Steffen Morrison
Being the leading voice in Reeboks Global Campaign for their highly successful Easytone sportswear, three music videos, a semi-final contestant with “The Grote prijs van Nederland” (one of Holland’s most recognized music talent competitions) and opening act for Raul Midon (Singer-Songwriter from New Mexico). Steffen Morrison singing career has taken a steady soar. He also had airplay and several live sessions on 3FM with Giel Beelen, BNN Radio, Fun-X radio, Radio 6, Lijn5, Radio Rijnmond, BNR Radio & SlamFM.
Music played a major role in my upbringing. We had one of the biggest records collections at our place back in Paramaribo, Suriname from what I can remember. My mom and dad would buy records at any given day from all sorts of different artists. Those I remember most vividly are artists such as Otis Redding, Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald to name a few.
Sounds from Suriname, my birthplace, Europe my home, and of course throughout my entire existence sounds coming from the land of Pop, Jazz, Blues and Rock and Roll have inspired my songwriting.
For my debut I collaborated with top producer T. Tolsma “Dutchflower”, songwriter Bas Silos, and Brian” BigBass” Gardner for mastering who also worked with Micheal Jackson for Thriller, Eminem and Prince.
My album is about sharing, down right fun, and connecting with you by revealing as much about myself as I possible could do on this record.
“His husky and raw vocals are his unique asset. They effortlessly bring a penetrating quality to the eclectic 13-track album. A combination of modern pop sound dipped with funk pitched flavor. The record contains SHAKE IT “The Easytone song” as a bonus track. The overall up & mid tempo recordings makes this long awaited debut one to pick of the shelf.
Tha Quinn
Quincy J. Adolphin better known as “Tha Quinn” is unquestionably with out a doubt one of
St. Maartens most talented Artist with vocal abilities and skills like no other. Tha Quinn has
that refreshing voice like a cool ocean breeze blowing through the summers open-air. His
music has such a sensual harmonic essence that just warms your heart and Intrigues the
core of your soul. Tha Quinn is what we call today a Versatile musical-man he sings, plays
keys and produces tracks . Tha Quinn is a very hard artist to label because he does it all
from Hip-hop, R&B, Gospel, Pop, Dancehall, Reggae and Alternative Rock. He is also an
ingenious song writer who produces his own tracks. He is in the process of making a name
for himself as a singer/song writer and producer and it doesn’t stop there. Tha Quinn an
exceptional keyboard player who has done many Live performances with various bands and
artists. He also performed on open acts for well knows artists such as Yollanda Adams,
Andre Crouch, Fred Hammond, Nicole Balosingh Just to name a couple. At age 12 he started
venturing out more in his church and became the youth band leader and there is were he
discovered his vocal ability and with some encouragement and inspiration from some close
friends and musicians he gained the confidence to display his God given talent. In 1996 he
and some friends formed a gospel group name C-United(Christian United) and they went on
to become one of St. Maartens most successful Gospel Bands Ever !!! In 2002 Tha Quinn
moved to Holland along with some of the members of C-United to further his studies. He continued making his music because music is definitely one of his great loves. As he began
to venture out again he hooked up with other musicians, bands, producers and started
playing and singing with them performing at various gigs all over Holland. In 2003 Tha
Quinn entered a popular talent contest named Festival Of Rhythm were he was awarded
best act and first prize in the singing category.
He played on Hollands Radio Giant Radio 538 with a Dutch R&B group named Re-play and played keys on the Alternative rock group Intwine Album. In 2009 together with C-United, Quinn set the bar high for the category groups on the popular show of X-Factor NL, were they became the talk of the town because they were phenomenal in what they did and were eliminated by Eric van Tijn just before going to the live shows at studio 21 in Hilversum. C-United had a good year (2009) performing at popular TV shows like “Live and Cooking” and “Raymond is Laat”, many concert performances including Xnoizz, gospel concerts, Christmas tour with orchestra band and many more. After all the X-Factor frenzy, C-United is taking a bow to public performances and decide to venture into other areas of success. Even though C-United decided to step down, tha Quinn has made up his mind to continue carrying the torch.
Now as he is setting off his solo career Tha Quinn is hard at work only wanting to deliver his best, his motto is Always Deliver and for him is not only about music but the message in the music the lives he will help influence and change the young people who will look up to him, that’s why the bases for his music is inspirational, you can even say he specializes in inspirational music but with his own twist.
Amel Eiland and Elevation
Amel Eiland and Elevation is a supremely tight and profoundly funky seven piece live band led by singer, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Amel Eiland. His music grows out of an eclectic background of Funk, Jazz, Soul, and Hip-Hop influences, among others. These diverse musical elements combine organically in ‘Amel Eiland and Elevation,’ creating music that channels the energy and spirit of a golden age of dance grooves while remaining highly contemporary. In an age dependent on computers, DJs, and samples, Amel Eiland and Elevation are a rare return to the old school tradition of P Funk, and Earth Wind and Fire; they can rock a dance floor LIVE. In 2004, Amel Eiland relocated to the Netherlands from his home in East Lancing, Michigan, USA (right next door to the Motor City, Detroit, home of some of America’s richest musical history). There he assembled a musically and internationally diverse group of top flight musicians to form Elevation. With this band, Eiland skillfully orchestrates his compositions with his own soulful vocals, punchy horns, percussive and psychedelic guitar and synth, warm analog keyboards, and a deeply grooving rhythmic foundation of bass and drums.
Meer info: www.myspace.com/amelelevation
Evita
Evita is geboren op 8 oktober 1986 in Suriname en groeide op in Nederland. Al op jonge leeftijd zong ze. Eerst de Surinaamse liedjes die haar grootmoeder haar leerde, daarna R&B, pop en gospel. Toen ze zes jaar oud was, leerde ze viool spelen. Na acht jaar viool gespeeld te hebben, bleek haar liefde voor het zingen sterker te zijn dan haar liefde voor de viool. Zij startte toen met zanglessen. Na twee jaar veranderde ze van zanglerares. Toen ze 18 jaar oud was, was zij ervan overtuigd dat haar toenmalige zanglerares noch haar behoeften noch haar nieuwsgierigheid voor verdere exploratie kon bevredigen. Ze besloot dat zij een Amerikaanse jazzvocalist als lerares moest hebben. Het werd Deborah Carter. In die zelfde tijd, begon zij pianolessen te nemen. Evita’s multiculturele achtergrond (Chinees, Creools, Hindostaans, Libanees en Schots) heeft ongetwijfeld ervoor gezorgd dat zij zich laat inspireren door verschillende muziekstijlen. Zij houdt van pop/urban, R&B, gospel, salsa en reggaeton – ook om te dansen – en dancehall, maar ook merengue, bossanova en Mexicaanse mariachi. Het meeste zingt ze jazz of cross over jazz. Evita is naast zangeres ook componist en tekstschrijver. Haar liedjes zijn gebaseerd op eigen ervaringen. Evita heeft een eigen stemgeluid, warm, donker en kleurrijk.
Ella Fitzgerald is Evita’s favoriete jazzvocalist. Zij bewondert haar vooral omdat zij zingt vanuit het diepste van haar ziel en haar geïmproviseerde scat solos. Andere vocalisten die haar inspireren, zijn Denise Jannah, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, Eartha Kitt, Eva Cassidy, Nat King Cole en Brook Benton.
Foto: Bas van der Wagt
Voor meer informatie en muziekfragmenten ga naar www.evitatjonaten.spaces.live.com
April Darby
De Haagse R&B, pop/soul zangeres April Darby is nu zo’n 5 jaar professioneel bezig met optredens en zichzelf verder te ontwikkelen. Sinds 2008 werk ze intensief samen met producers Ronno Osipow en Romagna Sasabone aan haar eigen repertoire. April Darby is ambitieus en wil ook internationaal met haar nieuwe repertoire gaan scoren. Haar geboorteland Amerika staat daarom ook zeker op het verlanglijstje. Ze heeft in 2006 al ervaring opgedaan in Atlanta en nummers opgenomen met een Amerikaanse producer.
Een aantal nummers zijn nu reeds te beluisteren op haar website www.aprildarby.com
Ntjamrosie
Ntjamrosie’s mix van World, Pop, Soul en Jazz is in veel hokjes te plaatsen,voor het gemak creëert ze haar eigen hokje; ‘Bulu Soul’. Met haar roots in het zuidelijk Kameroen, waar ze opgroeide tussen kerkmuziek en traditionele Kameroenese storytelling en later als jong meisje via Maastricht in Rotterdam terecht kwam op de World Music Department van Rotterdams Conservatorium, waar ze Bossa Nova’s, Bolero’s, Jazz Standards en meer tot zich nam, is het ook niet vreemd dat Ntjamrosie muziek versmolten is met al deze invloeden. Op haar debuut album Atouba (vernoemd naar haar overleden grootmoeder Bernadette Atouba) komen al deze invloeden samen, omhuld met teksten in het Engels, Frans en Bulu (een Kameroenese dialect). Het geheel is geproduceerd door mede Rotterdammers en labelgenoten Nelson & Djosa. Ntjamrosie wilt mensen raken met haar muziek, en omdat te doen hoef je niet altijd de teksten te begrijpen om meegenomen te worden door de muziek.’Een hitje zou fijn zijn, maar dit is niet het voornaamste doel’ zegt Ntjamrosie. Neem bijvoorbeeld de ode aan haar grootmoeder ‘Bia Yon’ wordt gezongen in traditioneel Bulu. De passie en emotie die in dat nummer zit breekt door elke taal barrière heen. De muziek op ‘Atouba’ komt live het best tot haar recht. Met haar liveband heeft Ntjamrosie al menig podia en festival onveilig gemaakt; IJazz, Seven Bridges, Black Soil Film Festival, REMF, North Sea Jazz Around Town, Pure Jazz Festival, maar ook twee keer naprogramma van Erykah Badu en die van Bilal.
Meer info via: www.ntjamrosie.net
Urban Roots
Urban Roots is een spraakmakend collectief waar het beste van twee werelden HipHop en Jazz versmelten tot 1 brok improvisatie. Speciaal voor Sparkplug is er een supersessie voorbereidt met toppers uit de Haagse HipHop en Jazz wereld. De band staat onderleiding van Jazz trompetist Michael Varekamp.
Meer info via:
www.purejazz.nl
Femmy
Femmy (1984) was born in Zoetermeer. She started singing at an early age. She went to church until she was 12 years old and sang religious songs at elementary school. She found out her true passion for singing when she was 15 years old and performed in musical plays at her high school. Femmy is known for playing and writing with her Dutch hiphop/soul/funk band “New Groove Habits”. With this group she performed at several big venues in the Netherlands, such as the Paradiso, Melkweg, Nighttown, Lions Jazz, Paap and across borders in Ireland. In 2006 the band members of New Groove Habits parted ways and each member of the band started working on their individual projects. Femmy decided it was time to move on and persue her one and only dream: writing lyrics and performing as solo artist Femmy. She started foccusing on her writing skills and wrote and recorded some of her own songs together with guitarist Jeroen Rosbeek (New Groove Habits), who´s not only a big inspiration but also her great love. In 2007, Femmy wrote and recorded together with Jeroen Rosbeek a song called ‘Kleur’ for the Dutch Salvition Army. Now these days she performes with her own band. Femmy uses music to express her emotions and share her insecurities, happiness en miseries with the world.
Meer info via: www.femmyfisscher.com
www.myspace.com/femmyfisscher
Faya
Faya (de alias van Marloes Anijs) is een zangeres die zich vooral bezighoudt met de muziekstijlen soul en jazz. Al op vroege leeftijd kwam ze in aanraking met muziek, zo kan ze ook piano spelen, en haar interesse voor muziek is toen nooit voorbij gegaan. Faya laat zich inspireren door artiesten zoals: Corinne Bailey Rae, Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones en Stevie Wonder. Zowel lead als backings heeft Faya gezongen en op dit moment is ze klaar om zich op haar solocarrière te richten.
Meer info via: www.myspace.com/fayanl
