Let’s celebrate the “F” word – unlocking the power of our feminity. By Sammie Venn

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Let’s celebrate the “F” word – unlocking the power of our feminity. By Sammie Venn

By Sammie Venn Jeeni's Official Writer, Columnist and Blogger.

Here at Jeeni.com we celebrate and support all musicians and performers, and poetry has its own dedicated channel for artists and performers to showcase their work and earn 100% of their sales, ticketing, merchandise and donations.

Last week Jeeni returned to Crowdcube to raise more funds for helping new talent. We have been very encouraged with the positive response as we reached our target in just 6 days and now overfunding If you want to see our pitch click HERE.

Today we showcase Sammie Venn as a very talented and creative writer.

“For I conclude that the enemy is not lipstick, but guilt itself; we deserve lipstick, if we want it, AND free speech; we deserve to be sexual AND serious—or whatever we please. We are entitled to wear cowboy boots to our own revolution.” After reading Dr Naomi Wolfs powerful words I dug my cowboy boots out of the closet, turned the radio up and attempted to work through my own solitary revolution. I too wanted lipstick, love and liberty. I wanted to dance to my own beat and feel ecstatic about it.

I have been in the retail industry for over 25 years now; understanding what women want and correlating that to how they feel, is a task both meaningful and joyful to me. It is something I continue to learn and explore daily as finding our inimitable style is part of the process of discovering our femininity; for me it is about how we show up in the world. I have never been an avid follower of fast fashion, the clothes we wear and how we choose to adorn ourselves is part of being authentically who we are. At heart I am a boho gypsy who longs to live her life in maxi dresses with no shoes, in the sunshine. This is of course not always practical but I like to kiss the earth with my toes as often as I can and working from home, especially at the moment provides me with that luxury.

Celebrating our femininity should be a practice that connects both the pleasure and magic of being a woman. It’s easy to berate ourselves, finding fault in the smallest of details but it is those elements that we should embrace and nurture more than anything; it is after all what makes us unique in this world. I had a hip replacement a couple of years ago at the age of 45. As painful and heart breaking as it was, I learnt to love the scar I see every day, as it was that very operation which allowed me to walk again. Falling in love with your body, scars and all, is about accepting everything that is wild, vulnerable and rampant about it.

Listening to our intuition and feeling the emotions that accompany it, is a practice worthy of time and dedication. I have always appreciated music, the soundtrack that accompanies my life is as varied and eclectic as the decades I have lived in. Maya Angelou wrote that “ a bird does not sing because it has the answers, it sings because it has a song”. So when we write, listen or perform, we give something of our heart to a receiving audience.

I have been working on a series of practices that will hopefully help to reclaim our pleasure both internally and externally. Here are a few rituals that harness the wisdom that we all carry within ourselves. Something for the mind, body and spirit.

Reclaiming Pleasure.

When we feel pleasure, we radiate it. Our skin glows, our eyes smile and our bodies feel more fluid and engaged with life in the moment. Finding pleasure in our daily activities is all part of a healthy sacred self-care regime. Notice what brings you joy, is it walking in nature? Dancing slowly to a rhythmic beat? Eating delicious food? Meditating? Soaking in a candlelit bath? Whatever it is, write it down and designate some time to your desires. Fulfilling our deepest needs brings us joy and harmony.

Date Yourself.

Have a date with yourself, be your own lover. Imagine your ideal soiree then recreate that for yourself, it can be wildly extravagant or very simple. A few years ago I took myself out for dinner, I dressed as if I were going out for the perfect first date. It was an odd experience as I had never done anything like this before. I was as nervous about being alone in a restaurant as I would have been meeting a prospective partner. But after my first glass of prosecco, I eased into the evening. I pulled out my notebook and listed everything I wanted to attract into my life; health, the feeling of safety, oneness with myself and those I loved, a man who respected me on all levels and a career I could be proud of. I ate my dinner mindfully, observed those around me and then smiled to myself, I remember feeling happy for the first time in years. I still have the journal I wrote in that night, I see it as part of my self-healing revolution. When you commit to choosing you, that loving vibration will radiate into all areas of your life.

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22
Nov

Kastopia - Self-titled EP Review

Kastopia’s eponymous debut project is a rapid and uncontainable demonstration of their light-hearted and fun-first brand of fusion jazz. Helpfully, the group have curated an excitable and varied ‘influences’ playlist on Spotify. Featuring Kamasi Washington, GoGo Penguin and TOOL, the only similarities here are a tendency for experimenting and expanding the constraints of rhythm and metre. Aptly, most of these tracks burst outwards with passion and the joy of musicianship and although the group quite accurately states in their short bio, ‘No one sounds like us’, they have certainly adopted that energetic mindset here in these three breathless tracks. A possible strain of influences not featured on their playlist is the superhuman Japanese brand of jazz fusion such as ‘Casiopea’ and ‘Dimension’. The latter of which lent their talent to Nintendo for select Mario Kart 8 soundtracks, a game that comes to mind regularly throughout ‘Kastopia’. Music like this where no sole part takes precedence can be a challenge to mix effectively due to a core reference point (typically vocals) being non-existent, but the production on these tracks is so solid. This is likely as a result of the musicians having an obviously adept understanding of their own instrumental tone and capabilities, but also from the pure time and care taken by the producers and mastering engineers to bring out the final dazzling qualities. The synergy between the Kastopia members is so satisfying to hear. At times, Kastopia are so tight and intuitively intwined that they come across as a sort of hivemind that has a masterful control over all elements of its sound. However, it’s important to remember that Kastopia runs on distinct individuality and personality expressed on each instrument; Scott Bentley’s adaptive and assertive distorted guitar, the atmospheric and mood-shifting keys from Nicholas Twine Padin, Felix Barret’s bass, commanding the rhythm section with slaps and rumbles and all three at the mercy of William Moore’s relentless and robust drumming. These make up the nuts and bolts of the new jazz fusion super power, Kastopia. How can Jeeni support artists like Kastopia? 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 Kastopia's page on Jeeni: https://jeeni.com/?s=kastopia

08
Sep

Jeeni is going to Victorious Festival!

Victorious Festival is the UK’s biggest metropolitan festival and is set to return to Southsea Seafront this August Bank holiday weekend (27th-29th August). With an excellent line-up including Madness, The Streets, Royal Blood, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and many more. At the event we will be busy spreading the word with our key messages, informing people of our most recent success in our latest Crowdcube round, how we managed to acheive "Mover and Shaker Status", raising nearly 70% of our £150k target in a week. Over the weekend we will be interviewing various artists and explaining why supporting a cause like Jeeni is so important, and if you have not already heard: Jeeni is the number one ethical alternative to streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify. We allow artists and performers to keep 100% of everything they earn through our platform. No Adverts, No Fakes. We are excited about our slot at the Victorious Festival and we will be sure to take this priviledged opportunity to shout out to as many who will hear what makes Jeeni so great. We hope to meet you there if you are going, and if you do you can pledge on site. But you don't have to wait to see us at the festival. You can pledge investment today and become part of our movement that is fighting to save the face of music and protect artists. You can pledge as little as £10 investment in Jeeni today you will ensure artists will have a future music career worth working in. For more information check out our pitch - https://bit.ly/3BhEeia *Capital at Risk. And congratulations to our ticket winners! Earlier today gave away 2 Victorious Festival tickets to one of our social network followers and we hope they have a great time. Be sure to follow us on our Instagram @Jeenimusic to get involved with our other posts and keep in touch for future promotions and updates.

01
Mar

WesLi D - ‘Walk Of Life’ Single Review

WesLi D’s first single of this year is an inventive and ambitious hip house banger, sure to evoke warm summer memories from all. A new addition to Jeeni, ‘Walk Of Life’ is currently the only track on WesLi D’s showcase and yet, the track still paints a vivid and inspired image of his craft and creative capabilities. We can’t wait to add more of WesLi D’s older and future tracks to Jeeni’s database of talent. Check out WesLi D on Jeeni: https://jeeni.com/showcase/ctq6hi7bzb6e/?view=about WesLi’s versatile voice and production style means that he’s able to represent a host of sub-genres and influences. His album from last year, ‘Sunny Days Ahead’ covers UK jazz rap with ‘Time Flies’, garage with ‘Pressure’ and most relevant to his newest track, WesLi dabbles with house in the last two tracks, ‘Clear Mind’ and ‘Yours To Keep’. Featuring chopped-up piano chord stabs with intense, layered beats, WesLi does so well to incorporate old-school house elements into his sound without diluting either his or his muse’s style. WesLi’s entrance into hip house is a calculated and smart transition; the final tracks to his album acted as a hint at what he’s been experimenting with lately and then, chronologically, comes ‘Walk Of Life’. The introduction for 'Walk Of Life’ is brave and very unsubtle for such a chill single; instantly the majority of the beat is heard, except without the four-to-the-floor kick drums to act as its backbone. The result is frankly, a jarring and odd display of almost random drum hits. Which is why it’s so satisfying when the kick finally does enter after four bars. The payoff for that initially weird introduction is beyond worth it, because the perfect context and explanation for those eclectic drum beats is provided in the form of steady kick drums and a commanding bassline sitting under it all. A totally effective and brilliant introduction that catches the listener off-guard and lets them know that this single isn’t standard by any means. WesLi D’s particular step into hip house feels particularly reminiscent of Channel Tres and his approach to beats and rumbling basslines. However, something that WesLi can utilise that Channel Tres struggles with is an adaptable and flexible voice. Where Channel Tres mostly just speaks softly over his beats, WesLi can confidently speak, rap and sing on his tracks. On ‘Walk Of Life’, we mostly hear WesLi’s singing voice which is as velvety as the Rhoades-esque electric piano that warbles across the entire piece. A highlight for me on this single are the choruses which completely changes the vibe from the pre-chorus which is the most pessimistic and tonally dark section of the track. In fact, the lyrical sections of this single are so clever in that they each represent mood shifts in WesLi as he processes the passing of time and trying not to let his dreams pass him by: In the verses, we see a hopeful but concerned mind-set, “I don’t know where I’m going on this walk of life, But I’m hoping that everything will be alright”, then in the pre-choruses, WesLi is in a dark and gloomy place as he says, “I’ve been searching for some time now. Tryna take some time out. Feel like I’m running out of time now”. Finally, the choruses move from minor to major in an uplifting modulation to represent WesLi D at his most optimistic, “It’s all mine, walk of life. Ain’t no dream passing me by”. A deceptively simple track from WesLi D as he seemingly masters the hip house genre in one of his first attempts. Listen on Jeeni here: https://jeeni.com/walk-of-life-wesli-d/ How can Jeeni support artists like WesLi D? JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience. Album review album review album review • 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.

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