JOVM celebrates Tina Turner’s 82nd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 82nd Birthday, Tina Turner!
JOVM celebrates Tina Turner’s 82nd birthday.
Category: R&B
Marie Dahlstrom is an acclaimed Rosklide-born, London-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and JOVM mainstay whose work has been largely influenced by the R&B and soul she heard in her home as a child — in particular Edwyn Collins, Womack & Womack and Gloria Gaynor and the like were on regular rotation. As a teenager, Dahlstrom discovered Dwele, Dire Straits, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin and Fleetwood Mac.
The Roskilde-born, London-based JOVM mainstay first gained attention as a solo artist in her native Denmark, quickly becoming a three-time Scandinavian Soul Award winner. Since relocating to London, the Danish-born JOVM mainstay has become an international sensation, crafting a warm and ethereal sound with elements of jazz, classic soul and contemporary R&B.
While the COVID-19 pandemic had put an indefinite pause on live shows and touring until relatively recently across much of the world, Dahlstrom managed to be one of the busiest and hardest working contemporary artists out thee: After successful collaborations with Tom Misch and Alfa Mist, the Roskilde-born, London-based JOVM mainstay released her highly-anticipated, critically applauded full-length debut Like Sand last year. Recorded in Los Angeles, Copenhagen, and London, the album features collaborations with James Vickery, Jeremy Passion, Elijah Fox, Beau Diako and a list of others. Dahlstrom also continued her ongoing work with the multi-national, all-female artist collective Her Songs — with the act releasing the Toronto Vol. 1 EP.
She also teamed up with London-based producer Dan Diggas and Canadian emcee Aligo on a collaborative EP together 4inaRow. The EP’ was conceived around a central idea — of the trio writing and recording a four-track EP in just four nights with the material being an experimental writing, recording and producing purely on impulse and instinct. Each of the EP’s four songs was recorded between 8:00pm and midnight during four nights — and each individual song has its own story to tell. Generally speaking the process was centered around Diggas providing beats and production while the Dahlstrom and Algo shared vocal duties. “Marie and I lived in the JFH flat for a little over a year and after a few months we figured out a way for us to really tap in and make music together.” Aligo says about the creative process behind the EP. “We told ourselves every night for 4 straight days we are going to tackle a pack of beats that Dan made while he was on tour with Mahalia. Theme-wise there wasn’t a plan at first but we knew we wanted to explore different emotions and feelings with each night that passed. By the end we noticed the songs came together in a cohesive way that demonstrated a four stage cycle of love/relationships.”
The Danish-born, British-based singer/songwriter and producer continues a remarkably prolific period with the Friday release of her latest EP Safe Place through JFH Records. “I wrote this EP during lock down. This was a special time in my life, where everything shifted in a way” Dahlstrom says of the soon-to-be released EP. “I was moving out of my apartment in London, the only place I’d ever lived since I moved. There were no gigs or concerts, society was (and still is) in a strange place, and then there was coronavirus and my pregnancy. It gave me a lot of time to reflect about what really matters and just how lucky we are to be living and experiencing this life.”
The EP’s latest single, EP title track “Safe Place” manages to continue a run of sweet and intimate material, informed by and influenced by personal experience. Featuring a What’s the 411? era Mary J. Blige-inspired production featuring delicately twinkling keys, boom bap beats and atmospheric electronics serving as a silky bed for Dahlstorm’s soulful and earnest delivery, the song reminds listeners to appreciate the people they love the most; that those you love are the ones who are your safe place when the everything else is mad.
Throwback: Happy 80th Birthday, Otis Redding!
JOVM celebrates what would have been Otis Redding’s 80th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 80th Birthday, George Clinton!
JOVM celebrates George Clinton’s 80th birthday.
New Video: Maria Isabel Releases a Sultry Banger
Maria Isabel is a rapidly rising New York-born and-based Dominican-American singer/songwriter and R&B artist. The New York-born and-based artist quickly exploded into the national scene with the release of last year’s EP Stuck in The Sky, which revealed an artist who while being influenced by Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Selena and Shakira could writer material that thematically touched upon mental health, her family history, her Dominican heritage and her romantic relationships with an unvarnished honesty and vulnerability — in both Spanish and English.
busy year: She released the “Buy Your Own Flowers”/”Love song” single earlier this year, which led to her performing in a COLORS session last month — and to her signing to Warner Records. Maria Isabel’s major level debut “No So Para Ti,” features a reggaeton inspired take on R&B centered around skittering tweeter and woofer rattling trap beats and glistening synth arpeggios. The song’s production serves as a silky and lush bed for the rising Dominican-American artist’s sultry vocals singing lyrics in Spanish.
While being a summery, club banger, the song is a bold feminist anthem with a wisdom and self-assuredness beyond her relative youth: The song’s narrator comes to the powerful conclusion that that loving and appreciating herself is much more important — and a much stronger love — than what she might find with most people.
Directed by Alfred Marroquin, the recently released video is a a sort of feverish yet intimate behind-the-scenes peak of the young artist’s life that sees her returning to her home and bedroom, talking to and hanging out with her girlfriends and coming to the realization that she doesn’t have to give a fuck about anything that doesn’t serve her in the way she needs.
Throwback: Happy 50th Birthday, Missy Elliott!
JOVM celebrates Missy Elliott’s 50th birthday.
New Audio: Edmofo’s Club Banging Remix of Emma Peters’ “Fous”
usic scene through her YouTube channel, which initially featured attention-grabbing covers of Lartiste’s “Clandestina” and Lomepal’s “Trop Beau” — with her cover of “Trop Beau” receiving over 40 million streams on Spotify. As a solo artist, Peters quickly established herself a songwriter, who writes heartfelt and lived-in material, based from her own life experiences and with an unvarnished honesty with the release of her debut EP Fous, etc.
don’t be a pleaser and most importantly, don’t lose yourself. Be you at all costs. Interestingly, EP title track “Fous” features the rising French artist’s coquettish yet self-assured vocals over a lush production featuring shimmering Flamenco-styled acoustic guitar paired with skittering, tweeter and woofer beats.
Recently, Edmofo gave “Fous” the remix treatment. While retaining the original’s looping Flamenco-styled acoustic guitar and Peters’ coquettish yet self-assured vocals, Edmofo adds harder-hitting, beats, bursts of twinkling keys, turning an earnest R&B/pop ballad into an urgent, club friendly banger.
Throwback: Happy 63rd Birthday, Prince!
JOVM celebrates what would have been Prince’s 63rd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 70th Birthday Luther Vandross!
JOVM belatedly celebrates Luther Vandross’ 70th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 52nd Birthday, Mariah Carey!
The first two weeks of Spring and of the astrological sign Aries is rather auspicious for music — Aretha Frarnkin, Diana Ross, Elton John, Damon Albarn, Lee “Scratch” Perry are all among an incredibly talented and legendary array of artists who were born between March 21-March, 31. Of course, we can’t forget Mariah Carey, who turns 52 today.
Carey is the voice of a ridiculous amount of smash hit songs — many which I know deep in your soul you love, and will happily sing along to in the shower or while doing karaoke. Personally, I’ve always adored her cover of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll be There.” So, to that end, Happy birthday, Mariah. May there be many, many more!
Throwback: Black History Month: Patti LaBelle
Today is February 21, 2021. It’s the 21at day of Black History Month. And as I’ve mentioned throughout this series, I’ve been featuring Black artists across a wide and eclectic array of genres and styles — with the hopes that it’ll be a bit of a primer on the Black experience and on Black music.
Of course, I hope that these posts will serve as a reminder of these very important facts:
Black culture is American culture — and Black music is American music.
America’s greatest and beloved contributions to the world are Black music styles — the blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop.
Black art matters.
Black lives matter — all of them, all of the time.
Patti LaBelle is one of the greatest vocalists to ever live. That’s pretty much the post. You’re welcome.
Throwback: Black History Month: Whitney Houston
Today is February 19, 2021. It’s the 19th day of Black History Month. And as I’ve mentioned throughout this series, I’ve been featuring Black artists across a wide and eclectic array of genres and styles — with the hopes that it’ll be a bit of a primer on the Black experience and on Black music.
Of course, I hope that these posts will serve as a reminder of these very important facts:
Black culture is American culture — and Black music is American music.
America’s greatest and beloved contributions to the world are Black music styles — the blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop.
Black art matters.
Black lives matter — all of them, all of the time.
It’s not necessary for me to delve into much background for this post — because it’s Whitney Houston. But I’ll say this: Whitney had one of the greatest voices in pop music, ever. It’s a shame that she’s not here with us right now. But that voice will live on forever.
Throwback: Black History Month: Teddy Pendergrass
Time does what it usually does: it flies by faster than what you’d expect or even want.Today is February 14. It’s Valentine’s Day and the 14th day of Black History Month. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been proudly featuring Black artists across a wide and eclectic array of genres and styles with the hopes that these artists can guide you towards further understanding of the Black experience.
As the month goes on, I hope that you’ll be reminded of these urgently important facts:
Black culture is American culture — and Black music is American music.
America’s greatest and beloved contributions to the world are Black music styles — the blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop.
Black art matters.
Black lives matter — all of them, all of the time.
So because it’s Valentine’s Day, I felt it was necessary to feature yet another patron saint of love, the legendary Teddy Pendergrass, one of the kings of Quiet Storm R&B.
Throwback: Black History Month: Al Green
Time does what it usually does: it flies by faster than what you’d expect or even want.Today is February 14. It’s Valentine’s Day and the 14th day of Black History Month. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been proudly featuring Black artists across a wide and eclectic array of genres and styles with the hopes that these artists can guide you towards further understanding of the Black experience.
As the month goes on, I hope that you’ll be reminded of these urgently important facts:
Black culture is American culture — and Black music is American music.
America’s greatest and beloved contributions to the world are Black music styles — the blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop.
Black art matters.
Black lives matter — all of them, all of the time.
So because it’s Valentine’s Day, I felt it was necessary to feature one of music’s patron saints of love and of heartache, the Rev. Al Green.
If you haven’t seen it before, check out the footage of Al Green on Soul Train in 1974. It’s one of the most transcendent and uplifting TV performances I’ve ever seen.
Throwback: Black History Month: James Brown
Amazingly, the month has managed to fly by: Today is February 13, the 13th day of Black History Month. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been proudly featuring Black artists across a wide and eclectic array of genres and styles with the hopes that these artists can guide you towards further understanding of the Black experience.
As the month goes on, I hope that you’ll be reminded of these urgently important facts:
Black culture is American culture — and Black music is American music.
America’s greatest and beloved contributions to the world are Black music styles — the blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop.
Black art matters.
Black lives matter — all of them, all of the time.
James Brown is without a doubt, one of the most important and influential artists of the past century. Rock, soul, R&B, dance music, pop, funk and hip-hop all are indebted to the legendary godfather of soul, the soul brother #1. Sadly, I never got a chance to see Brown live — but if you saw him in the height of his powers, Brown was a transcendent performer.
Seriously, can you think of anything more righteous than James Brown playing “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” in Kinshasa? Probably not.