CSUN Music Major Pursues Career in Industry

By: Vanessa Abner

Say It Loud! Staff

Music has always been a key element to Stephhanie Jacques family’s strong linkage to acculturation and family values.
    Growing up with no cable, as neighboring children rejoiced to “The Cosby Show” and “It’s A Different World” Jacques, and her siblings would sing along while attending an Opera or musical.
    The 24-year-old is a music industry major at Cal State Northridge (CSUN) and Opera major at Howard University online. Jacques is actively pursuing her career as a singer despite the many discriminatory epics she faces as a woman and person of color.
    “I’ve always known I wanted to be a singer, it’s come naturally,” Jacques said, “I quit sports at 13 but stuck to music and dance.”
    Jacques attended Amador High School in the Bay area, a school that was known for their music program.
    Her mother passed away when she was young. Her grandmother and aunt raised Jacques and her brother along with two Korean adopted siblings.
    “My aunt was an opera singer; she sang in New York for a number of years,” Jacques said, “she practically trained me.”
    Her lifestyle of rich melody and hymn lead Jacques and two of her friends to start their own music team called DLS, all acronyms of their own names: “Dasha”, Elle B’s and Saja- which is Jacques’ stage name.
    “We work together to form a product that is the best for me to perform,” Jacques said.
    For example, Elle and Jacques collaborated on their very first song in 2006 called “Found you”. Today the group is collaborating to write an upbeat compilation as part of an eight-song cd called “Going Out”.
    Jacques has also performed live and has worked with artists such as Joss Stone and Tility.
    “I’m working on another solo “why me”, which will be one of the eight songs in my upcoming CD,” Jacques said.
    You can listen to Stephanie Jacques songs by going on her website www.myspace.com/ariasoulmusic. 

Janet Jackson-Music's Favorite Icon Proves

Why She Is In Control

Janet Jackson CONCERT REVIEW 9/17/08 @ the Staples Center

By: James B. Golden

Say It Loud! Staff 

Recently in Elle Magazine, superstar entertainer/vocalist Beyonce Knowles said she is less than content with being considered an average “pop star”. Many of the current female performers such as Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Fantasia and Ashanti fit the bill. Beyonce’s quest has become to follow in the footsteps of the few female singers who have been elevated to the distinction of pop culture icons.
    When one thinks of iconic female singers, there are possibly five who immediately come to mind from this generation. Whitney Houston certainly is at the forefront with her diamond pipes and unmatched chest vocal belting, Mariah Carey is the powerhouse singer/songwriter who has consistently evolved since her 1990 debut, Madonna has the unconventional unpredictable image, Celine Dion emerges as the vocal proprietor and even Beyonce Knowles is considered an icon-in-training with her steady hit-making-record-breaking machine alter ego, Sasha.
    But, when we look to an icon with performance endurance, chart-topping hits, record-setting albums, unmatched concerts and enough style to generate years of commentary, we look to Janet Jackson.
    On that whimsical night at the Los Angeles Staples Center, home of the LA Lakers, fans sashayed around the lobby areas with looks of heavy anticipation and fear on their faces.
    “I wonder what costumes she’ll be wearing?”
“Are there going to be any special guests?”
    Will she have enough time to sing all of her hits,” we all pondered strolling through the massive structure.
    As we found our seats in the VIP section of the stadium, we noticed a stage setting which looked unlike any other we had seen as of late. Her stage wrapped around the audience like four long fashion runways connected in the corners. There were lights everywhere big props and sets of bleachers on stage. We knew this show was going to be extraordinary.
    Suddenly, the lights went down and vibrant screams beckoned from the standing audience, two over sized “J’s” lit up and opened—there she was in the flesh, Janet Jackson. The band began playing the opening rifts of her 1986 hit Pleasure Principle and the crowd went into frenzy. After performing the original choreography for Pleasure Principle (remember the solo dance number with the chair created by 1980s icon Paula Abdul), Jackson did a medley of hits from her first commercially successful album Control (1986) including: What Have You Done For Me Lately, Nasty and the title track.
    She would go on to perform a total of 45 of her greatest hits throughout the course of the evening. The chorus-lines brought a sweet and painful nostalgia to the twentysomethings and thirtysomethings in the audience. We quickly decided that listening to Jackson’s catalog is like playing the soundtrack of the 1990s. Each of her multi-platinum albums recalls a different year or event in the 1990s. They summons up memories of Poetic Justice, The Nutty Professor, “dookie braids”, that ridiculous 1998 cow-hoop nose ring, and what can be quite easily described as the single greatest R&B album of all time: The Velvet Rope (1997).
    By the time she reached her apex, the crowd was completely in a trance. The band began playing Got ‘till It’s Gone and Q-Tip arose on screen performing this largely successful hit. And it just kept getting deeper I Get Lonely blasted from the speakers and the crowd sang every word of the song at the top of their lungs like it was a Sunday morning Baptist Church spiritual. Finally, this set was wrapped up with a tear-jerking performance of “Together Again” which was originally written for Jackson’s friend who passed away from AIDS. Everyone held their hearts and jumped up in the air simultaneously belting our “everywhere I go /every smile I see/I know you are there/shining down on me/dancing in moonlight/I know you are free/cause I can see your smile/shining down on me.”
    We could hardly believe that Jackson was able to perform over 40 of her top hits in a single 3-hour concert, while still having at least 10 singles which were not able to be squeezed in. She squeezed out singles from each of her 10 albums including her singles from this newest album Discipline. But, it is certainly a testament to her iconography that her career has helped to inspire so many women in the entertainment industry. Her stage-presence and concerts have been emulated by every artist that has come after her. She is really the unsung icon of the aforementioned group and she will forever live as the heartbeat of our generations—the Rhythm or our Nation!
    Beyonce has some serious work to do. 

Hurricane Katrina Inspires
Artists to Create

By: Ricki Morris
Say It Loud! Staff

“Suddenly New Orleans was on everybody’s mind,” said University of Iowa Professor Donald McLeese, about how the music of New Orleans artists brought to life the emotion of the hurt and loss, from the damages of Katrina.
    Professor McLeese, wrote an article titled “Katrina Boosted New Orleans Musicians Creativity,” where he explains how some of the artist careers and music advanced, after the reign of Katrina.  McLeese says that the idea, for his article stemmed from an interview he had, with New Orleans songwriter Allen Toussaint.
    “He said …We don’t want to give Katrina anything…Katrina destroyed our city, destroyed our homes, and emotionally, I could certainly understand the sentiment,” said Professor McLeese as he paraphrased the quote Toussaint made in his interview.
    Professor McLeese said he found it interesting how the disaster of Katrina was galvanized amongst a community of artists, and how some of them were inspired to do some of their best work in years, or in their entire career.  But the problem with McLeese’s observation is though the artist created good works from Katrina; it’s still hard to accredit such a tragedy as the inspiration.
    Last month, on August 29th—was the third year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.  The city known for its lively festivities was reported to have had solemn ceremonies and community events in memory, of the many losses. 
    McLeese says he completely understands why the music artists, of New Orleans don’t want to say that Katrina was worth inspiring their masterpieces, and nor did he feel they should.  His article was written to bring attention to the art, and show how these great artists expressed themselves after the storm.
    “I think the music tapped into the deeper part of these artists.  New Orleans is known primarily for good time music, party music, Mardi Gras [and] Burbin Street and all of that.  Obviously [this was] not good time music,” said McLeese.
    The emotions McLeese heard from the music where; anger, homesickness, and even spiritual. “I think the music tapped into the deeper part of these artists,” said McLeese.
    The artists McLeese acknowledge for their tragic masterpieces were; Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and a group called the New Orleans Social Club.
    Donald McLeese says that he believes the music from these artists will last long after Katrina is all cleaned up. “I mean there just great songs.”
    McLeese is a former critic-at-large and pop music critic for the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman, pop music critic for the Chicago Sun Times and staff writer for the Chicago Reader.