Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Legendary Teddy Hayes has joined the Jeeni advisory board

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Legendary Teddy Hayes has joined the Jeeni advisory board

We are proud to announce that the legendary Teddy Hayes has joined the Jeeni advisory board. Teddy is an Award-winning producer, film-maker and composer, working alongside the likes of Quincy Jones and Roberta Flack. Teddy pioneered the concept of creating new wealth for music artists by monetizing their fan base. His London-based talent company DaBlockOnline offered a win-win solution for everyone involved in the entertainment industry, creating a platform that gave both signed and unsigned music talent a chance to benefit from new technology.

Teddy says, "The evolution of Jeeni is remarkable, and because I have already been through this process and experienced all the challenges, I know I can add value to the team. I want artists to get the recognition they deserve and earn cash in the process, but I also want to offer an opportunity for music companies to retool their thinking and create new products designed to increase sales and earn profits from a new segment of the marketplace.”

Teddy Hayes

Born in Cleveland Ohio, Teddy grew up with neighbour Bobby Womack, and hung out with Quincy Jones among many other music legends, before becoming tour manager for Roberta Flack. Quincy’s friend Pete Long (who discovered Luther Vandross), gave Teddy the chance to turn his talents to theatre writing which set him on the road to stardom in his own right, directing music videos, and writing and producing musical theatre.

As one of the founding directors of Hip Hop in 1979 in New York, he achieved a place in hip hop history with his rap band The Funky Constellation, that produced the break beat sensation “Street Talk (Madam rapper)” promoted early on by Russell Simmons, the record mogul and creator of Def Jam Records. An accomplished singer and composer, Teddy was the main producer and creative force behind the sell-out hit theatre show “I Remember Marvin”, about the life and music of Marvin Gaye. He recently penned a book called “The Guerrilla Guide to Being a Theatrical Producer”, a how to manual designed to help people understand and enter the world of commercial theatre.  In 2019 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 40 years of pioneering work in the arts, and Jeeni is privileged to benefit from his experience and vision.

03
Mar

Jeeni's Official Photographer is outstanding.

WOW check out Sharron Goodyear's recent photo shoot with Suzy Bastone who lives in Brazil. Sharron is an Award-Winning International Photographer and Film Maker, having won Fashion & Boudoir Photographer of the Year through the Master Photographer Association, Sharron has 14 years of industry experience. Suzy Baston says: "A huge thank you to Sharron Goodyear Photographer for these amazing new business shots that made me feel just that. From the UK to Brazil, we had a wonderful ‘virtual shoot’ through FaceTime of all things! Social distancing to the extreme. Who knew photos could be so wonderful in this way? I’d forgotten how fun photo shoots can be and wow, what a huge difference to my own poxy attempts. It certainly is testament to Sharron’s amazing talent. This wonderful woman is an international award-winning photographer known for creating empowering portraits of entrepreneurs to help them establish more visibility online. With her sense of integrity and personal shine she naturally possesses, she makes it so easy for us to ‘feel beautiful’ in our own skin. A part of confidence-building I shall forever stand by." Sharron specialises in working with entrepreneurs, musicians, performers and artists from around the world. Her photo-shoots are VIRTUAL, enabling her to work with a global client base, directly from her studio, helping us gain greater visibility on our social media as a result. Sharron is super-talented, very professional, has a real eye for positioning the camera, and has perfect attention to detail, the ideal combination of skills for Jeeni artists and performers. Sharron says: “Being a photographer is a great privilege for me and it has given me the opportunity to document so many beautiful aspects of people’s life journeys. Some of these people are now great friends. I am lucky enough to say I am truly passionate about what I do. Many people hide away from having their photographs taken because they don’t feel confident in how they look in front of the camera or don’t think they are photogenic. My mission is to change that belief and I want to take the best photograph you have ever seen of yourself. The VIRTUAL sessions are incredibly good fun and very relaxed and I will give you lots of direction to help you feel at ease. At the time of booking, I will talk you through everything you need to know so there are no need for nerves – just excitement! I can take a range of photos through an IPhone connection or Zoom, whatever you would prefer from the comfort of your own home anywhere in the world.”   We highly recommend that you get your VIRTUAL shoot booked NOW. Check out Sharron https://sharrongoodyear.com Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

14
Feb

Pat Spencer & JoeSach - ‘Alive & Surviving’ EP Review

This collaboration between a heart-felt lyricist and a versatile songwriter results in a sweet and layered three-track project.  Although songwriter and producer, JoeSach has already uploaded various electronic tracks on the global streaming platform, Pat Spencer is a new addition to Jeeni and has already broadened Jeeni’s indie channel. Be sure to check out the showcases of these two invaluable jeeni artists: JoeSach - https://jeeni.com/showcase/joesach/ and Pat Spencer - https://jeeni.com/showcase/patspencer/.  Pat Spencer’s sweet lyrics and vocal talent provide the heart to this project, while producer, JoeSach forms the body with day-dreamy and mellow instrumentals. The creative and stylistic change of pace lends itself well to Pat’s voice; with thrashing live drums and angsty bass-centered tracks, Pat’s last year singles were much rowdier and faster paced. His casual, yet sincere vocals contain a lot of character and have been fully realised with these calmer instrumentals.  The opening track, ‘I Like You’ is an excellent introduction to this short project. It swells open with a filter-swept beat and warm electric piano chord as though this EP is warming up. With the softer, jazz inspired instrumentals, Pat’s conversational lyrics and sweet melodies are much more obviously reminiscent of Rex Orange County and the British take on bedroom pop. This light-hearted introduction helps set the initially brighter tone which helps contrast the darker tracks to come.  ‘Time’, the second track, is a retrospective and peaceful cut. Layered, imperfect vocals make the song feel warm, comforting and real. While there’s a certain sadness in Pat’s voice here, there’s also acceptance and optimism as he sings ‘Keep your head down, you’ll be fine’. The particular easiness and comfort in Pat’s vocals on ‘Time’ makes the track a clear highlight.  The final track, poetically named ‘The Persistence of Memory’ is an emotional and longing closer. The final piece of this trilogy feels the bleakest, making the project feel like a gradual decrease in hope and enthusiasm, which is an incredibly effective narrative considering it’s told in just three tracks. Minor keys, moody timbres and morose mixing helps to tell the story of this increasingly blue EP.  How can Jeeni support artists like Pat Spencer?   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.  album review album review album review

20
Mar

Independent Musicians & Performers have 365 Days to Celebrate

Happy Birthday IMAP!   A year ago today Jeeni founding directors decided they wanted to create a supportive, free, public, non-judgemental, democratic, kind and sharing organic eco-system for independent musicians and performers across the globe. Independent Musicians and Performers (IMAP) Community managed by Jeeni was launched this time exactly one year ago. Jeeni CEO & founding Director who manages the community group said: "Seven days a week for the entire 365 days we personally supported and promoted independent artists across the globe. Sharing and showcasing the creatives and we are now members of 300 + other Facebook groups with potential outreach to 4.3m members, with access to over 34K videos. All of this has been achieved at NO cost, just our time and passion resulted in organic growth during the Pandemic. We are absolutely delighted and very proud of our effort and commitment to our members. But we could not have done it with all our members so a massive congratulations to all of you." Today we're celebrating our first anniversary, and what an amazing year it’s been. Our thanks to each and every one of you. We have loved every minute of it, and we’ve grown stronger all the time. Over 3,300 members, sharing, liking, posting, interacting and supporting one another through these challenging times. We've been connecting and promoting unsigned singers, musicians, performers, poets, dancers and DJs every step of the way, 7 days a week for the last 365 days. We have broadcast two global Festivals featuring Grammy Award-winners alongside brand new talent, and our next Festival will be live-streamed around the world on Saturday 10th April to spotlight some of our favourite IMAP members plus some very special guests. And it’s been a great year for Jeeni, where we run the IMAP group for you. 1,800 artist showcases, 105 Channels, 139 Celebrity Fanbases and over 2 million audience outreach. We have welcomed 11 new Team Jeeni members to match singers and songwriters with bands, mentors and experienced professionals, safe and securely online, and we’ve supported artists raising money from investors and platforms like AmplifyX, Patreon and Rocket Fuel. With £350,000 investment from 422 investors to develop Jeeni as the ethical alternative for Independent Musicians and Performers like you, let’s party for our birthday! Help us celebrate and join Jeeni.com right now.