the word harmony to conjure up sounds and as interval is the distance between two notes, it is at this interval that I would like introduce you to a young artist of note; TuJay Harmoniques or fondly known by us back home in Eersterust South Africa as Jay.
-Jay I met you at your sister`s house many years ago, you and your friend Nelson were flowing in verse. I remember observing you and thinking; `you guys do it as if where rolling down an ever green hill, rolling and rolling jubilantly and laughing at a private joke.´ Needless to say you would flow then laugh at intervals, then flow in verse again, while the staccato, rhythmic beats of Hip Hop filled the room.
Jay at work
Tell us a bit about yourself.
-I am an observer of life, a seeker of knowledge and truth in all sense of life and love. I am a philosopher thats in-love with Greek mythology at a tender age. As a result of that, it has a major influence in my music and poetry, forget Zeus, call Jay for the smiting. I am young at heart, an avid listener of music, when it comes to art and life because I believe have been blessed with foresight.
How would you describe your music?
-My music is informative, lyrical, thought provoking, trend setting and not trend following. I like experimenting with different concepts, love to play with words. In all honesty, I try and make progressive music, something one can relate to and refer to.
What inspires you to write?
-Urban culture, morality, politics, Different artist and different genres of music, a dope beat and a nice hook in short Life!
The Hitmason Stable
Give us a little background on your song Miss Caramel.
-I first wrote miss caramel two years ago. It started off as lyrics without the instrumental until I requested production from my stable (Hitmason) and then Decency jumped at the opportunity; he had a beautifully composed sample of Teddy Pandergrass. We then collaborated with Ether Versez (Durban) and it came out beautifully. A nice way of paying homage to all women of mixed race and light shades.
Image provided by Tujay Harmoniques
Miss caramel has a strong old school quality but the lyric lends towards the hip hop genre, was that on purpose?
-We noticed that in my region, the audience listens to a lot of old school musicians. So with this track, we wanted to cross over to that market, in providing something for the old but still appealing to the modern.
How do people respond to your music?
-I get different responses from different audiences. Fellow emcees appreciate the work put in to making the music and regular people, simply admire the man in chair for his talents.
Would you regard your music as expressed social comment?
-Yes it is. I have a lot to say about various subjects. Being opinionated does come in handy.
What makes your music unique?
-Id say my voice because it sounds out of this world.
Which issues or themes are mostly highlighted by your music?
-It goes by phases, at first it was dark and somber then I went all revolutionary and now I spit grown, mature rhymes. Notice the growth? Hahaha!
Is Miss Caramel a single or part of an entire album?
-It is a part of forth coming free mix-tape The Chairman mix-tape which is dropping 11th may.
Artists seem to be turning to YouTube to promote their music, is that an avenue for you?
-Not yet, I want people to judge the music before seeing me. Reasons being because Im on a wheelchair, people tend to lend sympathetic ears.
What mediums do you use to promote your music?
I use twitter, media fire, sound click and various audio enabling social networks, promotional discs and peer to peer sharing.
What difficulties are artists facing when they attempt to break into the mainstream market?
-This is one carnivorous industry, sharks hang with sharks and if youre small fish, youre either eaten or swim alone. Funds are needed but most importantly, no one wants to share resources and ideas, so hip hop suffers and the poetry lands on covered ears. Right now everyone is going independent and as a result everyone is forced to think that they can lead without mentorship or external assistance. In the end its not the artist that suffers, but rather the culture, genre and family of Hip Hop.
So Jay what´s next on your busy agenda?
Look for my mix tape The Charman Mixtape dropping 11 May 2011 and my album Slamcee dropping late or early next year ..
If you could impact young people with a final word in this discussion what would it be?
-Pressure turns coal into diamonds!
Music is a continual state of being Aaron Copland
This young man´s continual state of being, is one that he is fighting for on a daily basis, however this article is not about Jay´s struggles its about his passion, his craft and how his rhythm, words and harmonies find their way into the secret places of the soul.
Image: TuJay Harmoniques
Take a listen to some of his work on the link provided
http://mp3twit.com//86U
And so in the words of Charmaine Ziert: I seize the voice my favourite Fred Hammond and command it to fill my space with his finely strung notes so that I can engage with my continual state of being
.. Lord your grace, covering me like a soft summer shower
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Comments (1)
Comment by Quill of caramel
on ZCars Analysis
Quill of Caramel
Thanks so much this is absolutely informative, and bound to add great value!