#Nigerian music star | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

afrobeatsindacity · 8 months ago

Text

IWD: The Sparking Women Of Afrobeats

It's March again, which means International Women’s Month and another opportunity to celebrate women pushing the boundaries for productivity and creativity in all fields in every corner of the world. In Nigerian music, the last few years have seen a bold contingent of creative women advance the borders of what is possible for women in music, even in Nigeria’s patriarchal society. The music scene is still far from having an ideal balance of male and female stars, but considering the male-orientedness of the industry’s artists and background players, this group deserves even more praise for their ability to rise above all obstacles and occupy the section they do now. In doing so, they become a shining light to women in every field, an encouragement that women can rise to the top and pull down age-long barriers. Here are ten women, cut across generations and genres, who are lighting up the Afrobeats scene in 2024.

Tems

Tems rocketed to global fame with “Essence” and remained there via collaborations with Drake, Future and Rihanna, and brought her entire discography with her in this terrific journey, as a result of which even her most obscure releases from the past have been showered with millions of streams. But fans rightly want more, and as they await a debut album from the singer that will no doubt release this year, she’s kept them satisfied: “Me & U” and “Not An Angel” released last year, spinning her AfroRnB, Pop and Dancehall influences into spicy mixes, and allowing her balance gracefully on the ledge where she can appeal to both her Nigerian and western audiences. Tems is one of Nigeria's brightest revelations of the 2020s, and her album should confirm her status as a force in world music.

Tiwa Savage

The No. 1 African Bad Girl ruled African music through the 2010s, and was front and centre of the high-powered, dance-ready movement that we now know as Afropop. Now, she continues to advance Nigerian pop through its Amapiano era, entertaining a new generation with as much vim and vigour as she did with her Pop duo of “Kele Kele Love” and “Love Me, Love Me” over a decade years ago. Her royalty status in African music is beyond doubt, but she continues to prove it anyway, and with last year’s singles “Pick Up” and “Stamina” she kept pace with the rest of the industry, proving that the golden years of her career may actually be in front of her.

Asa

Asa is by now a household name in Nigerian music, being a practising artist for longer than some of her newest fans have been alive. The honeyed songstress made her breakout in 2007 with her self-titled debut album, the Cobhams-produced ethereal piece that introduced the key parts of her artistry: her melodious voice, guitar-strung melodies and her soulful writing. Seventeen years and 5 albums later, the Paris-born vocalist continues to captivate minds while adapting to changing times in Nigerian music, and her last album, V, highlighted her growth and reiterated her effusive songcraft, tapping into more modern Afropop while holding firm to her sonic identity. With the release of her latest, “Odo”, this year, Asa proves that she still has a lot to give the industry she helped build.

Yemi Alade

Yemi Alade, the self-styled Mama Africa, has lived up to that moniker in the ten years since “Johnny”, her explosive Afropop banger, announced her to the country and continent in 2014 as an instant star. Apart from her emotive music and its magnetic appeal to the dance floor, she has won hearts across the continent for her energetic performances and her very impressive polyglotism. She has come to represent a symbol of strength, excellence and femininity for African women, and with her latest release, the Mamapiano EP, having arrived in December, she shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Simi

Simi’s high-pitched, sonorous voice is instantly recognisable for any keen follower of Nigerian music. She made her debut in 2014 via a series of catchy, playful singles—“E No Go Funny”, “Open And Close”, and “Jamb Question” and its Falz-featuring remix, before diving into the romantic depths, a field her vocals were always made to excel at. Her eponymous debut album arrived in 2017, bringing the arc of her introduction to a fitting close, and since its release, it has been an unstoppable upward journey for the songstress. Her most recent offering, To Be Honest, consolidated on her growth even further, as she scripted tales of life, love and friendship into one coherent package, and its reception proves her place in the music scene remains secure.

Niniola

Nigeria’s queen of Afro-House gets a lot less credit than she deserves, but Nigeria’s Amapiano-directed era, borrowing heavily from South Africa, was foreshadowed by her genre-bending “Maradona” way back in 2017. Two albums, 2017’s This Is Me and 2020’s Colors And Sounds established her position, as she tried her hands on a number of sonic experiments between Afropop, South African House and Dancehall, and brilliantly pulled off most of them. Years later, she remains at the forefront of innovation and genre-morphing in Nigerian music. Amapiano’s saturation in Nigerian music means it is no longer an effective means of standing out, but Niniola’s capacity to execute it with exceptionally high levels of quality means she will never have to be worried about her legacy.

Teni

Teni, the other half of the Apata singing sisters, is cut from a different sonic cloth. She delights in the tonic flavour of conventional Afropop and its ability to soundtrack the most heartfelt songs. She released a number of tracks between 2016 and 2018 to moderate impact, but it was her breakout single, “Case”, blending tender emotion into fast-spinning beats, that gave Teni her grand introduction as a purveyor of the romantic. Other singles, like the reflective “Uyo Meyo” and “Askamaya” displayed yet another side to her. Her recent album, Tears Of The Sun, was a comeback of sorts after a period of downtime, and with it she immediately thrust herself back into the limelight.

Fave

2021’s “Baby Riddim” was a game-changer for Fave. It was the means with which she made her mainstream journey, and even now it is easy to see why the audience found it so irresistible. 3 months later, she capitalised on the newfound fame to release Riddim 5, her debut EP, weaving heart-strung writing into an AfroRnB sonic template to excellent results.

Her releases in the period since then have been somewhat sparse—only two songs of her own in two years—but she has made up for it with a number of well-delivered features. Her latest, “Belong To You” is a marker of her undying talent and promise.

Qing Madi

It may have gone under the radar, but Qing Madi had an exceptional 2023. She began the year as an underground artist, secured (and brilliantly delivered on) a dream collaboration with BNXN, built on that momentum to release a brilliant debut EP, and is now watching as “American Love”, a track off it, is pushing to become her biggest song yet. The 18 year old singer is making an organic growth fueled by addictive hooks and clever writing, and now looks to be one of the industry’s brightest stars of the future, poised to follow in the examples of the other women on this list.

Bloody Civilian

Bloody Civilian is on her way up. The 26-year-old made giant strides in 2023, logging in her debut EP Anger Management in June and returning in November with Anger Management: At Least We Tried, a special remix version that featured stars like Joeboy, ODUMODUBLVCK and Fave. Her music is a special blend of Nigerian and foreign sounds, allowing her to draw from a wide pool of sonic influences and still create cohesive projects. She is still firmly in the ones to watch category, but her trajectory places her to rank beside Nigeria’s elite in the not-too-distant future.

This article was written by Afrobeats City Contributor Ezema Patrick - @ezemapatrick ( X )

Afrobeats City doesn’t own the right to the images

#Afrobeats #Afrobeats City #Afrobeats Women #Africa #IWD #IWD2024

12 notes · View notes

insomniac-jay · 1 month ago

Text

Angel Members Lore Dump

Maya was born in Georgetown, Guyana. While she wasn't necessarily rich, she was well off and grew up comfortably. Marlon and Tamera Harrison, her parents, were both educators; a piano teacher and university professor respectively.

Maya Harrison

She loved music from a young age. Maya began teaching herself how to play various instruments, starting with the piano, and to sing. Then she began writing and composing her own music. The next instruments she taught herself to play were the guitar, violin, and flute. She joined her school's orchestra while continuing to be a pianist. By the time she reached high school, she was considered a prodigy.

Inspired by Donna Knightley to pursue music as a career, Maya started as a backup vocalist for various singers. She also did competitive piano and posted videos of herself singing covers of her favorite songs on the Internet.

Stellaluna Ricci

Stellaluna was born in Florence, Italy to wealthy parents Kwame and Eniola Ricci, a former footballer (soccer player) turned entrepreneur and music producer. Her father is of mixed Italian and Ghanaian descent while her mother is Nigerian. Her and her sister Sole were raised to be debutants.

As such, Stellaluna grew up to have a number of skills including ballet, equestrianism, and most importantly: singing. The last one was her most favorite. Her original dream was to be an opera singer. She started singing with her church's choir before moving on to local singing competitions. Stellaluna also sang for commercials and advertisements.

She began writing her own songs, hoping to perform them one day.

Audrey Laurens-MacDonald

Audrey was born in Queen's. Gillian worked as a plumber and her mom Ke'Ana worked at a deli.

Before she became a singer, Audrey wanted to be a rapper. She started rapping at 12 and performed at school talent shows, amateur nights at local music venues, and other places. She based her style off of characteristics of drill and battle rap as well as elements of hip hop.

In high school, her and few friends formed a music group called FFF (Fierce, Fabulous, Famous) under the name OG Audrey. However, she needed to learn how to sing since it was going to be a pop group. She got singing lessons from her school's music teacher. Audrey left FFF shortly before becoming a member of Angel.

Kamala was born in Bombay, India as the middle child of four girls. Her father Darshan was a chef and her mother Ishani was currently working as an accountant.

Kamala Singh

She kept her love of music hidden because she thought her parents wouldn't approve. She was mostly fascinated by electronic and synth. Part of her free time was spent watching videos on how to play the keyboard. Kamala used some money she got from relatives to secretly buy a keyboard (which is the one she still uses to this day) to practice.

Kamala's musical talents were eventually discovered when she played at one of her cousin's weddings. Everyone was shocked but enjoyed her performance. She confessed to her parents that she wanted to be a musician and that she hid this from them because she thought they wouldn't approve. Her mom said it was fine as long as she got to be in charge of her finances.

Shauna Black Crow

Shauna was born in McAllen, Texas to singers John Black Crow and Maria Sofia Black Crow.

She was a member of the Black Crow Family Band, consisting of her, her siblings, parents, and a few aunts and uncles on her father's side. Essentially she was a child star before she was a child star. Shauna played the guitar with her older sister Dove and brother Eddie. She stayed with the band for a long time until she joined Angel. In high school, she joined her school's mariachi band to expand her musical range.

Being a big star based on her own merits and talents was always her dream. She grew frustrated with her and her siblings being known as just John or Maria Sofia Black Crow's children and vowed to become a big star.

Tsubaki Chisaka

Tsubaki was born in Kumamoto, Japan. Their parents, Hachiro and Toyoko, were members of the Catholic church. Hachiro worked in finance (red flag) while Toyoko was a stay at home mother.

Unlike the others, Tsubaki didn't consider music as their career choice. In fact, it started out as just a hobby to them. They sang in the choir for a bit before Toyoko pulled them out. They didn't really like the music they had to listen to, especially in the years leading up to their parents' divorce and their own pessimistic feelings towards the church. But because worldly music was banned in their home and they weren't allowed to have their phone outside of school or errands (another red flag), they didn't have any access to other types of music.

Tsubaki discovered grunge music through an American cousin (who was also in a band stay with me here I'm slowly building the celebrity world) who also taught them how to play the bass guitar. They were taken to their first garage concert after Toyoko and Hachiro sent them to stay with an aunt for the summer. Another thing they were exposed to was queer culture.

#angel

4 notes · View notes

opinion247 · 1 year ago

Text

FELA, THE UNBEARABLE REIGNING PROPHET– BY EGUNGWU C. BENJAMIN

Due to this year's Felabration music festival themed 'Question Jam Answer,' which started on 9th and will be ending on Sunday, 15th October, 2023. I decided to pen down this commemorative piece for the musical icon.

In this piece we will discuss about how the musical festival started and the brain behind it, we will also have brief background of the music icon and information about his career and achievements.

In 1998 Felabration was conceptualized by the late Afrobeat music legend's daughter, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti just to remember his father's legacy. How he used music as a tool to speak about bad governance , exposing the hidden skeletons in the cupboard of corrupt politicians and religious institution leaders.

The music festival is hosted once every year for seven days and people comes from different states in the country, some from different countries to celebrate the Music icon at Afrika Shrine, Ikeja, Lagos State.

Brief Background of the Music Icon

Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti Popularly called 'Fela Anikulapo-Kuti' was born on 15th October, 1938, in Abeokuta, Ogun state, into an upper middle class family.

The Late, Chief. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was the mother of Fela. She a very popular feminist activist during the anti-colonial movement and first woman to drive a car in Nigeria back in 1951, while his father, Reverend, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, was a school principal and first president of the Nigeria Union of Teacher.

Later Fela Kuti removed 'Ransome' from his name and changed it to 'Anikulapo' meaning "He who carries death in his pouch or hands".

This will bring us to one of his hit track, that I love so much titled 'Colo-mentality'. In the song he talked about how the British sold their culture and language to us. we took everything and abandoned ours which makes us original.

In the song he said;

" If you say you be colonial man. You don be slave man before. Them don release you now. But you never release yourself. in another stanza he said;

"Dem go proud of dem name. And put dem slave name for head. No be so?… "

This can be linked to his decision to change his English name ' Ransome' to a Yoruba name 'Anikulapo'.

Fela Kuti is a cousin to the Popular writer and laureate Wole Soyinka (a Nobel Prize for Literature winner).

Brief Music Journey

Base on my research , I found out that the Music Icon was actually sent to London to study medicine just like his brothers; are all medical doctors.

He got to UK enrolled at Trinity College London where he studied classical music and became exposed to different musical sounds by playing piano in jazz and rock bands.

However, in I960s he returned to Nigeria and formed a band ' Koola Lobitos' just as he played when he was in London and Afrobeat sound started from that group through experiment and practices.

That is why he is refered to as the King of Afrobeat which is Jazz, Funk, Ghanaian/Nigerian High-life and psychedelic rock infusion.

Most of the top Afrobeat stars in the world like; Burna-Boy who claimed that his style of music is Afro-fusion. This is inspired by Fela Kuti and he affirmed to it.

During his life time while doing Music in Nigeria, he used it as an instrument to talk c on themes like; freedom, injustice, corruption and any other social vices within the country.

Due to his doggedness and ability to withstand pressure from the Military government in power, they were looking for reasons to find him guilty and jail him.

He declared himself the head of his communal compound, which he named the independent 'Kalakuta Republic'. The place got many attention due to use of drugs, indulgence in sex, polygamy support ( he married 27 women ).

It was said that 1000 soildiers raided his house,' Kalakuta Republic' in Lagos. Thy destroyed his properties and beat up everyone in there.

During the raid Fela, 's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was thrown out from the window. She sustained serious injuries and died at the General Hospital in Lagos on April 13, 1978 and most National Dailies reported the incident with the headline; “Fela’s Mum is Dead" or " Fela's House Burnt ".

This didn't make him stop his musical career or compromise his stand. He dropped more hit tracks like; “Zombie,” “Beasts of No Nation,” “Upside Down" and “Monkey Banana,”.

In his hit track " Zombie" he said; "Zombie no go walk unless you tell am to walk", Which Ironically, he was referring to the military or soldiers who doesn't do things they wish to do but they act base on order or instructions from top ranking officers.

This still remind me my days in Enugu, while still a kid, any time my mother is singing this song, just know you are suppose to do something and you haven't done it. (Smiles African parents still the best).

I referred to him as a prophet in this piece because his music his ever green. Everything he said when he was alive is still happening and even getting worse.

His music stirs ones mind to reflect on life unlike the the artist today that centers their music on sex and flamboyancy. Fela also sang about sex and having good time.

I am not against this kind of music everyone has there style of music and decision to choose what to sing about but once in a while they should use music as a tool to stir-up consciousness.

I dance and sing to the new style of songs, the artists are putting Africa in global map, Everyone is trying to identify themselves as an African but they should also remember that music is an art and should be used to convey message to educate and inform. It shouldn't be for entertainment purpose only.

I do appreciate Singers like; Falz, Tekno, Idris Abdul Kareem, Daddy Showkey, Late Sound Sultan, et-al .

#black art #books #government #literature #music #fela kuti #nigeria news #afrobeats #entertainment #authors

10 notes · View notes

lboogie1906 · 1 month ago

Text

Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; (October 15, 1938 – August 2, 1997) known as Abami Eda was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat, an African music genre that combines traditional Yoruba percussion and vocal styles with American funk and jazz. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa’s most “challenging and charismatic music performers”. AllMusic described him as a “musical and sociopolitical voice” of international significance.

He and his band Africa 70 shot to stardom in Nigeria during the 1970s, during which he was an outspoken critic and target of Nigeria’s military juntas. In 1970, he founded the Kalakuta Republic commune, which declared itself independent from military rule. The commune was destroyed in a 1978 raid.

He attended Abeokuta Grammar School. He was sent to London to study medicine but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music, with the trumpet being his preferred instrument. He formed the band Koola Lobitos and played a fusion of jazz and highlife. He moved back to the newly independent Federation of Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos, and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All-Stars.

He traveled to Ghana looking for a new musical direction. He called his style Afrobeat, a combination of highlife, funk, jazz, salsa, calypso, and traditional Yoruba music. He took the band to the US and spent ten months in Los Angeles. He discovered the Black Power movement. This experience heavily influenced his music and political views. He renamed the band Nigeria 70. The Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that he and his band were in the US without work permits. The band performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would be released as The ‘69 Los Angeles Sessions.

In 2008, an off-Broadway production about Kuti’s life, entitled Fela! inspired by the 1982 biography Fela, Fela! This Bitch of a Life. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

2 notes · View notes

newwavenewsandentertainment · 1 month ago

Text

Davido Takes Center Stage at Lagos Fashion Week: A Fusion of Music and Fashion

Nigerian music sensation David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, has once again captured the spotlight, this time not for his chart-topping hits but for his stunning runway debut at the 2024

#African fashion #celebrity fashion trends #Davido #Lagos Fashion Week 2024 #Nigerian music star #runway debut #Ugo Monye

0 notes

thelensofyashunews · 2 months ago

Text

NIGERIAN PRINCE OF AFROPOP OXLADE RELEASES TRAILBLAZING DEBUT ALBUM “OXLADE FROM AFRICA”

Today,Nigerian superstar Oxlade continues his hot streak by officially releasing his anticipated debut album, Oxlade From Africa, via Epic/Sony Music France. Listen to the album here.

Blending his past, present, and future into an all-encompassing vision, Oxlade From Africa is a bold and expansive 16-track musical and cultural journey that transcends borders, celebrating African heritage from Lagos to the world. With its title reflecting a broad, inclusive vision, the album highlights Africa’s cultures, elegance, and beauty, marking the next step in the Lagos-based artist's rise, showcasing his journey from breakout success to mainstream recognition.

Aiming to continue making Africans proud of their heritage, Oxlade uses his music, visuals and fashion to deliver a powerful message of unity, and is continuing the momentum from his massive global hit ‘Ku Lo Sa’, which has 574 million streams and was certified GOLD by the RIAA this week, and Double Platinum in Canada. The project is also home to recent singles ’Intoxycated’ ft. Dave, both halves of the double ‘KATIGORI/PIANO’ release, ‘Arabambi’ and most recent offering ‘IFA’ featuring Congolese superstar Fally Ipupa.

LP opener ‘Interlude’ features Ugandan political activist and musician Bobi Wine who introduces the album with a powerful co-sign and thought-provoking message, setting a powerful tone with an uplifting message of resilience and African spirit. ‘OLAITAN (Olaoluwa)’ which translates to “the wealth, the favor and the grace of God shall never leave you” in Yoruba, see’s Oxlade reflects on his life journey, embracing a mindset of faith and destiny over a warm and feelgood production. ‘Blessed’ features Jamaican Dancehall legend Popcaan and becomes an instant highlight as they share stories of overcoming struggles, highlighting that despite their youth, valuing your self-worth and positivity is key.

2023 summer smash ‘Intoxycated’ continues to ooze star quality alongside London rap king Dave as they showcase their storytelling finesse, delving into a story of love and the intoxicating traits that come with it. Oxlade’s global breakout hit ‘KU LO SA’ follows. Originally a spontaneous decision before his COLORS performance, the songs heartfelt lyrics symbolizes trust in intuition and the power of seizing opportunities, putting his vocal talents front and centre. ‘IFA’ is a sultry love song infused with Coupé-Décalé and Afrobeats rhythms, as Oxlade reassures his love interest that she is his priority, painting vivid images of devotion with cheeky metaphors, whilst Fally Ipupa’s melodic touch further amplifies the song's seductive energy.

‘Ovami’ features High-life legend Flavour and delivers a harmonious blend of love and unity as Oxlade taps into the rich heritage of High-life music, a sound central to Nigerian culture, making the track a celebration of love in all its forms.Spring single ‘Arabambi’ is the nickname of K1 De Ultimate, an iconic Nigerian Fuji musician and means “the child of the people”, “the community gave birth to this child”, “the one”. The track’s melody, inspired by Miguel’s vocal style, mixes African tradition with modern R&B, creating an irresistible fusion of rhythm, love and pride. ‘Tamuno (Interlude)’ is a spiritual pause in the album, offering a moment of reflection. Named after a deity in Nigerian culture, it serves as a homage to Oxlade’s faith and spiritual journey, laying the groundwork for the more sensual and energetic songs to follow, and ‘ASUNASA (Hold Your Waist)’ featuring Wande Coal offers exactly that. With influences from Wande Coal’s classic ‘So Mi So’, this stylistic offering sees both artists trade risque, Afrocentric verses, merging spiritual undertones with sensual energy to become an instant album highlight.

youtube

The P-Prime produced ‘Piano’ is a heartfelt love song that blends the soft hits of a log-drum, piano and drums with Oxlade's signature falsetto and ad-libs that characterises Oxlade’s effortless ability to create romantic anthems. The Sarkodie featuring ‘Ololufe’ is a tribute to the iconic "Ololufe" by Wande Coal, adding a modern twist with influences from Reggae, Dancehall, and Afrobeats. Sarkodie’s hard-hitting verse complements Oxlade’s smooth vocals, creating a dynamic love song that pays homage to African R&B while setting new standards. ‘RMF’ (Rich Motherf*cker) is a declaration of confidence and self-worth, drawing inspiration from Fela Kuti’s vintage Afrobeat sound as the 27-year-old unapologetically boasts about success, luxury, and the journey that got him here.

‘On My Mind’ (OMM) features TOMi Owo & OJAHBEE dives deep into the emotional rollercoaster of love, becoming an ode to first love as it explores the excitement and nervousness that comes with falling for someone. ‘Katigori’ is Oxlade’s manifesto, written during a time when he had fame but was still striving for success. Closing the album, ‘OFA’ embodies

Oxlade in his ultimate form. Again drawing from Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and blending it with his Afro-Pop style, this track is the culmination of his journey—his evolution into a fully-realised artist. It's a powerful anthem of self-awareness, confidence, and embracing one’s destiny.

2 notes · View notes

moochilatv · 3 months ago

Text

Chazz Oliver and Janay Saxon presents: Do It Up

Super rapid flow 💵 ⌚

Chazz Oliver brings the fire with Do It Up feat. Myumi, Janay Saxon, and JU$T AM.

If you like Saweetie, Kahlani, Chloe Bailey, Wiz Kalifa, and Kendrick lamar, you will love Do It Up.

Hip Hop/Rap/R&B ready to give you that club vibe but also rock it in your car!!!!

Produced by Chazz Oliver, this track feat future fire artist.

Listen Do It Up 💵 ⌚ in Spotify:

BIO:

Washington DC native Garrett Chazz Oliver, a producer better known as Chazz Oliver or just Chazz O, began his musical foray at age six when his father purchased his first drum set. He later taught himself to play the piano, bass guitar, lead guitar and Sax. In his teens, Chazz was already composing music, experimenting with multi-track machines and other types of recording equipment. Before he graduated from high school in 1984, he found himself briefly working with R&B producer Kashif (Whitney Houston, Melba Moore, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Stacy Lattisaw and Johnny Kemp,).

As fortuitous as that opportunity was, in 1995 he came into contact with another Super Producer, Nile Rodgers (Chic, Sister Sledge, David Bowie, Madonna and B-52’s). Although it took a couple more encounters over the next year, Nile finally invited Chazz Oliver to Westport, CT, to work more closely with him on the 1996 Nile Rodgers album,”Chic Freak and More Treats.” From then onward, Chazz became an integral part of Nile's work as shown by his co-producing credits for several artists across the board, including All4One, Paula Abdul, Q-Tip, and Samantha Cole, just to name a few.

Despite being Nile Rodgers’ sideman, his efforts did not go unnoticed. As a result of his exceptional success as a producer and his great ear for talent, Chazz moved from behind the keyboard to behind the desk. That would be the executive desk. In 1999 Chazz was appointed VP of Music Programming for AEI Music networks, in Seattle, WA. While at AEI, Chazz was able to help break new songs like Morcheeba's "Part Of The Process" and Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away," which both debuted in the Gap; Sarah Brightman's "Eden," which played in Banana Republic; the Cardigans' "Erase/ Rewind," also in Banana Republic; and Sixpence None The Richer's "Kiss Me," which played in Limited Too and Bath & Body Works.

After spending many years as a Music Executive, Chazz Oliver decided to combine the executive and creative side of things. In 2007, he established his own Music Production Company, ISMRecordings, based out of Norwalk CT, and began unveiling his own stable of artists (Mr. LA Wryte, Mateya and Taj Dyami). As a way to give back to his music community, Chazz as lent his talents to produce music for regional artists such as Omar Wilson, Rain E. Day and Zen. Chazz Oliver has been featured in Magazine such as Billboard Magazine, BRE Magazine, Starpoynt Magazine and Latin Star Magazine, just to name a few.

Super Producer, Hit Maker, these are some of the things that come to mind when you hear production from Chazz Oliver. From movie scores to radio ready hits, Chazz is ready for any and every musical endeavor. In 2022 Chazz decided to drop some new music for the clubs. The track titled “Love” features signer Taj Dyami and is already streaming like crazy. To keep the momentum going, Chazz also dropped the track tilted “Set Me Free” in December of 2022.

Few producers are capable of having a balance between artist and craft. Chazz is one of those producers. He always infuses a remarkable sense of individuality and creativity into his productions. Most recently Chazz just finished a project with the talented Amanda Marie, from the UK, for the song “Feelin’ Fine”. He is also about to drop the single “Forever” with R&B singer Taj Dyami.

Chazz has stayed in high demand and worked on projects with artists like Rappers Ju$t AM, Zen, Lou Big’z, pop artist Jackie Legere, Nigerian artist Lamboginny and R&B singer Lamone, When you hear a Chazz Oliver production generally there is no mistaking it for anyone else's work. Chazz Oliver and ISMRecordings are poised to bring you............. “The Sound Of Things To Come”!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Garrett Chazz Oliver (@garrettchazzoliver)

instagram

2 notes · View notes

ace-and-sleepdeprived · 1 year ago

Text

STAR WEAVER - MYRIAM-JADE "MJ" WOLFF - EARTH-171578

[mir-E-ahm jay-d wol-f] 25 - 5'8 - She/Her - Paris, France, 1945 - Biromantic Demisexual - Earth-171578

In a world that is a Van Gogh painting brought to life, Paris in a late 1940s era where WWI and WWII never occurred is a place flourishing with arts of all kinds. Music, art, theatre, you name it, it's main focal point is in the City of Love itself. Myriam-Jade Wolff - better known as just Myriam - is a violinist and singer who spends most of her days writing music and performing in bars and clubs, while also practicing and performing with the prestigious Orchestra de Paris. But when she isn’t in either of those places, she’s Paris’ nighttime vigilante - Star Weaver.

Myriam-Jade Wolff

Independent, hard-working and ambitious, Myriam was taught from a young age that she could do whatever she set her mind to with hard work and genuine passion. As a young girl, she grew an infatuation with music and performance after her mother brought her and her twin brother Leo to their first orchestra concert. Growing up, Myriam never knew her father after he passed shortly before her birth, but she found a father figure in her Uncle Bernard, who was a talented musician and encouraged her dreams of becoming a performer one day. He got her a violin for her 10th birthday and enrolled her in lessons. While her end goal was to achieve the dream of becoming a musician, she got by through working at her mother’s café alongside her brother to keep the family business going.

Unbeknownst to her, Myriam’s life was about to take a drastic turn. One day when she was 15, she was working in the back of the café, gathering supplies from storage. While she was moving the boxes of ingredients, she accidentally swatted down an enchanted Blue Jumping Spider’s web. It fell onto her hand and promptly bit her in retaliation before scuttling away. More annoyed than anything, Myriam took care of the bite and went on with her shift. But the next morning, she’d awake to find the bite had more permanent effects. She could stick to walls, shoot webs from her wrists, and had a sixth sense. But she could also manipulate light from different sources and make herself go invisible. She kept her powers a secret, not daring to tell anyone. But unfortunately, fate would force her hand.

One night, Myriam and Bernard were returning home from the store when they were suddenly attacked by a group of criminals working for the infamous Kingpin, a crime bods who’d been funding the growing hate groups in the underbelly of Paris. Myriam used her powers to web up and trap their assailants, but not before one of them shot her uncle in the chest. Bleeding out onto the street, Bernard told his niece to use the gift she’d received for good, and to use it wisely. After his death, Myriam would take up the mantel of Star Weaver, the defender of the Paris streets from terrible people like Kingpin and his lackeys.

Unfortunately, tragedy would strike once more when she was 18. Her brother, Leo, would die as a result of being caught in the crossfire of a Kingpin raid. His death only fueled Myriam’s desire to protect others as much as she could, and to never turn her back on her family.

For the next seven years, Myriam’s life would start looking up. She’d graduate from the Paris College of Music and become a musician, eventually trying out and being chosen to join the famed Orchestra de Paris. She would achieve her dream of becoming a famed singer and musician, wowing crowds with her beautiful voice and talent on the violin. All the while, she’d still serve the city of Paris as Star Weaver.

But her life would take another turn when one faithful night she’d encounter a strange yet handsome man in a dark blue jumpsuit who claimed to be from another universe.

Face Claim:

Greta Onieogou- Canadian-Nigerian Actress

Spidersuit

Being the Star Weaver, Myriam’s spidersuit looks a lot like the night sky of her universe - so it has a lot of the same elements as the famed Starry Night painting!

The base of the jumpsuit is a deep blue and made of a soft yet durable silk material with light gold web lining all over it. On the suit, there are little clusters or splatters of light yellow and white paint to create the illusion of stars scattered all over her suit - and she wears a light blue waist cape with a silk material that looks starry as well! Her mask has two cat-shaped white eyes surrounded by gold and the illusion of starry freckles on it - reminiscent of her own freckles. She wears two silver north star shaped earrings that are sewn into the mask, and she has a circle star on her forehead. Myriam’s spider symbol is on the back of her suit, and it has two glowing stars forming the abdomen and torso of the spider with waving, light like limbs radiating off of the body. Her spidersuit is made of materials reminiscent of the 1940s glamor dresses, so it’s both fashionable and comfortable for fighting crime.

Abilities

Myriam has all the standard spider powers like webs, stickiness, spider sense, etc, but due to the more magical nature of the spider that bit her, she has a few extra powers. She’s classified as a Weaver spider through her elaborate flips and tricks she does. Like Pavitr, she uses her webs to trap opponents and grab onto debris or citizens to pull them out of harms way quickly. She doesn’t rely on her webs as much for travel, but when the time calls for it, she can web around Paris with ease. One that is purely ornamental is the fact that her eyes change from a dark brown to a soft blue when she’s Star Weaver, even if it’s hard to notice with her mask unless she takes it off or it’s damaged. Myriam’s not entirely sure why her eyes change color, but it doesn’t really bother her. Light Manipulation: Myriam can take light from any kind of source - natural or artificial- and weave it into her webs to make them stronger and brighter. These webs are almost impossible to escape from once light has been incorporated into them, and it’s how she got her namesake, since she can seemingly weave the stars into webs. Quick Jumping & Reflexes: Seeing as she was bit by a Jumping Spider, Myriam can move pretty damn fast. She can easily leap from one building to another in a split second and move too quickly for the human eye to process. One minute she could be on a building, you blink and then BOOM she’s on another one. This skill allows her to travel through the rooftops with ease and speed, allowing her to use her to mainly use her webs to capture opponents. Invisibility: Thanks to her light manipulation abilities, Myriam can make herself go invisible for periods of time to sneak around undetected. This invisibility state can stay for up to four hours, but the only downside is that she cannot use her webs, as doing so would break the cloak and reveal her. She mainly uses this power to sneak up on opponents and capture them quickly.

Style

Being from the 1940s, Myriam LOVES a good skirt and blazer, as well as flared trousers, necklaces, blouses, and a fun hat every once and a while, although she prefers a bandanna.

When it comes to her hair, Myriam prefers to leave it down when she’s at the HQ, although back home she usually keeps it in a bun or ponytail. When she’s performing, she’ll wear simple yet elegant dresses that don’t hinder her movement but allow her to be fancy while performing either by herself or with the orchestra.

Myriam & The Spider Society

Recruitment

As previously mentioned at the end of the beginning part of this post, Miguel was the first spiderperson Myriam ever encountered. Obviously she was very confused at this 6’9 Spanish-speaking man with a hologram shit from the future, and while he spoke English and she could understand him, she was still very skeptical of him - no matter how good looking he might be underneath his mask. The only way Miguel really gained her trust was when he helped her take out an anomaly that had managed to sneak into Earth-171578 while he was trying to convince Myriam to join the Society. She accepted his offer and joined the Spider Society, accompanied by Miguel’s guidance.

Integration

Myriam’s first few weeks on campus were extremely jarring and overwhelming, and not just because of the fancy tech that she’d never seen before. Earth-928 wasn’t a stylized world, and it didn’t have the familiarness of her home world, and it was very confusing for her to learn that not all universes are “stylized” like hers. She was like “What do you mean that my world is ‘stylized?’ Is it not normal for others to look like mine?” Beyond that, she also had to deal with the fact that her world’s timeline is very different from others. Myriam will try to say she’s from 1945 and other spiders will immediately assume her world is at war. Neither WWI or WWII happened in Myriam’s earth, and while she’s well aware of hate groups in her own, she’s extremely shaken by learning what horrors occurred in both. Plus, life in her world is peaceful and prosperous, so she has a bit of a difficult time relating to vintage spiders like Noir and Spiderman-65, although she’s acquaintances with both. The spiders she found the most comfort with were the musical ones, especially those who indulge in more classical styles. It brings her comfort that music is a multiversal thing, and she’ll always be able to find it regardless of where she goes. Regardless, life in the Spider Society is extremely different than life at home, so Myriam is still trying to get used to it all. She chooses to work more administrative roles on campus rather than go on frequent missions - although she’s a valuable asset when called on for one. Although she still has to deal a lot with people mischaracterizing her universe just because of it’s era and timeline.

”Ooh! I love the vintage fit! Where’d you get it?” “..Vintage? This is just a normal outfit, is it not?” “Well, it’s WAY older than anything I’ve ever seen.. wait, are you actually from the 1900s?” “Yes..? It’s 1945 in my world.” “1945? Oh shit, that means you’re in WWII right now? Do you punch Nazis for a living? Do you have to deal with air raids? You sound French so-"

*cue Myriam just wanting to vanish right then and there*

[“why can’t people understand that some universe timelines are different??? not EVERY world has experienced the SAME THINGS-“] -myriam, likely ranting to lyla later.

Role Within the Society

Myriam, although she might not be a scientist or engineer by any means, contributes a lot to the Society both through missions and the duties she does on campus. She's classified as a Weaver Spider under the specifications for each recruit, and she's skilled in creating thick, strong webs to catch anomalies and civilians if there are large crowds present or multiple anomalies in one universe. Seeing as she was recruited and mentored by Miguel, Myriam is a graduate of the Spider Society Education Program - a series of classes for members to take to better contribute to the society. She graduated with specifications in Multiversal Stylization and Alternate Timelines - so she studies and tracks the statuses of heavily stylized worlds and worlds with changes to their timelines, like her own. She's also sent in to recruit spiders from these universes. The work she does is helpful in the recruitment and integration of spiders from stylized worlds and those who have drastic differences in the timeline, mostly because she doesn't want recruits to be as jarred as she was, and for the welcoming into the Society to be a stress-free as possible. Myriam also serves as a '2nd assistant' of sorts for Miguel, although it isn't official by any means. It usually involves her doing physical things Lyla can't - like getting him food, physical files, or just reminding him to take a break every once in a while. Someone has to keep his workaholic ass in check, and Myriam's apparently the only one Miguel tolerates to do that.

Myriam & Miguel

Yes, I ship them. [i can have two ocs and ship them with the same character, they're just in separate timelines okay? okay.]

Since Myriam is from the 1940s and Miguel is still cautious of building close relationships with others due to his past losses, they like taking it slow. Like very slow. It's very agonizing for a lot of people in the Society because it's SO OBVIOUS they're in love with each other but they're both stubborn and shy. They do eventually start dating, but they don't refer to each other as boyfriend or girlfriend, because they simply don't. Dinner dates are a very common occurrence between them and often take place in Myriam's world. Cue Miguel trying to improve his French and Myriam having to translate for him. These dates are often accompanied by Miguel bring a gift of some kind for her, like flowers or chocolates and dropping her off back at her little townhouse. [He HAS to be gentlemanly otherwise Myriam's mom and aunt maria WILL get onto him, they drilled that into his head when they first met him.] Since they're both demi, their relationship is almost entirely romantic and emotional. Myriam's only real attraction to sex is to start a family one day, and Miguel feels that kind of attraction the same way. Even though eventually having kids together is still way down the line, Myriam's desire to be a mom one day has been amplified by having Mayday around on campus. She's just so freakin' cute. At the end of the day, the two of them care deeply for each other and love spending time together in any way they can, and are practically inseperable. [one of their love languages is definitely quality time] The two of them love writing music together, (Myriam's let Miguel embrace his musical side more) exploring both Nueva York and Paris, taking care of Myriam's cats, and planning things for the Society. While they may be taking it slow, they're simply feeling each other out and getting to know the other on the deepest level they can, so that hopefully one day they can build a family and a life together.

[atsv puts a bit of a hole in the road, but they figure it out and that's a post for another day LMAO]

Random Headcanons

As previously mentioned, Myriam has three cats! Their names are Tenor, Alto, and Soprano. (yes, she named them after voice parts, she can be cheesy if she wants to.)

Tenor is a 6-year-old tuxedo tom, Alto is a 4-year-old calico she-cat, and Soprano is a 1-year-old tabby she-cat. They're all former strays that Myriam found and adopted.

Tenor is a tired chill boy, Alto is sassy but loveable, and Soprano is a rambunctious and playful kitten that could spend HOURS batting at Lyla as she glitches around without getting tired.

All three of them were strays that Myriam took in at various points in her life, and they're her babies who she adores very much.

Myriam's violin playing is a lot like Linsey Sterling, considered revolutionary and modern for her era. Her ability to command the instrument with such grace yet strength has allowed her to quickly gain recognition and fame throughout Europe - she's basically a celebrity, although she's able to keep her show life and private life VERY separate. The reality of modern day stars scares her.

Her singing style is a mix of both Jazz and Classical, much of it's influence coming from singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.

A lot of spiders like to joke that she's the French female version of him because her songs and style are a lot like his.

Besides playing the violin, Myriam can also play the piano.

She's played the piano for longer, taught by her Uncle Bernard while she was growing up.

Because of this, much of her music is a combination of both piano and string instruments.

Even though she technically is part of the Orchestra De Paris, she is planning about potentially quitting in the future and focusing fully on her solo career.

Buuut she's still trying to find her footing and she's made a lot of friends in the orchestra, so she's not quite ready to leave yet.

Myriam can speak French, English and German fluently! She studied both German and French all throughout school and it has been VERY helpful in her integration process into the Society.

She's rusty on her Spanish though, and it sounds a little funny when she speaks it so she sticks with speaking English outside of her universe.

On the flipside, it is both entertaining and mildly infuriating trying to help Miguel perfect his French.

there have been many instances of second-hand embarrassment and quick corrections when he accidentally butchers a word in public

Miguel gets a decent amount of attention in Myriam's world, seeing as he doesn't have the same painted style as everyone else.

And because he's MASSIVE and obviously not French.

Although something that has become more noticeable about him is that at certain points he appears more in the painted style like Myriam due to visiting her world so often.

He won't go full painted like her, but he does start to take more elements of it like more streaked colors and movements that almost look stop-motion-y.

Besides Miguel, Myriam is close with both Jess and Gwen.

In fact, Myriam's pretty much unofficially adopted Gwen as her daughter, and has become both a mother-figure and mentor figure for the young spiderwoman.

She would very much like to curse out Gwen's dad in French AND English.

Myriam and Jess have been close ever since Myri first joined the Society. Besides Miguel and Lyla, Jess was the main person Myriam really talked and interacted with while at the society. Jess LOVES to tease Myriam about her puppy crush on Miguel, and it's very much a sister-like dynamic between the two of them.

She doesn't like Peter B. very much. She likes Mayday but she just doesn't really like him.

It's more of an 'I acknowledge your existence and NOT because i like you because i tolerate you'

She’s pretty chill with Hobie, even if she can’t fully understand him sometimes due to his thick accent. (and because she's terrified when she learns that he swings his guitar around like a bat)

which is kinda ironic because a lot of people in the society have a hard time understanding her due to her thick accent as well

Myriam's movements are very stop motion like in nature, and her painted design will bleed out around her slightly.

While she still has a spiderverse-esk style to her face and body, she still has the oil painting look to her, and blues are a very prominent color in her world.

most hues are softer in nature in Earth-171578, mainly blues, browns, greys, greens, yellows and oranges. colors aren't traditionally harsh or offputting due to the changes in the timeline.

Tech wise, it’s in the same stages as worlds like Spider Noirs except slightly more advanced because Myriam’s world is a decade ahead.

Myriam's world is pretty peaceful, which is reflective of the soft oil-painted style it has.

However, that doesn't mean that shitty people are nonexistent, so as the Star Weaver she fights those who want to break the peace that's been standing in her world for so long.

Besides music, Myriam absolutely adores cooking and baking as well!

Seeing as her Aunt Maria and Mom still run their little café, baking and cooking have been engraved into her DNA.

She can make some bomb French food as well as family recipes, and her and Miguel bond over that.

Myriam will often make little pastries like croissants or tarts or something that she brings with her to the Society to share.

there always gone in like. 15 minutes.

Myri's always willing to try out recipes the other spiders give her, even if they're a bit of a disaster at first.

her first attempt at empanadas were something else-

dw, she's improved.

She also loves to read! Joining the Society means she has access to the on-campus library that is filled with books in multiple languages from multiple different universes that spiders personally donated!

If she isn't in Miguel's office, she's usually in the library, either reading or working part-time as a librarian in there.

When it comes to her relationships on campus, Myriam's close with the European spiders, especially her fellow French spiders.

They'll eat together in the cafeteria and just ramble about things in French.

She's also close with spiders from more vintage or older set worlds like Noir, since she can relate to them a bit more than the average modern day spider.

Paris rooftops are amazing to jump and web around on, and Myriam loves doing it with Miguel.

partially because she want to help him improve his webslinging and be less reliant on his talons, but also because the city's so goddamn gorgeous in her world. they also do it in nueva york too.

so, late-night webslinging dates are common practice for them.

Their first kiss was after a night of webbing around Paris.

Myriam kissed him while they were sitting and enjoying the view of late-night Paris.

she immediately malfunctions afterwards

he malfunctions too

Myriam attempted to say something coherent but she just ended up skittering back home like 'UHH I HAVE TO GO MAKE SURE THE CATS ARE OKAY ALRIGHT BYE-'

considering she just kissed a guy who's NINE YEARS OLDER THAN HER and her BOSS-

they were both mildly mortified but they get over it fairly quickly

jess and lyla are like 'fucking FINALLY'

[a break so tumblr doesn’t fuck up the formatting lmao]

It takes a while for the message to spread to the rest of the Society but people start to get the memo when Miguel and Myriam vanish together.

they're homebodies, but very much in love.

Myriam's mom, Juliette, likes Miguel very much, even if he's from the future and a little strange. While her Aunt Maria is definitely still figuring out how she feels about her niece's non-French vampire partner, but she doesn't hate him.

If anything, Miguel's accepted into the Wolff family immediately after he starts dating Myriam officially. And he loves it.

It's his first real semblance of a balanced, functional family in a long time.

He’s basically been adopted into the Wolff family even before he put a ring on Myri’s finger.

but he definitely will soon dw

Myriam speaks with a noticeable accent, and she'll still trip up on certain words or sentences in English.

Even though French and Spanish are pretty similar, she's still trying to improve it and perfect it, although she still trips up quite frequently and it's a lil embarrassing.

which will usually lead to her simply speaking English on campus unless she can speak French or German.

While she doesn't officially have a no-kill rule, Myriam doesn't like to do it unless she absolutely has to.

Every once in a while she'll fight someone who will not change from their cruel and unjust ways, and if them living will only bring more suffering onto others, she finds it more merciful to just kill them instead of having to fight them again.

This is primarily directed at Kingpin, who she'd like to kill in a heartbeat for all the suffering he's caused.

Myriam's an absolute sucker for animals. Given that she has three cats, she'll often feed strays and help lost animals find their way back home if she finds them

She basically has the golden touch when it comes to cats, and Spider-Cat has basically become her unofficial companion at the Society. He constantly follows her around when he can, and she's his second go-to person besides Spectacular.

Imagine Myri instead of Spectacular. Yup, that's a daily sight in the Society.

that or her holding him like a baby

A lot of Myriam's days at the Society are spent either working in the campus library or chilling in Miguel's office while listening to French and Spanish music while they talk about various things and crack jokes.

They both have GREAT senses of humor.

although sometimes myri's confused by more 'futuristic' humor (gen z humor confuses her to no end even though it's funny)

Modern things in general still confuse her. She knows how some of them work she just. struggles with grasping the concept of them.

Her and Noir bond over this.

Sometimes she forgets how drastically different her world is in comparison to Miguel's that when he's whiplashed by certain things she's like "??? this is normal why are you freaking out??"

and then she's like OH RIGHT you're from the future. this shit is basically ancient to you huh

which is an existential crisis in of itself but LETS NOT GET INTO THAT-

Myriam likes to dance! While she isn't trained in it by any means she grew up dancing to the radio and to records in her living room.

She dances for fun, and she can keep a good rhythm even if she doesn't do it all the time.

FUCK THIS TOOK WAY TOO LONG. the whole idea of myriam started as a silly post ab a van gogh stylized universe and it snowballed into THIS. god tumblr gave me so much shit while i was making this post-

but anyways this is her!! she's been invading my brain and i adore her dynamic w/ miguel so much - and i adore her background and culture too! france has always been intriguing, especially since i'm currently taking french in school, and the 1940s is a very interesting period of history, even if myriam's version of it is much different.

but most of all i love the style her universe is in! vincent van gogh has always been and always will be one of my favorite artists, and the concept of a whole universe looking like a van gogh painting is just- so cool to think about.

BUT ANYWAYS ENOUGH WITH ME RAMBLING. i hope y'all like her as much as i do, and i promise that i'll be coming out with even MORE spidersonas in the next few weeks as i finish up finals and get to go for a long break!!

bye :))

#spidersona #atsv oc #spiderverse oc #across the spiderverse #atsv #miguel o'hara #miguel ohara #miguel o'hara x oc #spiderman oc #adrian writes #StarWeaver #oc x canon

9 notes · View notes