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August 15, 1996
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Mona Lisa releases debut album
Like the Italian painting, Is
land Records’ 16-year-old r&b/hip
‘pop vocal phenomenon is a beau
tiful, timeless work of soulful art.
She’s already a major rising star
via the mega-hit single, “Can’t Be
Wasting My Time,” which rocked
the gold Don’t Be a Menace to
South Central While Drinking
YourJuicein the Hood soundtrack
(Island distributed). And, keep
ing her critically acclaimed, fan
supported momentum intact, “You
Said,” a sizzling, Stanley Brown
produced slow jam, explosivelyin
troduces her milestone debut al
bum Mona Lisa (11/20/79).
Testament to Mona’s limitless po
tential and substantial talent is her
devotion to her craft. “When we
were making my album, I put al
mosteverythingelseoutofmymind,”
says the young Yonkers, N.Y. na
tive, whose mother is a Pentecostal
minister. “I ate, slept and drank
these songs, making sure they all
were lyrically on-point and sung
with enough honestemotion toreal
ly touch and move people. To me, if
you can't do that with your voice,
why sing at all?”
Positive proof of the charismat
ic Mona Lisa’s ability to vocally
reach out and touch the hearts,
souls and minds of the masses
prevail throughout her delicious
ly diverse first album. “Can’t Be
Wasting My Time” and, of course,
seductive “You Said” clearly qual
ify. Other prime examplesinclude
the bold, beautiful groove ballad
“Sweet Memories,” produced by
Red Head Kingpin; “Our Time To
Shine,” a brilliant “sista” anthem,
celebrating female strength, wis
dom, compassion and unity; “Mom
Lude,” a poignant “Thanks for giv
ing me life” ode to Mona’s beloved
mother;“Just Wanna Please You,”
a sensuous, slice-of-life cut, yield
ing emotionally climactic divi
dends; and “Crazy,” another mind
blowing microphone melter Mona
magnificently masters.
. FromßrandytoMaryd. Bligeto
Whitney Houston, there is no
shortage of r&b divas challenging
the charts these days. Neverthe
less, the enormous attention she
earned once “Can’t Be Wasting
My Time” took the country by
storm proved the world was wait
ing to inhale Mona Lisa’s breath
taking voice and positive vision.
“Listening to her sing, there were
times when I had tearsin my eyes
New Kokane album hits the streets
Punks, imitators and pretend
ers are hereby advised to step off.
The Los Angeles rapper known as
Kokane is back, trafficking his
own potentbrand of musical dope.
His Street Life/All American Mu
sic single, “4 Ryders Only,” is a
salute to the G-funk pioneers who
revolutionized hip-hop and forev
er changed the code of the street.
Produced by Cold 187 (Above the
Law), the CD features six phat
mixes guaranteed torock the Jeep.
Though “4 Ryders Only” is alive
with defiant gangsta rhymes, the
song’s creator is a humble man
who gives props to the funk pio
neers who forged the sound of
today’s inner cities. When asked
to list his influences, Kokane rat
tles off relatively obscure names
such as the Ohio Players, Rose
Royce, New Birth and The Fatback
Band — names only an r&b con
noisseur would know. Soit makes
perfect sensethat“4 Ryders Only”
would feature musical quotes from
funk icons like Rick James and
The Time, as well as rhymes le
thal enough to prompt an all
points bulletin.
“This is an anthem for all the
West Coast OGs,” Kokane says.
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— strictly on the down low, of
course,” reveals A&R executive
producer Tim Dawg, who worked
diligently with Mona Lisa, help
ing to make her album the stellar
career-making CD it is.
Mona Lisa has travelled light
years from the first time she
stepped onto the Apollo’s “Ama
teur Night” stage four years ago.
Just 12 years old and wearing a
frilly pink dress, she recalls ner
vously standing in front of the
often-brutal Harlem audience,
unable to squeeze out a note. “My
knees were knocking, I was petri
fied,” she says. “But after the first
note finally came out, I just let it
flow, and even won first place.
Thatnightlreally knew that sing
ing would be my life.”
According to her mom, Mona
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“T'o me a Ryder represents some
one who's real, someone who has
pounded the streets. I wanted to
give recognition and props to the
Its Our Pleasure.
has been singing since she was in
diapers.'Much later, she gained
confidence in her voice by vocaliz
ing around the house, in school
and at church, and by mimicking
singing stars like Patti Laßelle.
“It was kind of frustrating,
though,” she notes with a smile. “I
sounded too young, too c:ite back
then. All I really wanted was to
sound like the big girls.”
Joining the ranks of the “big
girls” would come after Mona
Lisa’s Apollotriumph, ashervoice
further matured. She relentlessly
practiced, sharpening her natu
rally fine-tuned instrument, de
veloping a strong, distinctive
sound and style ofher own. Broad
ening her horizons, she joined
Harlem’s Ujjamma Black The
ater’s National College Tour and
real brothas, so I got the Rick
James “Mary Jane” groove going
through it. Every time you hear
that you've got to react.”
art « music ¢ literature ¢ theatre
: Mona Lisa
later drew critical raves in the hit
stage production of Harlem Comes
to Broadway. Next stop, an Island
recording contract.
Although she’s a good student
who wants to graduate from col
lege someday, the lure of being a
majorrecording artist hasbecome
Lisa’s paramount goal in life. En
couraged by her ever-supportive
mom, she pursues her dream. “I
just wanted to be serious about
my career, although it became
difficult because a lot of people
tried to sell me false dreams,” ex
plains Mona, who refused to let
such negative circumstances stop
her. In fact, she took matters into
her own courageous hands. “It got
tothe point where I was calling up
A&R people, singing to them a
capella over the phone,” she says.
Indeed, “4 Ryders Only” is in
toxicating and the CD doles out
the music in generous doses. The
tworadio mixes offer cleanrhymes
along with a concise edit that
emphasizes the tune’s smooth,
sweet groove. Kokane totally
blows it up on “Da Club Joint”
mixes, demonstrating his rapid
fire flow and his righteous vocals.
Instrumental and vocal-only ver
sions round out the CD.
If it seems pushing dope funk
comes too naturally to Kokaneit’s
becauseheliterally hasmusicflow
ing through his veins. Born of
Jamaican descent, the rapper’s
father is Jerry Long, a former
Motown staff composer who co
wrote such classics as “Ball of
Confusion,” “Just My Imagina
tion,” “Smiling Faces,” “Still Wa
ters Run Deep” and “Keep On
Truckin’.” Kokane grew uparound
a broad range of music, from rock
and jazz, to soul and reggae. But
it wasthealmighty funk that made
the biggest impression.
“I grew up on all the old funk
records from the Ohio Players to
Donny Hathaway and James
Brown, so that sound was just
imbedded in me,” Kokane says.
The Power of Peace — star
studded CD to benefit CARE
NEW YORK
Inhonoroftheir 50th Anniver
sary, CARE (the leading organi
zation that offers aid to relief
charities) will release The Power
of Peace, a beautiful album that
features the following outstand
ingartists: Chrisde Burgh, Oleta
Adams, Enrique Iglesias, Peabo
Bryson, Gerald Levert, Aretha
Franklin, Kenny Rogers, Giorgia,
Emmanuel, Michelle Wright,
Celine Dion, Chaka Khan,
Wynonna Judd, Jose Carreras,
David Sanborn, Yanni and Ella
Fitzgerald.
The album hit the stores on
August 13, 1996. All of the art
ists, distributors, record compa
nies, publishers and composers
have generously donated all of
their royalties from the project
'to CARE in support of its hu
manitarian work throughout the
world. All net proceeds from the
sale of the CD will go to CARE.
The title song from the album
features Oleta Adams, Chris de
Burgh, Emmanuel, Enrique
Iglesias, Aretha Franklin,
Giorgia, Gerald Levert, Peabo
Bryson, Kenny Rogers and
Michelle Wright. It was chosen
by CARE to be its 50th Anniver
sary theme song. An additional
12 songs were recorded by indi
Choral clinic to be conducted
by Lanny Wolfe at Maranatha
On Saturday, September 14,
1996, Maranatha Christian Cen
ter and the Augusta Mass Choir
will hostachoral clinicwith Lanny
Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe has written hun
dreds of songs, some of which have
won Dove Awards and Grammies.
He wrote “More Than Wonderful”
which wasrecorded by Sandi Patti.
He also wrote “Greateris He That
isinMe” and “Surely the Presence
of The Lord is in This Place.” Mr.
Wolfe is considered one of the
greatest song writers and choir
directors of our generation.
Test your jazz I.Q.
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1. How many musicians were
featured in the Tribute to
Thelonious Monk at BL’s Res
taurant on July 28, 19967
2. Name the musicians and the
instruments played by each of
these participants.
3. When we speak of Yardbird, to
whom are we referring?
4. Wycliffe Gordon, jazz trom
bonist, attended Butler High
School. Who was his band direc
tor?
5. What instruments are played
by Donald Byrd?
6. What is the name of Mercer
Ellington’s father?
7. Billy Taylor is one of the most
visible and eloquent advocates of
jazz. What instrument does he
play?
8. In what city is the Jazzmobile,
vidual artists to complete the
album. The Power of Peace was
written by Alex Moses (execu
tive producer) and Harold
Nashman, director of The Na
tional Music Camp of Canada.
The producer is Michael J.
Powell, who has produced such
acclaimed artists as Aretha
Franklin, Oleta Adams, Peabo
Bryson and Anita Baker. The
recording was completed in stu
dios around the world from
Milan, Italy to Mexico, Miami,
Atlanta, Nashville, Detroit and
Los Angeles. -
This year, CARE is celebrating
its 50th Anniversary. The very
first CARE package was deliv
ered to a little girl in France just
after World War 11, in May of
1946. Since then, CARE has dis
tributed humanitarian aid
throughits CARE packagestowar
refugees and victims of natural
disasters on every continent on
earth. Their yearly budget ex
ceeds a half billion dollars and
overonebillion peoplein 121 coun
tries have benefited from CARE’s
activities since its inception.
For further information on The
Power of Peace, please contact
Sonia Muckle or Samantha
Kleier at Susan Blond Inc. at
(212) 333-7728. ‘
The seminar and music clinic
will be from 1 to 4 pm. On
Sunday, September 15, there will
be a concert at 6 p.m. with the
combined choirs and Lanny
Wolfe for a night of praise, cele
bration and prophetic worship.
There will also be a live record
ing made that night!
For more information, call the
church office at 860-3011. This is
for all choir members. Everyone
is invited and welcome to this
multi-racial/non-denominational
event.
a jazz outreach and educational
organization, located?
9. Billy Taylor’s Jazz at the
Kennedy Center is a weekly ra
dio show broadcast on what net
work?
10. Bassist Chip Jackson and
drummer Steve Johns are mem
bers of what trio?
11. In what year did Billy Taylor
come to New York?
12. After how many days in New
York did Billy Taylor play on
52nd Street?
13. What jazz pianist loved to
play pianos that were missing
keys or imperfect in other ways?
14. What kind of trumpet was
played by the late, great Miles
Davis?
15. Who gave Wynton Marsalis
his first trumpet?
16. For what band did Clifford
Brown, Lee Morgan, Freddie
Hubbard and Woody Shaw play
that improved their individual
skills and boosted their careers?
17. What jazz artist said, “I'm a
Jjazz musician who can play clas
sical music”?
18. Have Trumpet, Will Excite!,a
jazz album, featured Junior
Mance on piano, Les Spann on
flute and guitar, Sam Jones on
bass, Les Humphries on drums,
and whom on trumpet?
19. In what university band did
Les Spann and Jimmy Cleve
land play?
20. Jimmy Smith’s Second Com
ing album featured what bassist
and drummer?
Answers on page 16