LATEST UPDATE: My relationship with Mike Aremu –Jessy J, American Queen of Jazz
According to Jessy, she was so impressed with her experience in Nigeria that she has decided to dedicate a song to the most populous black nation in the world. Hear her: “People in the West see Africa as one big Safari. They think that everywhere you go, there are giraffes and different kinds of animals and lots of villages like we see on TV. But I found out that there is more to Nigeria than meets the eye.
“After I got invitation to perform at Sax Appeal 4, I went online and saw beautiful pictures of Abuja and Lagos. I saw pictures of the mosque and the cathedral in Abuja. I also saw pictures of the Transcorp Hilton where we are having the concert today, so I knew that it was a very modern city with everything we have in America; Lagos and Abuja are international cities.
“I have started working on a song on Nigeria for my fifth album project and this new CD is going to feature different cities that I have travelled to for performance and Nigeria stands out because it is really different from anywhere I have been to in the world. The song I am writing will capture my experience here in Nigeria and express it to the world. I really like Nigeria because it is a beautiful place. The people are beautiful and the food is great and spicy. The music is a lot of fun and I have been meeting people and enjoying the city of Abuja.”
In the beginning
Born March 27, 1988, Jessie J is a singer and songwriter. She signed up with Gut Records and struck a song writing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing where she wrote for artistes like Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus.
Jessie became prominent following the release of her debut single, Do It Like A Dude, which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Charts. In 2011, she released her debut album, Who You Are, which also made it to number two in the UK. The release of the fifth single, Domino, resulted in international chart success, peaking at number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also became her second UK number one. By April 2012, Jessie J had sold over 11 million singles and 2.5 million albums, worldwide.
Watching this diva perform on stage could be quite an exciting experience. Jessie J went down memory lane recounting how it all started when she was just a tot. “I started with the piano as my first instrument and then switched to the saxophone in elementary school because I wanted to join the band. Originally, I wanted to play the flute but my music teacher asked me to play the sax because no one had signed up to play it.
“Besides, I really loved the sound of the instrument and the quality of the notes and I enjoyed learning to play the saxophone. It was then I realised that saxophone was a popular jazz instrument, so I started studying the music of other jazz musicians and before I knew it, I was making up my own songs; I listened to legends like Charley Parker.”
Jessy J discloses that right from her youth, her parents were down with her dreams to become a musician. She says that they gave her all the moral support to succeed. “They were excited because they knew that I loved music,” she recalls. “And they were like ‘if you really love it then you should do it.’ So, I had piano and sax lessons and later on when I was in high school, I would go for summer camp and study music. I practiced a lot because I discovered I had a passion for music at a very early age and my parents encouraged me very much.”
According to her, being a jazz musician is interesting because there were not a lot of women playing jazz in the industry, describing the experience as ‘a sort of trail blazing’.
Second Chances
Jessy J’s last album is dubbed ‘Second Chances’ but why such a title? She explains:
“I was going through a rough patch which culminated in a lot of second chances in my life at the time. I was moving to a new place, a new city and a new home. And then I was just exiting a relationship that was not working out and I was single, so I started a new relationship. I also had plans to do a tour that crashed.
“In fact, about two years ago, I went through a lot of changes in my life. When I decided to do that album, I called it ‘Second Chances’ because it was my second chance to make a difference, so I became positive and just had a different outlook on life. I realised that this is an opportunity to turn things around. I was telling my life story in that album and all that I was going through at that time. That album signaled a lot of second chances for me hence the title.”
Challenges
Was there anytime Jessy felt like quitting music for something else?
“I think sometimes you get discouraged because you ask yourself, ‘why do I have to become a musician because being a musician is a hard life’. However, at the end of the day, I am happy that I’m able to do this and I feel blessed.
“When I first started out and people asked me what I wanted to do, I told them I was going to be a jazz musician and they kept asking, ‘how are you going to do that?’ and I said ‘I don’t know, I am just going to figure it out.’ But I was able to find a path and create a journey, and here we are today. I am playing my own music, performing and travelling. I just feel very fortunate to be able to do all of these.”
Secret to success
Within a short while, Jessy J has risen to the top of her career. How did she pull it off? “I feel it is all about being dedicated and being faithful. For me, music is a passion; I love what I do and everyday I wake up, it is with the resolve to be a better musician. It is a lifetime journey for me, so I am just enjoying the process.”
On Sax Appeal 4
Having performed at Sax Appeal 4, Jessy J has a word for Mike Aremu, organiser of the show. Hear her: “Sax Appeal is a world project. What we saw tonight was people coming together from all over the world to perform and I think its great for Nigeria, because it brings a lot of positive publicity here. Kenny G alongside a good number of jazz greats have performed on this platform, and they all go back to tell people that Nigeria is awesome! And you know what, jazz is universal. People listen to jazz, love and appreciate it all over the world. I would love to do a collabo with Mike Aremu; I think he is a great artiste.”
Dreams
“My dream is to continue playing music, writing and performing and just having a great time.
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