Spotlight on Children of The Beatles: Acorns and Oaks

Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Spotlight on Children of The Beatles: Acorns and Oaks

by Kelli Richards, Jeeni MD USA

Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

Most people are aware that I am (and always have been) an avid Beatle-ologist from a very young age. One of the things I find particularly fascinating is what’s become of the children of the Beatles — between the four guys, they had 10 biological children in total, and all but George also have stepchildren.

I want to keep this blog relatively brief so allow me to share just a few examples to showcase the talents and passions of these amazing renaissance individuals and what they’re doing in the world as part of their legacy (I may well elect to do a more in-depth article at some point covering all of them).

The one I’ve been closest to myself is Julian Lennon (John’s older son) who is the same age as me; I’ve had the good fortune of connecting with him over the years and admire him greatly. Julian is a gifted, multi-faceted man of extraordinary talent, virtue and depth of character. He’s not only an extremely talented singer and songwriter, and a successful musician, but he is also a noted photographer, a passionate philanthropist, film producer, advocate of many amazing global causes, and an award-winning children’s book author.

Just recently I happened to catch an episode of a new cooking show by Mary McCartney who has carried on her mother’s dual legacy of being a noted photographer and a fantastic vegetarian cookbook author, chef and on-air talent. The show did a great job showcasing Mary’s personality, her humor and her charisma — as well as her obvious gift for creating delicious healthy meals.

Mary’s sister Stella McCartney has been a wildly successful leader in the fashion world for over 20 years. Her designs are sought after by some of the world’s most famous celebrities, and her clothes are eco-friendly mindful of the environment. Stella is also a lifelong vegetarian and a passionate animal rights and climate activist.

George Harrison’s only son, Dhani Harrison, is a multi-instrumental musician in his own right, a sought-after film/TV composer, and is among the most tech-savvy progressive technology-minded of the bunch having been instrumental in the Beatles being part of the hugely popular Rock Band video game developed by Harmonix in 2009. He also shares his dad’s passion for race cars.

What’s especially interesting to note is that virtually all of the Beatle children have pursued creative passions whether in music, photography, cooking, fashion, filmmaking, philanthropy — or a combination of all of the above. There’s a whole lot more to share about ALL of these talented individuals, and as I mentioned — stay tuned to this channel — as I’m likely to write more about them in a lengthier article hopefully showcased in a notable publication.

Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

BACK

26
Aug

Bradley Jago - A Brilliant Artist Exploring Queer Identity

When you first listen to Bradley Jago, right away, you are overpowered by the sheer force of his voice. It takes centre in what feels to be an intimate stage, one that exists outside of space and time, where you and only you become privy to not only the beauty of Jago’s soulful voice, but also the profoundness of his lyrics. Rain is a song that is full of feeling, full of something rare in music - accountability. Jago tells me that the song is about change, letting the rain wash over you and forgetting the mistakes that you’ve made. He asks if we can hear the rain pour, and we can. Behind the beat, there is the unmistakable pitter patter of gentle rain sounds. But this question conceals another. When talking to Jago about the intention of the song, he told me: “I was… looking back at everyone I dated and I was like “Oh damn, there’s some people that I’ve actually fucked over a little bit.” … And Rain is an apology to those people, to say I’ve changed now, and even though I have caused you pain, I hope we can move forward after. [It] is a metaphor for the pain I have caused them.” The song itself has smooth jazzy influences. Jago’s clear voice overlaps itself in a layered harmony with a gentle underscored bass, Jago seemingly having a quiet moment of reflection to himself, as he sings to “let it rain”. The song’s intimacies are intentional. According to Jago “It’s kind of like a quiet moment to yourself. You’re at the gig with me in this intimate venue.” Then, the drums kick in. There is a desperation to the song emphasised by the changed tempo - the emotion becomes fevered as he sings “let it rain” - the words repeating, creating a heightened emotional effect - it feels as if he is begging, bargaining, hoping. There is no longer just a sweetness and a softness and a sadness. There is a frenzy, a fury to be understood. And that’s what love, remorse, and pain is like. There’s also important depth to be acknowledged within Jago’s music. Jago himself is a queer artist, who writes from the queer perspective. Why is this important to be acknowledged? Because in a song that is this intimate and honest, you need to understand why it is also brave. Queer identity comes with an enormous amount of negatives - it’s a terrifying thing to out oneself, and make yourself inherently vulnerable to the disdain of others, and also yourself. Jago is changing the game by bringing this honesty to his music, in a world where queer people still find themselves being judged, discriminated against, the context of one love song can change from being a sweet romantic piece to a dramatic profession of bravery. Jago is interested in analysing both sides of the spectrum of queer experience. “I think I’d want to write about the negatives [of queer identity]. Being queer is celebrated a lot (as it bloody well should be). But also there are negatives that people aren’t talking about.” It’s important to note that queer art, music and writing should not be made distinct by its queerness. Of course it adds depth and context to the art itself, but it is important to acknowledge the art as full of feeling, and therefore, universality. As Jago himself points out: “If I can relate to a straight song, a straight person can relate to my queer song.” So what’s in store for Jago for the future? He is doing festivals Victorious, and The People’s Lounge - “Because the music is so honest, I don’t want to do too much to the music. I want it to be really raw and still sound great - but very authentic and sound like it’s coming from my soul.” He also tells me: “I’m writing a track at the moment called ‘New Gay Sadness’ (there’s a little snippet available on Jago’s instagram) - it’s about the gay yuppies in London who are living their life but cannot find love. There’s a lot of pressure… ‘okay, we’re getting to a place of equality, still a long way to go… it’s like ‘oh you should be happy now’ but you have all these other life pressures of why aren’t you in a relationship. Why haven’t you achieved this yet?’” You can catch Bradley at the Victorious festival on the People's Lounge stage at 5:10pm on the 27th of August. Listen to his amazing track RAIN here Here

19
Oct

Afro-Futurist Project - Onipa

Onipa is an Afro-Futurist project from Ghana/ London founded in 2018 by K.O.G (founder of K.O.G and the Zongo Brigade) and Tom Excell (founder of Nubiyan Twist). Alongside bandmates Finn Booth (Nubiyan Twist) and Wonky Logic (Steam Down). Afro-futurist sensations Onipa combine deep afro grooves, electronics and fierce energy in an effervescent celebration of cultural and musical encounters. ONIPA means ‘human’ in Akan, the ancient language of the Ashanti people of Ghana. It’s a message of connection through collaboration: from Ghana to London, our ancestors to our children. Bringing energy, groove, electronics, afrofuturism, dance and fire! Jeeni’s mission is to support artists just like Onipa, showcasing their talent and support them to reach their full potential by having a showcase on jeeni.com. Since their debut showcase at The Great Escape festival, Onipa have gone on to sell out the Jazz Cafe, London and play 40 summer shows around the UK and Europe in 2019. Including, Glastonbury (Truth Stage), Shambala (Dance Tent), Fellabration (Paradiso, Amsterdam) and headline shows in Zanzibar and La Reunion Island in 2020. The group performed in Australia in front of a 5000-strong crowd during a celebration of Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday. As well as Damon Albarn's 'The Circus' in Leyton, London. Their debut album We No Be Machine has a 4* review from MOJO and UK radio play from Benji B, Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe. However, coverage and touring were all badly hit by the pandemic. Despite this, Onipa still managed to record an immersive live performance at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios for WOMAD as well as showcasing at SXSW and We Out Here online. Additionally, they are currently working on their next record. 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. Check out Onipa's showcase here on Jeeni: Onipa | Showcase | JEENI. Along with other showcases to add to your playlist. jeeni.com.

23
Jun

The Majestic at The Queens Hotel Southsea

COMPETITION TIME WIN FREE ACCESS FOR A GROUP OF 6 The Queens Hotel Southsea Sunday 13th June 2021. The Majestic is a Roots Rock Reggae band hailing from London. Taking some of the liveliest parts of reggae, from an eclectic set of influences, and with a diversity of origin comes an infectious blend of British and Jamaican music. Formed in the early 1980s by band leader Baba Ras, with its initial success leading to a tour supporting Misty in Roots, and culminating in the Stonehenge Festival of ‘83 alongside Hawkwind. The band then went on hiatus until 2011, when they returned to the UK scene for a second time, racking up an impressive three hundred-plus shows in their first three years. Bit by bit, a gradual change in line up culminated in the six-piece performing today. With a traditional riddim section mixed with rocky guitar leads and saxophone hooks, the Majestic promise a wild spectacle. Whilst a regular at Boomtown and Falmouth Reggae Festival, the band are a familiar face on the wider UK festival circuit, and is intimate with venues such as Brixton’s Hootananny, Brixton Jamm and The Fox And Firkin, frequently playing reggae hotbeds in London and beyond. Currently, the final touches on the band’s second album, Roots and Reality, are being made, being released for summer 2020. The Majestic can now usually be found touring the length and breadth of the UK and further, sharing its own diverse brand of reggae and bringing party vibes everywhere they go. Love, peace and a message of compassion and unity is what The Majestic spread! Uniting their fellow humans through music is an absolute must! Additionally, The Majestic will be performing at the Summer Garden Party hosted at The Queens Hotel Southsea along with Emiliyah and the MightyZ Allstars, Sunday 13th June 2021. How to win: All you have to do is like and share this blog post and we will enter you into the draw to be announced Saturday Night 12 June 2021 at 8pm. Full Details of event can be found at: https://book.events/queensgardenparty/2021-06-13/30015 #funky #upbeat #uplifting #themajestic #blogs #reggaemusic #band #livemusic #jamacianmusic #guitar #saxophone

Jeeni Blog