SelahAmonRa
Baltimore, Maryland, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Tuesday, February 06, 2007 - Baltimore, Maryland - Independent Baltimore Soul Vocalist Selahchick to perform at the famed Emergenza Music Festival—the most prominent musical contest for up and coming bands on Friday, March 9, 2007 at the 8x10 Club.
Selahchick made it to the second round of the Emergenza festival after performing in September
at Fletchers in Baltimore, Md. Her soulful and gritty styling’s labeled her “one to watch” among hundreds of participants as she was advanced to the second round of eliminations. If she succeeds beyond the second round she will advance with the opportunity to play in international arenas.
In the past few years, Emergenza has become the most widespread, reliable and well-known musical event in respect of numbers, visibility, facilities, partnerships and contacts offered to bands. Emergenza is the most prominent musical contest for up and coming bands as far as international dimensions and coordination are concerned. In 150 cities across America and Europe, Emergenza provides a fully equipped stage, technical organization and promotion for independent artists.
Bands play a 30 minute set and precede through various elimination rounds, with the opportunity to play in major international venues. The audience selects the bands that proceed to the next round by an open vote. At the regional and national finals a professional jury selects the winners and awards the best musicians. The winners of the national finals play at the international final in Germany. The cost for tickets is $12.
Check out Selahchick’s debut project on the website at www.selahchick.com
Purchase the CD at www.cdbaby.com/cd/selahchick
- openpr.com
I recently had the pleasure of attending Organic Soul Tuesdays at Eden Lounge. This long running open mike series was founded 7 years ago and continues to serve as an intimate, artsy atmosphere that provides a welcoming backdrop for Baltimore's own unplugged jam sessions. If you are in the mood to hear some original soul felt artistry, Organic Soul is the place for you.
People come from all over the world to grace these stages and listen to an awesome house band for a very minimal $5 cover. While waiting for the artists to perform, guest are treated to the sounds of DJ Big Game (James Collins, founder of Baltimore's own Fertile Ground and Organic Soul) who spins a bevy of eclectic sounds from old school soul and rap to Prince classics and everything in between. Artists are welcome to come as they are, with or without their own instruments to perform as they wish.
The house band which consist of Joe Mills, musical director who also plays synthesizer/guitar, Craig Alston on sax/keyboard/bass, Corey Booker on drums/bass, Spider on drums, and James Collins on trumpet, are extraordinary. They easily convert from smooth and mellow to edgy and rock grooves. Quickly fusing together with artists that are new to them, they amazingly create a cohesiveness that is quite genuine and special.
The vocalist and artist on this night were Selah Chick, Chuck Madd-Ox, Eliza, Shaquan D.O.N., Jamma Wun, Drawinggold and the featured artist of the night was Baltimore's own Ab-Rock. E-The Poet-Emcee was the master of ceremony and provided his own very compelling and thought provoking spoken word. While each artist was captivating, bringing everything from original songs, spoken word/rap and other forms of creativity, I found that the band was the key piece to each artist interpretation. Some of the sounds that the artists bring to Organic Soul are jazz, hip-hop, rock, reggae, R&B, poetry, folk, and blues. This venue is definitely one of the best to showcase your talent. After performing, artists are welcome to sell their material. James Collins is also the owner of Blackout Studios recording label, which is home to some of the artist that developed their craft at Organic Soul including J.S.O.U.L. Other artist that graced the OS stage in the beginning of their careers have gone on to become national recording artist including Raheem DeVaughn, Carolyn Malachi, and Che'Ray. - examiner.com
Discography
Aquasoulstar 2006
Photos
Bio
With quiet grace and charm, SelahAmonRa, a Baltimore native, bestows her gift onto the world. At a very young age this songstress knew she was destined for musical greatness. “I always asked God, as a child, to find my calling in life,” says Selah recalling her warm childhood memories of singing in the choir at Concord Baptist Church. At the age of 16, she participated in a life altering experience by traveling abroad to live in Germany for one year. “Living overseas gave me a real freedom to challenge myself as an artist”, she says. While there, Selah committed to developing her own sound and returned to sing in various groups until she graduated from high school to attend Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio as a Jazz Vocal Performance major. Under the guidance of committed faculty and with the help of her peers she honed her craft until returning to Baltimore. Since then Selah has pounded the pavement to spread her message of love and healing with a dose of reality. With melodic blends of soulful, smooth vocals combined with sweet grooves and intoxicating lyrics that inspire you to move, SelahAmonRa is spellbinding. Her songs of love and loss, self-respect, and spiritual healing provoke cathartic change from within.
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