Passion for Music Inspired by Disco

By Caroline Uliwa -- Published in Sunday News 24th June 2012 - You might have heard him on retro radio show ‘Boogie’ that airs Sundays from 6pm on Times 100.5 FM; or seen him on the judge panel of popular television dance competition series Tikisa on ITV last year. Joett—a one-name recording artist, songwriter, choreographer and vocal coach is a native of Tanzania and Managing Director of his own company Joett Ltd. His debut single Afro Lover was released in the UK in 1996 to critical acclaim. His recent comeback single I Could Never Live (Without Your Love), inspired by a voice training exercise he’d created for his students, was released worldwide via Island Def Jam Digital Distribution on December 20th 2010 and on CD in Tanzania on Valentine’s Day 2011. A 70s disco remix of the single was later recorded and released on October 23rd 2011, on the launch of his very own radio show Boogie on Times 100.5 FM. Two follow-up releases from his back catalog hit the market on March 12th 2012 with a global re-release of Afro Lover and the official release of Heaven Said, the latter being a track that was recorded in London in 1995. I caught up with Joett for a chat on his radio show, and wanted to get to know more about his musical journey.
How did you come to music?
When I was 7 years old I remember saying ‘I am going to become a singer.’ I achieved my dreams, somewhat, and now I’m on my way to helping others achieve their singing dreams too. I like to call it “giving something back to the community”.
In 1996 your single ‘Afro Lover’, produced by multimillion selling record producer Tambi Fernando peaked at #6 in a UK dance chart and was in the top 10 in various other dance charts in the UK. How did you get there?
I was introduced to Tambi Fernando in London by a close friend, Deborah Cabral, in 1995. We immediately hit it off and before I knew it my first single Heaven Said was recorded. But it was the next recording—Afro Lover, that landed me a record deal with MusicBox International. The single was released in 1996.
Tell me more about your record deal?
I worked with Tambi at Dolphin Studios in London, and then later the studio was relocated to Dubai. Afro Lover was recorded in Dubai and the record label MusicBox International had its headquarters in Dubai and retail outlets around the world. Tambi was mixing my new track in the studio when a record executive – Fawaz Hallak from MusicBox, walked in. And he immediately said to Tambi, “I’ll sign this artist!”
Why did you leave the label and what did you do after?
Fawaz ultimately left the company. He was the only A&R (Artist and Repertoire) guy at MusicBox and so without him at the helm to support me I asked the record label’s management to release me from my contract. I went on to train as a vocalist with Sybil Esmore, a protégé of legendary opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. I also attended the Music Industry Business Course on the River Thames in London, where I learned all the ins and outs of record label management and promotion…including discovering, managing and promoting new talent.
Did you know you’d be a vocal coach?
No, I had never intended to teach singing. This happened quite by accident, when my neighbor, who has a recording studio, asked me to train a couple of his acts. The next thing you know I’m advertising in the papers and the phone is ringing off the hook. And then I landed TV interviews with East Africa and Capital off the back of that. It caught me by surprise really. I had no idea there was a demand for this in Tanzania. It has since become a fulltime occupation for me.
What with hosting a Radio show and gigging on TV, teaching, producing and promoting new products, how do you balance it all?
I lead a regimented lifestyle, I always have. It helps to be organized. My work schedule is pretty tight but because I follow a well organized program, I manage. It’s about time management, I suppose.
In 2010 we saw the release of ‘I Could Never Live (Without Your Love)’, and now you’ve also released an old track ‘Heaven Said’, tell us a bit about the history there.
“I Could Never Live (Without Your Love)” began life as a training exercise I had created for my students. The song was only a few lines at the time to illustrate the application of certain elements of singing using the scales structure my students go through in voice training. One of my students encouraged me to finish off the lyrics and to record it as a song. And so I did. The CD single is available from A Novel Idea bookstores in Dar, Zanzibar and Arusha; and on MP3 download from all the major online stores like iTunes, Amazon MP3, Rhapsody and so forth. I then teamed up with former New York concert pianist Luiggi Tamburi (on piano) to record a voice training program around the song in 2010, which I now plan to release as a ‘Learn to Sing with Joett’ CD this year.
Any future plans for an album or concert…?
I did a jazz set for a while after the release of my comeback single. I have a follow-up single ‘Color Me Beautiful’ due for release in August, and a boyband I’m creating and training—also scheduled to debut around August. I had plans for an album entitled ‘Vintage In Color’, but not anymore. I’ve shelved that. The reason being it costs an absolute fortune to do as I only work with the best producers in the United Kingdom and they don’t come cheap. And in this business there are no guarantees you’ll get a return on your investment. However, as a member of the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), I’m well positioned to pitch my songs for licensing to record labels in the USA and Europe. Which, when done properly, can be quite lucrative. As far as that goes this’ll probably be my future career path. And as for giving concerts, most probably, yes. I love performing.
With your Boogie radio show, you obviously love disco music from the 70s and 80s. What’s so special about this genre for you, so much so that you’ve dedicated two hours to it?
Two hours isn’t enough. That’s the sort of feedback I’m getting from my listeners. 70s 80s disco is real music in my book. It has set the tone and trend for almost every genre you hear today. It calls for a celebration.
What is your utopia for the Music Industry in TZ from what you’re seeing?
Personal development through training in all areas of music would ensure that Tanzanians get to raise the bar in order to be on par with the Americans and the Europeans. A tall order, but it can be achieved with proper training. And that’s what I’m here for…to help Tanzanian artistes go to the next level.

DJ Cue Mega Mixes The O'jays And Kool & The Gang On Boogie

On today’s show, DJ Cue MEGA MIXES the O'jays and Kool & The Gang. The idea came about on last week’s show when I asked DJ Cue, “how about if you mixed the O'jays and Kool & The Gang for next week’s show?”, and he loved the idea. And voila…here we are with a mega mix of all the greatest hits by these two supergroups.

The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942), Walter Williams (born August 25, 1943), William Powell (January 20, 1942 – May 26, 1977), Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The O'Jays had their first hit with "Lonely Drifter", in 1963. In spite of the record's success, the group had been considering quitting the music industry when Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, took an interest in the group. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with "Back Stabbers" (1972), and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train".

Kool & The Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed in 1964 as the Jazziacs based in Jersey City, New Jersey. They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and funk, progressing to a smooth pop-funk ensemble, and in the post-millennium creating music with a modern, electro-pop sound. The group's main members over the years included brothers Robert Bell (known as "Kool") on bass and Ronald Bell on tenor saxophone, lead vocalist James "J.T." Taylor, George Brown on drums, Robert Mickens on trumpet, Dennis Thomas on alto saxophone, Claydes Charles Smith on guitar, and Rick Westfield on keyboards. Kool & The Gang have sold over 70 million albums worldwide.

Be sure to tune in to Times 100.5 FM from 6pm Sunday East Africa Time, Or Listen live on stream at timesfm.co.tz For International listeners, view World Time Zone Map for current time in your area.

Thanks for visiting my blog, catch up with you on the show!

JOETT
Radio Presenter, Recording Artist & Vocal Coach

Download Joett tracks from iTunes, Amazon MP3, TuneCore.
Buy Joett CDs from A Novel Idea Bookstores Dar, Zanzibar, Arusha.
Nationwide CD distribution via Business Times, Majira and SPOTIstarehe.
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Grace Jones Pulls Up to the Bumper On Boogie

GRACE JONES: Not your average dream girl, but undeniably striking. Maybe not a great voice or pretty voice, but an unforgettable one. Grace Jones records: Not your average Top 40, but indelible, unique--and striking, undeniable, unforgettable.

Born in Jamaica, Grace Mendoza was raised in upstate New York, with no knowledge of reggae music. As a model for the Wilhemina agency, she traveled the world and left a larger-than-life impression wherever she worked. How much larger? Well, you and I both would think of Jones as Amazonian—especially if you’ve seen her in Conan the Barbarian – but the headshot her modeling agency circulated in the 1970s says that her height is 5’8”.

Jones made her early records in France and Italy, and hit the dance clubs in 1976 and 1977 with three French-produced songs, heavily overdubbed and remixed in Philadelphia by disco-mix pioneer Tom Moulton. Amid the peaking of the disco craze, Chris Blackwell signed Jones to Island Records, and Moulton devised a side-long medley of recent Broadway show tunes in the lushly orchestrated pop-disco style of Gloria Gaynor.

The odd tune out was an electro-samba version of “La Vie en Rose” that didn’t hit four-on-the-floor at all. The track had already been sung for Moulton by another singer  – who later, it turned out, refused to sign a contract. Jones, who’d heard the tape in a club, described the production to Moulton and remarked that she’d like to do something exactly like it. At the studio the next night, she was thunderstruck when he had the same track ready for her to re-voice.

The eventual death of disco presented an opportunity for both Grace Jones and Chris Blackwell. Having built Compass Point Studio in Nassau, Bahamas, Blackwell conceived a multinational studio band that would carry on the great tradition of Motown’s celebrated Funk Brothers, Booker T & the MGs, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the Wrecking Crew, MFSB and Jamaica’s indefatigable studio players. Anchored by Kingston rhythm geniuses Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass, the first project of the band was a Grace Jones album that would dovetail the most extreme fringe of her disco sound with new wave, dance-rock and reggae.

How exciting was the new fusion? Guitarist Barry Reynolds, playing the first take of the first cover song suggested by Blackwell, the Norml’s “Warm Leatherette,” looked up from his instrument at the other players, and saw stars before his eyes. Even Chrissie Hynde, who first came upon Jones’ remake of “Private Life” in a German nightclub, thought to herself, “Now, that’s how it’s supposed to sound!”

Not only did Jones become a reliable interpreter of Bryan Ferry, Tom Petty, Vanda & Young, Sting and many others, she became a capable lyricist, co-writing the perfect sideways evocation of restless urban sexuality, “Pull Up to the Bumper,” the now frequently sampled “My Jamaican Guy,’ and the softer, reflective “I’ve Seen That face Before.”

Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing and Living My Life, Jone’s three albums recorded at Compass Point, have now all been rightly recognized for their groundbreaking, redefining role in early-80s pop, preceding such other acknowledged classics as Controversy, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), and Private Dancer, to name a few. With hindsight, we can see that, by putting an international groove into rock and roll, Grace Jones improved the prospects for everybody’s music.

On Boogie today, the Grace Jones playlist includes:  Slave To The Rhythm, La Vie En Rose, I Need A Man, Do Or Die, Private Life, Love Is The Drug, I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango), Pull Up To The Bumper, Walking In The Rain, My Jamaican Guy, Nipple To The Bottle. Also on today's show, after the Grace Jones segment, is a selection of British number 1 pop chart hits from the 1980s, including Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Black Box, Yazz, The Human League, Mel & Kim, Kajagoogoo, Culture Club, UB40, ABBA and more.

Be sure to tune in to Times 100.5 FM from 6pm Sunday East Africa Time, Or Listen live on stream at timesfm.co.tz For International listeners, view World Time Zone Map for current time in your area.

Thanks for visiting my blog, catch up with you on the show!

JOETT
Radio Presenter, Recording Artist & Vocal Coach

Download Joett tracks from iTunes, Amazon MP3, TuneCore.
Buy Joett CDs from A Novel Idea Bookstores Dar, Zanzibar, Arusha.
Nationwide CD distribution via Business Times, Majira and SPOTIstarehe.
Follow me on Twitter
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1970s Disco Legends, Pop Icons Revisited

By Joett (Published in Business Times 15th May 2012) -- Twelve years into the new millennium, who would’ve ever imagined that disco, a genre of dance music from the 1970s, that spawned electronic pop into the 1980s would still be popular to this day, with boogie events and radio shows dedicated to fashion and music of that era—not to mention reissued and re-mastered tracks by yesteryear artists back in record stores yet again and making a comeback on the charts. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. Its initial audiences were club-goers from the African American, Latino, and psychedelic communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Disco also was a reaction against both the domination of rock music and the stigmatization of dance music by the counterculture during this period. Women embraced disco as well, and the music eventually expanded to several other popular groups of the time.

The 1980s saw the reinvention of Michael Jackson and the emergence of Madonna, who arguably were the most powerful musicians during the time. Their videos became a permanent fixture on MTV and gained a worldwide mass audience. Michael Jackson's Thriller album from 1982 is the best-selling album of all time, it is cited as selling as many as 110 million copies worldwide. Being the biggest selling artist of that decade he was indisputably the biggest star of the 1980s. Recently, on retro radio show Boogie on Times 100.5 FM, I featured Michael Jackson albums Off the Wall from 1979 and Bad from 1987, where listeners were invited to select via SMS the songs they wanted me to play.

In what is considered a forerunner to disco style clubs, New York City DJ David Mancuso opened The Loft, a members-only private dance club set in his own home, in February 1970. Allmusic claims some have argued that Isaac Hayes and Barry White were playing what would be called disco music as early as 1971. According to the music guide, there is disagreement as to what the first disco song was. Claims have been made for Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" (1972), Jerry Butler's "One Night Affair" (1972), the Hues Corporation's "Rock the Boat" (1973), George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby" (1974), and "Kung Fu Fighting" (1974) by Biddu and Carl Douglas. The first article about disco was written in September 1973 by Vince Aletti for Rolling Stone magazine. In 1974 New York City's WPIX-FM premiered the first disco radio show. What a journey for disco, I’d say, considering this is 2012 and I am hosting a disco radio show myself! If I’m honest, I can’t see an end to the love for disco. It lives on and is evolving at an incredible pace. UK-based lifestyle brand Hed Kandi have gone the extra mile to ensure its popularity into the future—they’re the pioneers of Nu Disco, a genre that springs from late 70s early 80s disco. And they’re doing it in a pretty grand and elaborate scale with Hed Kandi events taking place in cities across the globe—and with commercially successful Nu Disco tracks and compilation albums recorded between the years 2000 and 2012 hitting the record stores to boot. I’m so excited about Nu Disco that I’ve added that to my playlist on 70s disco 80s pop retro radio show Boogie on Times 100.5 FM, a two-hour show that airs Sundays from 6pm.

Well-known late 1970s disco performers I regularly feature on Boogie included Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, KC and the Sunshine Band, The Trammps, Van McCoy, Gloria Gaynor, The Village People, Chic, and The Jacksons to name but a few—the latter of which first dipped its toes into disco as The Jackson 5. Summer would become the first well-known and most popular disco artist—eventually having the title "The Queen of Disco" bestowed upon her by various critics—and would also play a part in pioneering the electronic sound that later became a prominent element of disco. While performers and singers garnered the lion's share of public attention, producers working behind the scenes played an equal, if not more important role in disco, since they often wrote the songs and created the innovative sounds and production techniques that were part of the "disco sound. "Many non-disco artists recorded disco songs at the height of disco's popularity, and films such as Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It's Friday contributed to disco's rise in mainstream popularity. According to music writer Piero Scaruffi the disco phenomenon spread quickly because the "collective ecstasy" of disco was cathartic and regenerative and led to freedom of expression. Disco was the last mass popular music movement that was driven by the baby boom generation.

Disco music was a worldwide phenomenon, but its popularity declined in the United States in the late 1970s. On July 12, 1979, an anti-disco protest in Chicago called "Disco Demolition Night" had shown that an angry backlash against disco and its culture had emerged in the United States. On this particular night, they publicly blew up tons of disco records. In the subsequent months and years, many musical acts associated with disco struggled to get airplay on the radio. A few artists still managed to score disco-style hits in the early 1980s, but the term "disco" became unfashionable in the new decade and was eventually replaced by "dance music", "dance pop", and other identifiers. Although the production techniques have changed, many successful acts since the 1970s have retained the basic disco beat and mentality, and dance clubs have remained popular.
The 1980s are commonly associated with the usage of synthesizers, thus, synthpop music and other electronic genres featuring non-traditional instruments exploded in popularity. Also during this decade, several major electronic genres were developed, including electro, techno, house, freestyle and Eurodance, rising in prominence during the 1990s and beyond. Throughout the decade, R&B, hip hop and urban music in general were becoming commonplace, particularly in the inner-city areas of large, metropolitan cities; rap was especially successful in the latter part of the decade, with the advent of the golden age of hip hop. These urban genres, rap and hip hop particularly, would continue their rise in popularity through the 1990s and 2000s.

What is reassuring about the resurgence in the popularity of disco is that the demand has compelled record labels to reissue back catalogs of popular artists of that era. And with the advancement in technology, we’re getting digitally re-mastered products. Browsing a UK record store I see reissued yesteryear LP (vinyl) records on sale once again—the quality of which to this day surpasses compact discs, so much so that a growing number of radio stations in the USA are currently going back to vinyl.

To listen to superb, digitally re-mastered disco imports, tune in to Boogie on Times 100.5 FM, or listen live on stream at www.timesfm.co.tz from 6pm Sundays. Presented by reinvented 80s pop singer Joett with DJ Cue and sponsored by Business Times, Majira and SPOTIstarehe, Boogie is fast becoming a great way to spend Sunday evenings chilling out with friends to remember the good ole days. For regular blog updates, playlists and to link on to Boogie TZ on Facebook, visit www.joettmusic.com

Be sure to tune in to Times 100.5 FM from 6pm Sunday East Africa Time, Or Listen live on stream at timesfm.co.tz For International listeners, view World Time Zone Map for current time in your area.

Thanks for visiting my blog, catch up with you on the show!

JOETT
Radio Presenter, Recording Artist & Vocal Coach

Download Joett tracks from iTunes, Amazon MP3, TuneCore.
Buy Joett CDs from A Novel Idea Bookstores Dar, Zanzibar, Arusha.
Nationwide CD distribution via Business Times, Majira and SPOTIstarehe.
Follow me on Twitter
Become a fan on Facebook 
Follow Joett On Facebook
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Chic & Sister Sledge Perfect Blend On Boogie

That irresistible base-line that could cut through a rough diamond, a simple rhythmic groove as smooth as a freshly re-surfaced road, lush string arrangements, rich vocals and a beat that kicked and kept better time than the speaking clock. 'A combination of style that's sleek and neat, put it together, there you have it, Chic', succinctly put in 1992's 'Something You Can Feel'. A truly unmistakable sound. So, what was it about Chic that took Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards on an incredible ride through the decades, becoming in-demand record producers and influential groove merchants?

Having met in 1970 and done their apprenticeships by performing and touring in a variety of bands -- Boys and The Big Apple Band, the latter 'A Fifth Of Beethoven' fame with Walter Murphy -- Nile and Bernard were best known for supporting New York City, before forming Chic in 1976.

They recruited Tony Thompson the former drummer from Ecstasy, Passion & Pain and also hired singer Norma Jean Wright, on the basis that Norma would be allowed to pursue a solo career alongside her Chic duties. The backing vocalists included Alfa Anderson (who would later move up to take over co-front-line duties) and aspiring soul singer, Luther Vandross.

Luci Martin was also recruited to join the group in 1978, although Norma Jean later left the line-up to follow a solo career, releasing a self titled album on Bearsville in 1978, featuring the full Chic line-up and the background vocals of Luther Vandross. It was at that point that Alfa became part of the best known band line-up.

Working with the now renowned recording engineer, Bob Clearmountain, they created a demo which included 'Everybody Dance' and Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah). Chic signed to Atlantic. On Boogie from 6pm East African time TODAY, I will feature Chic & Sister Sledge, the latter is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge (born August 21, 1957) Debbie Sledge (born July 9, 1954), Joni Sledge (born September 13, 1955), and Kathy Sledge (born January 6, 1959). Today's show will be interesting, cos you know what? Most of the tracks you're going to hear today were produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards from Chic. So there you have it!

Be sure to tune in to Times 100.5 FM from 6pm Sunday East Africa Time, Or Listen live on stream at timesfm.co.tz For International listeners, view World Time Zone Map for current time in your area.

Thanks for visiting my blog, catch up with you on the show!

JOETT
Radio Presenter, Recording Artist & Vocal Coach

Download Joett tracks from iTunes, Amazon MP3, TuneCore.
Buy Joett CDs from A Novel Idea Bookstores Dar, Zanzibar, Arusha.
Nationwide CD distribution via Business Times, Majira and SPOTIstarehe.
Follow me on Twitter
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A Chat With An Old Friend On Boogie

On the BOOGIE playlist today, expect MASSIVE hits from The Real Thing, Gloria Gaynor, Van McCoy, Tavares, Diana Ross, The Whispers, Shalamar, Abba, Anita Ward, Amii Stewart, Stephanie Mills, Crown Heights Affair, James Brown, Commodores, Thelma Houston, Johnny Bristol, Bohannon, Peaches & Herb and MORE. Plus very special guest Aziz Mongi (my childhood friend) in the studio—popping in for chat about the good ole days. If you’d like to come on the show as a guest to talk about Your Growing Up in the 70s or 80s please get in touch with me.

Be sure to tune in to Times 100.5 FM from 6pm Sunday East Africa Time, Or Listen live on stream at timesfm.co.tz For International listeners, view World Time Zone Map for current time in your area.

Thanks for visiting my blog, catch up with you on the show!

JOETT
Radio Presenter, Recording Artist & Vocal Coach

Download Joett tracks from iTunes, Amazon MP3, TuneCore.
Buy Joett CDs from A Novel Idea Bookstores Dar, Zanzibar, Arusha.
Nationwide CD distribution via Business Times, Majira and SPOTIstarehe.
Follow me on Twitter
Become a fan on Facebook 
Follow Joett On Facebook
Follow Boogie TZ On Facebook