Love in the Time of COVID-19: Working Apart but Creating Together.

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Love in the Time of COVID-19: Working Apart but Creating Together.

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. Today, Jeeni has returned to Crowdcube to raise more funds for helping new talent. If you want to see our pitch click HERE.

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

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it” – H.E Luccock

Sammie says, "Creativity brings people together. Artists, poets, writers and musicians have been forced apart, to distance, to isolate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet collaboration has flourished. Adversity has brought us together to create in new and innovative ways. I have learnt over the years that it is not possible to be great at everything. Different skills that blend and morph with each other are key to an effective alliance. That’s where the magic happens.

I have forged a new partnership with a UK-based award winning sound designer to launch a series of poetry short films – I call them “Poetry Porn” – on YouTube as a prelude to publishing an anthology of work in the autumn. Joe Churchman and I have worked on various projects together over the years. She wrote and co-directed the multi-award winning short film “Gloop” and collaborated with Sir David Attenborough. Joe has worked with MC Saatchi and the BBC, her talents and eye for creativity know no bounds .

Where once we joined forces over the kitchen table, enjoying a glass of wine, we have been forced by the pandemic to find new ways of working together, including our latest venture. We both have a thirst for learning and a need to enthusiastically share and impart the wisdom we have gained. Creating during COVID-19 has been an exhilarating and challenging experience for us both, but one we have overcome and enjoyed with fervour and passion. Never before have Zoom, WhatsApp and the desire to teleport been at the forefront of our combined creativity. Despite the 50 plus miles between our respective homes the soul sister bond that we have nurtured over the years has never been lost.

The verve for all things lyrical has surfaced again whilst working on the Poetry films. Having created a series of 100 poems, I am now in the editorial process: altering verses, changing words and making sure rhythm, beat and iambic pentameter all synchronise.

The work embodies the emotive journey of womanhood: traversing sorrow, despair, anger and liberation. The natural environment heals all woes and this journey is told through the changes in season. Death, loss, renewal and growth are all subjects covered within the poems and the films. Winter teaches us how to be patient, to rest, hibernate and prepare for growth. Autumn helps us to embrace the process of letting go. Spring is a period of regrowth and birth. Whilst Summer is our time to blossom and burst into the most vibrant versions of ourselves.

In the depths of winter combined with a broken heart, “Kiss the Tinder” was born. Poetry was and still is my solace, it helped me to rediscover compassion, serenity and hope. I was lucky enough to meet a fellow poet and songwriter via the writing community on Instagram a couple of years ago, Renée is from Texas, so we have only ever virtually met but he kindly agreed to record this poem. A true gift. I woke one morning to his dulcet tones in my inbox, and with a voice of liquid silk, he is the soundscape to this film.

This Poetry Short is therefore a true collaboration. Global restraints from continental distance to COVID-19 have not curbed our resourcefulness. The project has only just begun. This poem was published in June in American Journal “The Starlight Emporium” along with a collection of my other work.

“Kiss the Tinder” by Sammie Venn

Kiss the tinder, fall in love with the ashes
The storm destroys the pain with lashes
Indigo shards, incandescent stains
Life blood flowing, ripped like veins.

Lightening shreds the Arial sky
It punches, spits and angrily cries
Glorifying the night with celestial screams
Mother Nature voices her savage dreams.

Dancing with Hope, thunder follows alongside,
For now, there is nowhere in the world to hide.
Like a love-lorn couple, they rampantly combust
Tears of anguish wash away rage and lust.

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24
Feb

Jada Freeman, ‘Vibe With Me’ - Single Review

Last year’s 'Vibe With Me’ is a seductive, inviting and playful single from Jada Freeman. The track has hugely diversified her style and expanded expectations for her work ever since. Brand new to Jeeni, Jada Freeman is an exhilarating producer, singer and songwriter from East London. Although she thrives in the world of RnB, Jada casts a wide net of styles and approaches to her music that will catch you off-guard in the best possible ways. Jada has contributed all of her singles so far to Jeeni, including her successful track, ‘Illusions’ which has nearly 10,000 listens and is only available on Jeeni and Soundcloud. Check out her Jeeni showcase to listen to all of her music: https://jeeni.com/showcase/adkcmyfeevyu/ The first thing ‘Vibe With Me’ plays you is a creeping, mischievous bass line that darts around the beat and contains a lot of personality for a bass part. Underneath the bass is a warbling synth which acts as a sort of bed of sound and comfort. The flickering low-pass filter on the synth gives the entire track a relaxing, under-water tone which entices the listener in, hence the apt title. The beat is so fitting for this tranquil, yet alluring track. Alternative, new-age percussion is used to provide the beat instead of just kicks, snares and hi-hats. This choice makes the track entirely more interesting and stylistically layered than many other artists in this corner of contemporary music. The more obviously captivating component of this single is Jada’s vocal talent. Occasionally conversational like her named influence, Lilly Allen and other times soulful and staggering, Jada’s voice is a powerful tool in carrying her creative intentions and in ‘Vibe With Me’, that weapon is in full force. Jada also makes an experimental use of her voice as backing vocals that echo the welcoming title. Pitch-shifted both up and down at the same time and synthesised, Jada makes her voice into an entirely different type of instrument to emphasise the title and sentiment of the track throughout; a genius production device from the upcoming artist. Check out this brilliant track on Jeeni here: https://jeeni.com/vibe-with-me-jada-freeman/ How can Jeeni support artists like Jada Freeman? 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.

10
Mar

Artist Focus: DarkStarGraver – Rapper, Singer, Poet

While DarkStarGraver has a Zambian heritage, he lived in South Africa until he was two at which point, he bounced around the UK from Birmingham, to London, to Scotland and finally at ten years old, found where he identifies most, in Portsmouth. This is where Graver found his passion and drive as a rapper and has “been a Pompey lad ever since.” With innovative wordplay and masterful creative insight, DarkStarGraver is making an exciting splash in the UK hiphop scene, particularly with last year’s ‘Burning Bridges’, a dark, and impressive debut EP that expertly showcases his range as a rapper, singer and producer. Criminally underrated and unexplored, it’s only a matter of time before DSG blows up. Like all great artists, Graver grew up surrounded by iconic and memorable music. Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Sade all combined to create a powerful and soulful pool of inspirations for a young DarkStarGraver. Inspirations of the past collided with the then-current music landscape of garage and grime as the final push to convince him to start creating his own brand of the music that he loves. Graver found a particular success with a cut from his Burning Bridges EP, ‘CodeRED’ which holds the key components of a modern hiphop hit; A hard-hitting, adaptive beat, a catchy sung chorus and pure skill on the mic. Graver's 'CodeRed' was last year, a long time on from his first ever beat, ‘Dark Stars’ which kicked off his journey and brand as an artist. More than just a creative outlet, DarkStarGraver is inspired by artists like Tyler, The Creator and Kendrick for their tendencies towards lyrics deeper than just the surface. “Music is how I vent my most intimate thoughts and feelings, it’s therapeutic to me so I'm typically drawn to music that does the same”. From Graver’s, ‘Nivana Over DIGITS’ video, it comes as no surprise that earlier this year, Graver was nominated for ‘Music Video of The Year’ by LMSUK’s Portsmouth Radar. DarkStarGraver’s vision is realised vibrantly and clearly in his visuals. Watch now on Jeeni: https://jeeni.com/bcewhactsrxr/ Last year, Respect Magazine said, “DarkStarGraver is one of the most exciting new acts on the UK rap scene” and they couldn’t be more accurate. Graver’s mindset is fresh, focused and inspiring and we can’t wait to hear his next project. Check out DarkStarGraver’s Jeeni page: https://jeeni.com/?s=DarkStarGraver How can Jeeni support artists like DarkStarGraver? 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

06
Sep

Only 3 days left to own a part of Jeeni!

Thank you to the 4,131 independent musicians and artists who are supporting Jeeni during our crowdfunding campaign. Thank you to our 732 followers for your interest to date on the Crowdcube platform. Thank you to the 188 people who have requested access to our Investor Pack. Thank you to every one of the 174 investors for the pledges you have made to ensure the success of this raise. Thank you to all our Team Jeeni members for your hard work and dedication during this campaign. And it's not over yet! There are now only 3 days left to join in and help us achieve our goal of an ethical alternative for musicians, artists and performers. Own your part of Jeeni from as little as £10. Check out our pitch here: https://bit.ly/3BhEeia THANK YOU!

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