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Friday, 16 May, 2008

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Dina Vass

Dina Vass is a one-woman music machine; singing, writing and producing, Dina does it all, and her success has spanned the r&b, funky house and soul scenes. She also manages herself and has her own label, CMWS Music. Her debut album, 'Liberation', is due to drop in February. Dina has throat nodules at the moment - a condition that occurs when the voice has been over used for prolonged periods. The sufferer speaks in a husky manner, and can sustain permanent damage - it can ruin singing voices. Not good for someone like Dina whose voice is her living! After 30 seconds of speaking to Dina I see why she suffers from them. This is one energetic person, and to call her bubbly would be an understatement! She launches straight into conversation, "Excuse the sound of my voice. I have lumps on my vocal chords; it's from 16 years of singing. "I've been told I need to have three to six months of complete rest - no talking and no singing. And, as you are probably already gathering, I am a bit of a motor mouth so complete voice rest is very difficult for me!" She lets out a throaty laugh - perhaps another thing she might have to hold off on? Dina has been singing since she can remember, and has brought the world such club classics as the soul-soaked melody 'The Love I Have For You' and, more recently, 'Waiting For You'. But she has lots more up her sleeve, as she is keen to point out: "I have about 150 songs written and ready to go. I work with different producers and musicians. I can write songs as quick as secretaries can write letters! I'd say about 50 are totally mastered and ready for release." Dina's first album, Liberation', is set for release in February - a long time coming, you might say, but it's not been all club hits and production royalties for this lady; Dina's life has been one of dramatic events and she's had as many lows as she has highs. But don't for one second think she'll let that beat her! "'Liberation' was due out in October last year but will now be released in February because there have been some complications. So what should we expect? "My passion is jazz, funk and soul, but I love all dance music. The album encompasses drum 'n' bass, funky house, loads of stuff really! I find dance music quite easy to produce." Thirty-year old Dina has the energy of someone who has just started out in the industry. She grew up within North London's Greek community and taught herself how to play the keyboard at the age of seven. She recalls being "in paradise" when she received her first instrument. And now she's mastered many instruments: "I pretty much play everything". She left home at the tender age of 15, but that, as she says, is "a whole other story". I decide not to push the subject. Dina then adds, "People ask why I've been doing it for 16 years but not had an actual big break." She pauses, takes a deep breath, and continues, "I got a major record deal with RCA Records in America seven years ago and then I had a serious accident. I couldn't function or work properly for three years." Dina has an intriguing story to tell but she's understandably cautious, saying instead, "if the record sales go well and people want to know more then I'll tell them. But for now that's enough! I don't want to go on about it." How refreshing to speak to someone who's not prepared to use their experiences outside of music to sell their product! No, Dina plans to work hard to get what she wants: "I have this weird drive. I just keep going. I have been through so much I just take whatever good came from a situation and move on." Her determination is obvious, and true to form, she made her initial break by heading off to Ayia Napa at the peak of its popularity a few years ago. She broke into the music circles - working the clubs and pretending to be her own agent, 'Nadine', during the day and songstress 'Dina' at night! "I talk about this too much in case people think I'm crazy! But I noticed that promoters don't like talking to artists direct, so I pretended to be Nadine! I put on a posh accent and wore no makeup and had my hair totally different. If anyone said we looked alike I just said we were cousins! It worked and I got lots of bookings for the summer!" Last July Dina released 'Waiting For You', which did well within the funky house scene and was the follow-up to her biggest track to date, 'The Love I Have For You'. The track was also popular on the airwaves, with Kiss 100 particularly. What was the story behind 'The Love I Have For You'? "It's such a sad story with that track. The label decided not to push it any further but if they had I honestly think it would have been a huge hit! So I got out of the contract and just went independent. Unfortunately they still own the rights to the track so I can't even give my own song a proper release. I got ripped off, basically." But the track is so distinctively hers that whenever it's played people just know it's Dina Vass. She seems genuinely pleased by this: "I do always try to keep a positive attitude. It's really nice to hear things like that!" Dina spends a lot of her time working on charity projects, one of which included going to Ukraine for four months with ska band Maroon Town. They performed in prisons and orphanages as part of a project to bring music and entertainment into these usually oppressive environments. "It was such an eye opener! The most shocking place was a boys' prison. It was freezing cold and they had no heating. When we did the show they had a generator instead of electricity; we got one amp going and two mics, so we just jammed the rest. "The inmates were between 14 and 20 years old. Most of them were there for stealing purses or money - but they just looked like little boys! It was just so sad. I wanted them to enjoy the music because that is the magic of it - it's universal. I want to do more charity stuff with my music. I'll start getting visas sorted soon." She also has started up a little sideline, acting as a hybrid of manager and mentor to new talent Dean Facey. Her eyes light up when she talks about this new project. She sounds genuinely proud: "He is an amazing talent and I want to make sure he doesn't get ripped off! I have signed his funk-infused track 'Don't Understand', which is out now!" 'Don't Understand' has been released on Dina's own label, CMWS Music (Connect Mind With Soul Music). The label is one of her main priorities for the next year, with the release of Dean's track and her own album. Despite her various successes, Dina has never really experienced full-on fame. Apart from in Romania… "It's surreal! I get mobbed as I walk down the street. Then I come back to the UK and I'm sat sticking labels on my own CDs!" Dina hopes her patience, perseverance and passion will finally pay off this year. And then her biggest ambition is to release an album that is 100% written, produced, sung and mastered by Dina herself! There's just no stopping her! Dina, we have no doubt you'll make it! Dina's album, 'Liberation', is out in February on CMWS Music.

tags: | dina vass | music | singer | r&b | funky house | soul | cmws | debut | liberation | more...

Cue Music Video

Cue Music Video

The Cue Music project helps disaffected young people with little or no previous musical training regain their confidence and rebuild low self esteem to take their first steps on the path to working within the music industry. This month Notion focuses on the new Music Video aspect of the course at the Southend YMCA, Essex. Since the launch of MTV in 1981 the music video has become as much a part of the music business as the artists and their music itself. Once, the music video was little more than just a promotional tool, just a part of the greater marketing machine permitting artists to get television airplay without having to turn up to a show. Now the music video is a form of entertainment in its own right, with a proliferation of music video channels including Kerrang!, Channel U, MTV Base and MTV Dance catering for every conceivable taste. Music awards are dedicated to the best quality videos, music video directors such as Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Chris Cunningham and Jonathon Glazer are household names and some of the most creative minds in UK music videos are doing their best to lift the music video to the level of art form, as can be seen on www.antennnapromo.co.uk. Recognising the power of this visual medium, the tutors at Cue Music felt a need to incorporate Music Video into the course. This means that the young people not only get a chance to learn how to write, play, record, produce and mix music tracks, as well as designing their own promotional material (CD covers and posters), but they now also have the opportunity to make a music video and find out what it is like to be in one. Music co-ordinator Sean McLoughlin: "It's another experience that young people just wouldn't normally get. It might open their minds to go into TV or video production. It might inspire them to do a photography or film course, and it shows them another side to the music industry." As with every other aspect of this pre-foundation music course, the underlying principle is one of alternative education or stealth learning. "The whole process meets the purpose. Making a video is something they can see through, from planning to fruition. At the same time they're working towards an OCN (Open College Network) qualification, as well as other qualifications we've been able to include as a result of adding video to the course." For this pilot scheme Cue Music was lucky enough to get permission to use brand new tracks by established artists. For the group of young people that specialise in Production and DJ skills this meant a hip hop music video for the title track of Rodney P's new solo album 'The Future'. Sean: "The kids were really excited about working with famous people. The fact that they are just giving them the time of day raises their self esteem no end. It shows them that people care. One lad was buying some CDs in HMV and showed his friends a copy of Rodney P's album, and proudly told them he was making a video for him." With his regular slot on digital radio station 1Xtra with DJ Skitz - 7pm to 10pm Friday nights - UK ambassador of hip hop Rodney P fully appreciates the need to promote independent artists in the media. "For years we didn't have access to the airwaves and now we're cracking that and getting over that hurdle. Now the new thing is getting our faces on the telly. Music videos are real important; they are a way of selling the music. The kids buy into all that stuff they sell on TV, bottom line. So if you're really serious about selling records you have to have a video." "It has taken a long time for the independent acts in the UK to get to the stage where they could be making videos and get access to the channels, but now, with MTV base and Channel U, the outlet is there so it's definitely a building industry. I'd advise the youths to get into it because there's going to be a lot of work for them in a few years." But why let a load of young people at the YMCA make a video for one of his tunes? "It's all about giving the kids the outlets and the opportunities to do stuff and I really think they're going to do a good job. It's about being creative and if they haven't got access to that £150,000 budget they're going to have to use their heads. I'm really interested to see what's going to come out the other side, see where they take it, how they interpret the music visually." The other group of young people on the course focus on live performance, playing in a band. The track for their music video, 'Still Your Light Shines On', was kindly provided by former The Damned guitarist Roman Jugg - from his new solo album 'Papá Loco'. "It's really great to work with someone of Roman's calibre and experience," says Sean. "I couldn't believe how keen he was to get involved when we asked him. He even came down and appeared in the video with some of the young people playing as his backing band." Writing and producing the album completely independently of any major record label, Welsh born Roman really liked the concept of these young people making a video for his song. "I thought it was a good idea and I felt very honoured," Roman explains. "It's a nice way of trying to put something back. The real attraction was the fact that they were creating something from something I created." After nine years with punk band The Damned, whose strong visual presence was so integral to both their videos and their performances, Roman understands the value of 'the look'. "Image is very important when you sell a record," says Roman. "When you buy a CD now the artist's image is very much imprinted on your mind. I was always very much into the early days of David Bowie, when he had all those characters. When I listen to a song from that era I still visualise him singing Ziggy Stardust as Ziggy Stardust." Having enjoyed his involvement with Cue Music and looking excitedly ahead to seeing the finished project, Roman is keen to encourage others to join in. "I'd like to see high profile performers get more actively involved in this project because it's a way of changing somebody's direction in life. The young people really look up to these artists. If they would give a little more time to projects like this I think perhaps it would make them understand a little bit more about what they're doing and the effect it has on people." The final videos will be screened as part of the end-of-course concert before being used as a promotional tool by Cue Music for its activities and as part of its outreach program. Obviously, the highest goal is to get television airplay. Sean: "At the end of the course they'll be able to sit back and watch it on the big screen. It's their ideas; it's their planning and their hard work. They've got complete ownership of it. It just really boosts their confidence because people are actually listening to their ideas and taking them seriously." The course is run in conjunction with the YMCA Foyer and is made possible by funding from the European Social Fund, the East of England Development Agency, the Single Regeneration Budget and Local Connexions; plus support from Southend Adult Community College which provides skilled trainers to run the courses and provide literacy support. Cue Music is currently looking for a patron to support its ventures. To find out more about the course contact: sean@cuemusic.net (www.cuemusic.net) To hear tracks from/purchase Papá Loco by Roman Jugg visit www.zingg.co.uk For up-to-date info on the Rodney P tour visit www.rodneyp.com Breakin' Crew featured in Rodney P video: Methods of Movement ( http://www.dna-wear.com Article by David Valentine

tags: | cue music | video | southend | ymca | essex | mtv | music | kerrang | channel u | more...

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