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By Entertainment Editor Ahmed Sirour
"Industry rule #4080..."
"...record company people are shady" ("Check the Rime" by A Tribe Called Quest--Low End Theory).
Starting this week's article with that line from my favorite hip-hop group of all time and relating it to the fiasco I've gone through in the past two weeks could possibly be a bridge-burner with regards to whom I am referring it to...but under all the circumstances that I will not get into, it's still a very apt description!! I'm sure many of you are under the impression that I just got back in town after an exhausting but gratifying 8-city tour--ha! The tripped out thing is how 8-cities got cut down to 2...then 1...then whoops! Negotiating agreements and contracts between you and a record company so that you get your fair share in the deal is like trying to make Michael Jackson black again! I understand that promotional budgets are tight but "compromising" and "getting screwed" are two very different things. I'm down for an opportunity but I'm not so eager that I'd agree to anything and lose big in the long run. Had I jumped at the first two offers I'd be doing myself and my band the biggest disservice, especially when virtually all of my crew have toured with major label acts.
Anyway, if my foot is still in the door, it might just be a shoestring, but I'm pretty much "on-call" pending signed contracts, advanced itineraries, and fair compensation. This was a good learning experience, and I definitely feel good that I erred on the side of good business ethics than to just take whatever and thwart any real possibility of advancing--especially when I'm still a "struggling artist". There's also a big difference between making sacrifices and selling yourself short--the latter of which I would have done had I buckled and not methodically thought it through.
Besides all that, opportunities have been steadily been presented to me and/or my band, The Formula, that will be occuring in the next few weeks and I attest that to the perseverance that has taken a "trial run idea" at Tarrazu to last 11 months at this point--can you believe it will almost be a year that we've been performing as a band??!! Since then we've performed with some of the most talented artists and musicians, formally and informally, including Mike Phillips, Dwele, Rachelle Ferrell, Chris Coleman (drummer for Israel & New Breed), Keith Harris (drummer for Black Eyed Peas), Reggie Harris (saxophinist for Angie Stone), Codie Chestnut, Julie Dexter, Khari Simmons (MD for Jiva/bassist for India.Arie), Monifah, most recently with Allen Anthony, and many others we've had the pleasure to perform with that I don't have the time to name. It will be time to hit the studio very soon as we've accumulated enough original material to do an album. For the faithful who've been coming out and didn't know...every Saturday's performance is UNREHEARSED! What you see that night you'll never see again the same way. Those who don't understand what that really means, I won't even bother to explain.
To tell you the truth, I've been doing
so many conference calls, e-mails, contract drafts, rehearsals,
equipment riders, even more long-distance calls, and initial show
arrangements that I've pretty much cut myself out of the Atlanta
entertainment scene for a minute. Truthfully, I feel as if I actually
was out-of-town, mentally I was, that I even forgot about the Sweet
Auburn Festival, which I actually missed, among other things! Honestly
everyone, I'm still tired from it all and I still have other things on
my plate that I have to cover locally (calls I've been taking/making
while typing this and more to make after this). I even had to make it
up to my mother and take her out for Mother's Day, today, because
I was tied up on Sunday (I did call though) 
People will stress you out (or try to) and when you're on the right
path, all the wrong things will seem to happen to you to test
you...hot damn, I'm about to have some real fun now!
Oh, I'm sorry, but I'll have to cheat again just one more time so hit up: www.wholeteam.com/atl_events.htm and www.atlantahapps.com/newsletter.htm for this week's events.
I hope I'll have a few interesting things to share with you next week, so until then, continue to bend the rules that need adjustment and break the rules that inhibit your progress in life...just don't break the law! LOL
The views in this article are not necessarily the expressed views of ATLANTAHAPPS.COM or it's affiliates.
SESSIONS SATURDAYS at Tarrazu Coffeebar
Join us every Saturday
Time: 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. Eastern Time (US and Canada)
SUDARABAJAN Productions present...
"SESSIONS SATURDAYS"
(as a part of Tarrazu's Liquid Jazz Series)
Featuring a three-piece (keys/drums/bass) neo-jazz band,
THE FORMULA
Enjoy a sensual atmosphere of candlelight's, chill conversations, cool
sounds, and good food as you leave the stress of the work week behind
you. As an extra treat, each week will feature a different up-and-coming
vocalist to sit in with the band and grace the mike, for your listening pleasure.
The dinner and dessert menu is definitely for the discriminating
palate...and you won't need any reservations.
Time:
9pm-12am (NO COVER!)
Address:
265 Ponce De Leon Avenue (around the corner
from Old Spaghetti Factory)
Suite D
Atlanta, GA 30308
404.815.2077
Dress:
Comfortably Fly!
Ahmed Sirour writes a weekly journal for ATLANTAHAPPS.COM
Ahmed Sirour is a Georgia Regional Representative for Hidden Beach Recordings
-- Archive
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| The Ying and the Yang | ||||
Ahmed Sirour -A
Product
of a Sudanese-Arab (Muslim) father and a Bajan-Caribbean (Christian)
mother. Ahmed was a "diamond in the rough" hewn from Brooklyn,
now undergoing "polishing and re-cutting" in Atlanta. This serves
as a premise to his diverse nature that comes from a diverse background.
His poetic style is influenced by his love of music...specifically, jazz
improvisation. He sometimes uses a rhyme form he calls "Broken Word";
basically, the rhyme scheme alternates between words and phrases but
with a definite flow just like a jazz jam session where the art of
freestyle takes place. Although it would seem that hip-hop, another of
his influences, would seem to be a more apt description of his style, it
is the marriage of youthful innovation paired with classic refinement.
He is also moved by the Harlem Renaissance, which he feels is
resurfacing, in spirit, throughout many major metropolitan cities,
especially Atlanta. More importantly, he is moved by his belief in
spirituality, believing that he is merely a vessel of God to bring forth
the talent that he feels he has been blessed with.
Ahmed's goal, this year, to finally publish his first collection of work entitled, "This Would Be A Love Song...If Only I Could Sing"; a collection of poetry, essays, and short stories based on his life's experiences in the area of love and life. Ahmed is also a musician (keyboardist) and plays for and with many talented artists in Atlanta (and those who travel through the city from abroad). He currently represents for Hidden Beach Recordings (www.hiddenbeach.com), so he keeps one foot in the business and one foot (and two hands) in the art, itself. It is his hope and prayer that beyond enjoying his work, that people are actually moved, emotionally/intellectually/spiritually, by the words they read, and to know that this is merely a power that is coming through him and not from him.
SOULFUL HAPPS - A SPOTLIGHT ON URBAN MUSIC & CULTURE
Imagine for a moment if Marvin were still alive and able to record with the Roots... Or what about Pete Rock breaking-off a track for Minnie Ripperton or Donnie Hathaway. What kind of energy would these collaborations create??? The answer is found in a new Soul Music Series entitled SOULFUL HAPPS, and it's unlike anything you've ever heard. This section features artists who produce the sounds of 70's Soul, Acid Jazz, Hip Hop, and Rare Grooves appreciated by music lovers around the Atlanta area. But it's more than a sound... It's a feeling... bringing the past and the future together in a rather unique way. Click here for details
WHAT THEY ARE SAYIN...
Mr.Sirour,
I live in LA and was
recently in your wonderful city and love reading you're column, Very
nice. Miles...
Mr.Sirour,
I would like to begin by saying I enjoy your weekly "HAPPS" commentary. I look forward to it every Monday evening when I have down time at work. I appreciate you keeping us 'Atliens' abreast of the goings of Atlanta and upcoming music artists. Please keep doing what you are doing!
Mr.Sirour,
Now, I would like to comment briefly on your commentary for this week. Kudos to you for being honest and candid! How refreshing to hear such positive and thought provoking thoughts. I agree with you in so many ways. Just as a smile can be contagious, so can positivity.
P.S-- I saw the plug on your site for the Tarrazu Coffee Bar. It sounds like a great place. I will be trying it out this week.
Thank You,
Brettina Burney
KATHLEEN BERTRAND
Visit the Website http://www.kathleenbertrand.com
Subscriber Kathleen Bertrand, her riveting performances combine contemporary R&B grooves with jazz riffs that keep audiences wanting for more...
No Regrets sets an elegant new standard for contemporary soul, and Kathleen Bertrand brings an inspiring new voice to the world of music. Look for future features on this dynamic singer in future ATLANTAHAPPS listings.
Ahmed writes the way a jazz musician plays during an improvisational jam session paired with the way a lyricist freestyles in hip-hop form. It is a marriage of the past and present that creates a fusion to set the tempo for the future. His writing surpasses his racial makeup and simply becomes a unique American story by a unique American writer.
www.authorsden.com/ahmedasirour
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