Newspaper Page Text
Entertainment
Atlanta and entertainment: The $4 billion couple
By Pamela Wells
Staff writer
Atlanta and
entertainment court are better than
a high-fashioned prom date.
Cooing at other mega-talent,
mega-hit'cities like Los Angeles
and New York, the creme de la
creme couple are enjoying their
popularity and sporting an annual
four billion dollar success tab to
prove it.
The beating pulse behind the
frivolous couple is the Atlanta
Entertainment Association
[AEA], founded in December
1994 by a cohesive group of
individuals including artists,
musicians, writers and promoters
committed to organizing and
promoting the economic
development of Atlanta’s
entertainment industry.
“We want to promote all the
performing arts, help inspire
individuals and professionals
seeking careers .in the
entertainment industry,” said
Sinatra Smith, vice-president of
3-R records and co-founder of
AEA.
Smith gives examples of the
plan: He hopes that in 1996,
Atlanta will have a series of
showcases that invite some
people in the music industry to
come out and see the new talent.
“I want to have a series of
auditions where a panel picks the
cutting genre,” Smith said.
“We are looking to create
friendly competition. It is
important to have competition.
At the time, there are no decision
making people. Sure we have
LaFace records here and others,
but we need to create an
environment where they can
work together. We need to work
together to keep the gold coming
to Atlanta. If we don’t, the shaft
will close down. We want to help
kids develop their skills.”
Some of AEA’s board
members include Moses Dailey,
president of Dailey’s
entertainment, and co-founder of
AEA, Phil Ransom, vice-
president of So-So Def Records,
Bob Whitfield, owner of
Patchwerks Recordings (also a
member of the Falcons) and
many others.
Smith who graduated from
Morehouse College in Mass
Communications knows the
importance of networking. He
said it is important for students
to interact and meet as many
people as possible.
While that may be the case
for the AEA, it has a goal behind
it: “We party with a purpose,”
boasted Smith. “People mistake
and think that we love parties.
That i s not true, we have a goal to
meet and a purpose.”
AEA also planned a
fundraising party for today (Dec.
4), at Kaya restaurant, 1068
Peachtree St. with a theme of
“Showtime in Midtown.”
“It will be a party of who’s
who of people in Atlanta. We
will have people from the
business, private sector and the
entertainment industry,” Smith
said.
The event is black tie and
there is no fee.
“We are not charging
anything for the event, but we
are asking for donations for the
general budget. Our goal is to
raise $250,000. The money will
provide AEA with necessary
funds to develop the association
and promote the entertainment
industry. A contribution to AEA
is a contribution to the future of
Atlanta.”
In providing advice to young
people. Smith said. “Know what
you want, where you want to go
and see what getting there entails.
Never let career objectives stop
you from getting an education.
Never let anything control you.
When you lose control, you are
like a car without a destination.”
The
Panther
wishes
you
a
Happy
Kwanzaa
T£5JJl Columbia Records
A&R executives spin
advice to CAU students
Every now and then, in the
world of entertainment, an artist
comes along and challenges the
views and listening ears of global
audiences. Toshi is a case in
point.
The Japanese soul man, known
to many of his Eastern fans as
Toshinobu Kubota, has dawned
into mainstream popularity with
his American debut album,
“Sunshine, Moonlight.”
The Tokyo native, who
produced the album and wrote
lOofits 11 tracks, proves himself
equally adept at laying down
stirring grooves like “Funk it
Up” and pouring out honeyed
ballads like the quietly
mesmerizing “To Light Do.”
“Sunshine, Moonlight” also
marks the first album Toshi has
sung entirely in English, though
he has been a fixture on the
Japanese charts for the better
part of a decade. His Japanese
debut album, “Shake it Paradise,”
immediately went platinum and
sold over one million copies.
Toshi blends the old sounds of
Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder
with an up-to-date smoothed-out
funk a la D’Angelo.
His ability to transmute Black
American musical styles evolves
into a high-profile masterpiece
with Soul II Soul’s Caron
Wheeler on a duet of Bill
Withers’ hit, “Just The Two Of
Us.”
The 33-year-old musical
genius is being called the
“Japanese-Michael Jackson’ and
it is up to the listeners to make
that reference legit.
By Shemica L. Moore
Contributing Writer
Many aspiring artists
know about the executives who
listen to demos and sign
prospective talent to a record
label, but they may not know
what it takes to get signed.
A panel of Artist and
Repertoire [A&R] officials
recently hosted a question-
answer panel of discussion on
Clark Atlanta University's
campus. Tips, from various label
representatives, were given to
those who are ready to step into
the entertainment scene.
“The [A&R executive] is the
money river that flows to the
record company,” said Kim
Burse, A&R Manager of New
York- based Columbia Records.
Burse continued, “An important
function of the A&R department
is to sign artists that can make
money for the record company.
Another important function of
the department is to be the
visionary force of the record
company. The artist’s demo must
catch my attention in the first 10
seconds."
Tommy Henderson, A&R
manager of Laface Records in
Atlanta, said he believes two
special qualities make one a star:
simplicity and uniqueness.
Sandra Jones, A&R
administrator of Atlanta’s
Ichiban Records is interested in
career artists. Although Jones
listens to solicited and unsolicited
material, she feels it is in the
artists’ best interest to send demo
tapes to a specific person.
“I like someone who is
interested in longevity. Try to
send your tape to a [particular]
name."
Another important element
A&R people look at is live
performances. Some executives,
such as John Battle of Warner
Bros. Records look closely at
showcases.
“I listen to demos, but I
especially like to hear people
live,” Battle said. Battle likes to
get to know the artist. He feels
that live performances are one of
the best ways to see how the
artist relates to the audience. He
also believes that showcases put
artists to the test.
"An artist must feel just as
comfortable on stage as he or she
does in the studio.” Battle said.
A&R representative of New
Y ork-based Electra Records, Ian
Burke, said he is also interested
in aperson who wants longevity.
“The person must be in it for
the long run,” he said. “Find an
audience for yourself and create
your own fan base.”