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Interview: Stephanie Jeannot Share Insights About Her Musical Journey

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Stephanie Jeannot joins us again to discuss her new single ‘Haitian’, her inspirations, and what we can expect from her in the future! Make sure to check out our interview below:

Welcome – Thanks for sharing your music with us! How has 2020 been for you?

2020 is an experience. It started off with me thinking that it was going to be one of the greatest years because of how it came in. But once the truth settled in about how the rest of 2020 was going to be, my entire view of it changed.

I lost many people to this awful disease including my drummer, Richie Johnson, who I adored. That was my boy and he is so missed. I also lost a friend, Linda Bekham who was an amazing promoter for jazz events who helped me to put on a really nice live jazz birthday event last year.  Both of the aforementioned died days apart and the more the days progressed towards the end of March, the more people I was losing.

I decided to use my emotions productively when my Instagram friend, John Mueller from Chicago, IL and I started doing Zoom songwriting sessions which lead to the idea of putting together a musical project and giving ourselves a deadline to finish it.

Every night after that, I wrote a song or two with piano, drums, lyrics, lead and background vocals. I would send them to John as a rough draft and ask him to add him bass lines.  There were a few songs where he also created the musical melody and I added piano, lyrics and vocals.  Between the end of April and May, I composed over 25 songs of which, 13 is featured on the album we released on October 10, 2020 entitled, “The Stephanie Jeannot & The John Mueller Project”

Interview: Stephanie Jeannot Share Insights About Her Musical JourneyCongratulations on your new album “The Stephanie Jeannot & John Mueller Project,” Which song was your favorite to put together?

Thank you so much. I feel like with nine months, the project was like giving birth. We conceived and gave birth to what we had been doing the entire year. I have a lot of favorites on this album for a few reasons.

One of my favorites on the album is “Intoxicated By Your Love” because I was coming from church one Sunday afternoon during the quarantine and while I was driving, the song lyrics started to come to me so much that I had to tell Serie to open up my Voice Memo so I could record my thoughts. “Intoxicated By Your Love” is some of the ideas I would put down in reimagining Aretha Franklin’s tune “Respect.” I also love it because was able to not only play all the piano parts but also come up with a really cool piano solo and also chart the notes I was playing. I also love it because John Mueller was right there with me, riding tight to the waves of sound that was present in the tune. We make a good team and I love that. I originally wanted to name it 95 Proof thinking back to a time when I was a lush and drank 95% alcohol with my friends at the dorms and we all got sick off that 190-proof bottle of Grain alcohol. I have been sober for 7 years now but the experience of having been someone who used to love to indulge so much that I had a trophy case of empty bottles, gave me the words to be able to write this song and created the vibe that it needed.

Another of my favorites is “Haitian” because I am able to more express myself in Haitian Kreyol which I have been trying to do forever. I laugh because I used a translation book to create the hook which is 95% in Kreyol. But to get the point across of what I was trying to do which to meld my Americanism with my Haitian, and I did it; both musically and lyrically.

I love the song “Brooklyn” because it was my first time being able to be free with my poetry and actually spit it out without stumbling. I started writing poetry before I started writing songs. This song was kind of cool because John writes this funky bass line, drum groove and guitar riff and sent it my way. At first, it was going to be a song entitled “I write in Brooklyn.” But when I heard John’s bassline, I realized that it was meant to be an anthem of some sort and changed the entire lyrical content already drafted to … “Ain’t no other place like, ‘Brooklyn,’” and that in itself brought the beauty and culture of the unique borough of Brooklyn to life.  But what give is even more of that lovability is Bruffdacrowdpleaser adding his wit and character to it. This is the first song that I ever wrote a piano solo for.

I love “You are the One” because it is the first jazz song I ever wrote and I love “Rise Up” because though it has political context in its lyrics, it is the first ballad that I have ever written and I love “Moving Forward” because it was a song written to celebrate my nephew and my students graduating and running towards the next chapters of their lives.

How would you describe your music to a first-time listener?

My music is something to take your time to listen to because there is a story in every song that every person could relate to. The first two tracks are relative to people who work a 9-5 for a living. There are a few songs that amplify the idea of agape love, equality in justice and unity for the world. I wrote my first jazz piece and ballad ever. My music is familiar yet different. There is a song on there for everybody.

What is your creative process when creating new music?

My writing process varies. Sometimes I am sitting somewhere, and a song comes to me that demands me to write it. Other times, I am practicing my piano playing and I play a series of chords that inspires a song, which forces me to open my Sonar Cakewalk DAW to start layering my ideas down.

With this particular album, John and I came up with a few prompted titles for future songs to be written and many of the songs were written around the title idea. I was doing a lot of reading at that time and if I saw an interesting phrase that fit the topic, I wrote it down for future use. I was also entering a few 2000 words or more prompted short story writing contests, which helped me a lot with the art of telling stories in musical format.

Once I come up with an idea, I write the song until the entire draft is completed which includes music, lyrics, lead and background vocals. I was up until about 3AM every night from the end of April through mid-May, just writing and coming up with song ideas.

“Haitian” is beautiful! Tells us what you love about your culture.

Thank you. I love the language a lot. I think it is really nice and I love having something such as a foreign language that differentiates me from the bunch. I love Haitian music because it is jazzy and funky all at the same time and the dances that people do to it because the movements to the Kompas sounds are so graceful and beautiful. I love the food because there ain’t no cuisine like Haitian cuisine.

I have been to Haiti and so I appreciate the atmosphere and the people. The waterfalls, the mountains, the Greenland; all worth seeing.

Interview: Stephanie Jeannot Share Insights About Her Musical Journey

What would you say has been the single most influential factor in your success?

My most influential factor in my life is not allowing anyone, anything or any circumstances to take away the joy I have for being a musician who writes songs and performs music. I realize at the end of the day that I could let life break me and make me not want to participate in the very thing that brings me joy, or I could just work with what I have, where I am and put forward what was in me meant to take flight.

Plus when you have people like your parents, good friends and John who was such a motivating factor in this entire songwriting/album writing experience, helped to push me to just give my all and not allow anything to stop me.

Thank you for speaking with us! Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for providing the platform for me to just share my story. I totally appreciate this experience.

 

MUSIC

Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

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Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.

Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.

Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa
Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!

Orodha ya video za “Play Your Clarinet!” – video za maneno ya wimbo katika lugha zote 11 kwenye YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQcCz0vhEKyPigEcJ1-Du7YhrzZdLrex

“Destination 11” – video ya muziki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8l72BtPBd8

Kuhusu Into the Blood
Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.

Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.

Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.

Upakuzi kupitia Dropbox – Hapa unaweza kupakua nyenzo za promosheni:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sai0udu4imfwdmktxf5cj/ADqWOKnmQZjDm3PsXL3yzvs?rlkey=75i1ctld2guy8tcp6snp112j9&st=jtgfu546&dl=0

Salamu za muziki kutoka
Into the Blood
Jens Brygmann & Carsten Bo Andersen 📧 [email protected]

Into the Blood – mitandao ya kijamii:
https://linktr.ee/intotheblood

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Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

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Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.

At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.

At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.

Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.

This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.

“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.

Catch Up With Van Hechter on:

Established Hip Hop Artist ReachingNOVA Creates a Free-flowing Lyrical Course with His Single "C'est La Vie"

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem “Tule Tule” with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem "Tule Tule" with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.

TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.

The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.

Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.

Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.

“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.

Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.

“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.

Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.

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