Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Artist Focus: Khole Baldeo

/ By Elliot Riley
Artist Focus: Khole Baldeo

We are very excited to introduce Khole Baldeo, one of the next great artists to come out of the Caribbean, and more specifically, the Island of Grenada. She is an extremely talented singer, performer and songwriter who has created a real name for herself on her island, and she’s now set her eyes on international success.

Having seen her perform in person I can say she has an incredible voice and can attract the attention of an audience with ease. Her electric, unforgiving nature during performance is a brilliant sight and you can only admire the clear love and dedication she has for her craft. 

Her following has been eagerly awaiting her new journey in music, as she like many artists prepared to elevate her career to the next level. Having opened shows for notable artists such Buju Banton and Sizzla Kalonji, she took time to find her own new unique sound. Having previously been more of a Soul singer, she has found her calling in ‘Island Pop’. The genre is a clash of Dancehall and Pop, often very bouncy and easy to listen to, describing love, life, sex and relationships. 

Her debut single ‘Island Girl’, produced by the excellent ‘Exit Daze’ currently residing in Grenada, is a joyful, exciting start to her new voyage. There is an incredible energy about the track, Khole has clearly entertained her past soulful style with her light, loving lyrics while also exploring the fiercer, sensual side of her character in the chorus. The happy-sad nature of the songs story adds a lot of emotion, as she speaks of two people dancing around one another, but feeling reluctant to ‘make a move’ as they are afraid of a bad reaction.  

The mix consists of upbeat guitar chords, and a modern pop style beat, with some layering of piano keys, which really encapsulates an Island vibe. Khole sets the tone for the song “Would you run away if I told you I love you, would it make you stay, let’s take a chance”. The light start to the song progresses to a knocking chorus. She tells her audience of this relationship with great detail, creating spicy imagery as she leaves the specifics up to interpretation. 

An electric song needs an electric music video and that is certainly the case here. The smooth moves of Khole and her dancers make you feel as if you are this elusive character who she is in love with. There is a lovely mix in the choreography between the joyful, coordinated but careless dancing, and the more seductive side of Khole towards her subject as you get a glimpse of what may be in store. 

‘Island Girl’ is an exciting, jubilant and professional release. We love the vibe that Khole Baldeo has created here, a fantastic start to her new identity. We shall continue to keep you updated on her new releases as there is much more to come! 

How can Jeeni support artists like Khole Baldeo?

JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.

• We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.
• We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.
• We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.
• Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team.

Check out Khole Baldeo’s Jeeni showcase here: https://jeeni.com/showcase/kholebaldeo/ 

06
Jun

Why weird is my new wonderful.

By Sammie Venn Jeeni's Official Writer, Columnist and Blogger. The dictionary definition of weird is “extraordinary, out of this world” I remember the feeling of utter hope and merriment when I read that. I suddenly didn’t feel alone anymore. Once I fully released my inner oddball, the magic started to happen. The people who I thought I loved and loved me just fell away. It was like watching grains of sand slip through my fingers. At the time it felt like a gigantic loss but in hindsight it was the best gift I could have been given. I’m grateful every day for all the losses as what I have gained surpasses anything I could have dreamt of. I came out of the “kooky closet” said a tentative hello to my new surroundings and have never looked back. Having always felt like I had trodden a different path in life, I used to feel embarrassed about my so called “weirdness”. A damaging label that was attributed over the course of many years. Always being on the periphery at school, shallow friendships and poor choices in men made me feel like there was something wrong with me. Decades later I began the journey of coming to terms with whatever it was that made me feel a bit different. I read countless books, watched documentaries on Gaia, downloaded as many spiritual audibles as I could afford and after a period of counselling I realised that actually being “different” totally rocked and I certainly wasn’t the only one experiencing all those feelings of self-doubt. Self-doubt had finally set sail to distant shores and my passport to a happier more soulful life had been stamped with creativity with no expiration date.  My wired but wonderful List...So I’m not ashamed of saying that... 3am – the hour of writers, poets, musicians, silence seekers and overthinkers – In this crazy time that is 3am I really do achieve a lot of work. The silence is accompanied with prolific bird song and the sunrise paints a spectacular sunset across the fields. So there is no better landscape for creativity. Gardening at Night -I water my roses at midnight in an old fashioned Victorian nightie with a gin and tonic in hand. The kiss of the night time breeze provides a magical space to reflect on the past 24 hours and plan the next. Adventure at work -I have made a home office in my camper van and drive to various different places to work and mediate and be away from the humdrum of daily life. I need to be portable otherwise I feel stagnant and confined. My camper caters for most needs; a whistling kettle for fresh coffee, a writing station and insanely comfortable bed for those cheeky afternoon power naps. Writing Erotica -I love to write erotic poetry and have an entire bookcase at home dedicated to naughtiness throughout the ages. Ancient manuscripts and recent tomes dedicated to Love, and all of the emotions surrounding it adorn the shelves. Wild words and Soul Magic - I have about 10 different tarot desks I particularly Love Rebecca Campbell’s “Work your light” the illustrations are as magical as her words. I love to practice either quietly by myself or with my bestie in London. We savour our weekends as they are few and far between these days but we still write together and have created different worlds where we pretend to live like we were once warrior soul sisters. In fact lockdown has been perfect for that.  There are so many other things I do in my arsenal of “weird but wonderful” and I wouldn’t be without any of them now. Lewis Carroll wrote in “Alice in Wonderland” “you’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll Tell you a secret. All the best people are”. Definitely my mantra, it even sits as a plaque on my wall in the studio. Have you got any practices or quirks that you embrace? We would love to hear about them. Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

22
Oct

Jeeni Weekly Round-up #2

Jeeni's weekly round-up of music and entertainment news. One in three music industry jobs were lost during pandemic In a report by UK Music, it was revealed that one in three music industry jobs have been lost as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The findings were published annual report, This Is Music 2021. According to the report, there has been a "devastating impact" on the music industry with 69,000 fewer jobs in 2020- a drop of 35%. Additionally, it was found that the music industry's contribution to the UK economy fell by 46%, from £5.8bn in 2019 to £3.1bn in 2020. Coronavirus enforced shutdowns of venues caused live music revenues in the UK to collapse by around 90 per cent in 2020, leaving many musicians, studio and venue staff without work. Music streaming market facing competition inquiry The UK’s competition watchdog is to launch an inquiry into the music streaming market and whether it is competitive and fair. Streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and Youtube will be looked at by The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: “The UK has a love affair with music and is home to many of the world’s most popular artists. We want to do everything we can to ensure that this sector is competitive, thriving and works in the interests of music lovers." COVID is 'creating a new genre' for live music Lockdowns have forced musicians to think of new ways to perform their music live. Many performing sets over live streaming to a worldwide audience. We've seen more cinematic experiences done by artists such as The Weeknd with his medley performance of Save Your Tears/In Your Eyes at last November's American Music Awards. Alex Lill, the creative force behind The Weeknd's recent videos and live performances, used a "single-shot tracking style and moved it outside onto the bare streets of Los Angeles, transforming the real-world Covid backdrop into his stage. Complete with fireworks, timed pyrotechnics and high-angle shots, it made the location and its atmosphere an active part of the performance." International touring DJ Hot Since 82 took to the sky using a hot air balloon as a new venue. Coldplay recieving backlash over "eco-friendly" world tour Coldplay has pledged to make their world tour eco-friendly, which will be powered with solar panels and kinetic dance floors. They have also modified effects such as lasers to be more energy-efficient, building their set from more sustainable materials such as bamboo and have pledged to plant a tree for every ticket sold. However, the band have received backlash that they will be continuing to fly by private jet. "And the people that give us backlash for that kind of thing, for flying, they're right. So we don't have any argument against that. Singer Chris Martin told the BBC " "We could stay at home and that may be better. But we want to tour and we want to meet people and connect with people - so try and do it in the cleanest way possible." Jeeni has always been eco-friendly and is something we are very conscious of as a company. Our audiences enjoy entertainment without the cost and pollution of travel, and all Team Jeeni works from home and meet up online. In Jeeni News Jeeni is Hiring! We are currently recruiting for the following roles: • Role 1: Marketing Assistant• Role 2: Marketing Executive (Digital Marketing)• Role 3: Marketing Executive (Public Relations)• Role 4: Jnr Developer• Role 5: Jnr Developer• Role 6: WordPress Specialist• Role 7: Senior Developer• Role 8: Senior Developer• Role 9: Sales Executive• Role 10: Sales Executive• Role 11: Partnership Co-ordinator These are Kickstarter Scheme positions (candidate must be aged between 16-24 and on, or have applied for, Universal Credit. If you'd like to apply for any of the above roles please send your resume to shena@jeeni.com

04
Jun

Tony Klinger joins the Jeeni Team

JEENI is proud to announce their new Ambassador, the award-winning film maker and writer, Tony Klinger. Klinger has made internationally acclaimed documentaries including The Festival Game (Jack Nicholson and Ronnie Scott) and Extremes (Supertramp), both currently grabbing the headlines alongside his book The Who And I about his exploits producing The Who movie, The Kids Are Alright. Tony says, “I was thrilled to be invited to become an Ambassador for JEENI. I applaud and echo their ethical approach, and I was equally excited to engage with their amazing team when they offered me the opportunity to share my knowledge of the music business, film making and creativity.” Tony Klinger Klinger’s fascination with ways of sharing the creative processes with business and commercial know-how has seen him instrumental in Artists United, bCreative and his Give-get-go.com organisation. “I discovered this need for sharing and spreading knowledge when I was a university academic,” and his outstanding success led to his students winning many awards leading to illustrious professional careers.Klinger makes it very clear, “I want to be involved in projects that continue and grow my dream to enable everyone to enjoy their creativity. Jeeni is another big step in this search, without me being sanctimonious or unreal, it still excites me, and also enables our audience to fully enjoy and think about the world we share.”