SUBJECT: Get on your "High Horse" 🐎

DATE: March 22, 2020

Mambo (hello in swahili) Tribe!

This week we spoke with singer-songwriter Jonathan Singletary, who is no stranger to Afrohaus. He has graced our experiences in NYC and LA and also curated this week's Afrohaus playlist. Follow him on Instagram @JonathanSingletary

KELLY'S KORNER

A chakra is an invisible center of spinning energy through which we are able to receive and transmit social, sexual and spiritual energy. Knowledge of the chakras has been recorded in ancient texts and artwork throughout Africa, India, Asia and amongst Native tribes across the globe. As the World becomes more connected, ancient awareness and knowledge of the chakras has provided the Western World with holistic methods to support and heal our body, mind, emotions and spirit. There are 7 chakra locations throughout the body and over the next few weeks, I will provide a brief look into each chakra and crystals that balance those chakras. There are so many incredible resources, healing modalities and ways to understand our inner child through the chakras, I highly recommend you dive deeper and use our overview as a guide towards your research.

FIRST CHAKRA (ROOT CHAKRA) 

• Overview:The energy at this center is governed by whether or not you received unconditional love and affection as a child. This is the center of physical energy and vitality. It's grounded in material reality so it's the center of manifestation.

• Location:At the tailbone

• Characteristics

  • Balanced Energy: grounded, fully alive, affectionate 

  • Excessive Energy: egotistic, addicted to wealth, sadistic

  • Deficient Energy: spacey, unfocused, feels unlovable

• Crystal Healing:Place two stones at each groin point where the thigh meets the torso. Red stones (ex: Red Carnelian) for energy and blood circulation. Brown and Black Stones (ex: Black Obsidian) are used for grounding, connecting with the earth, your body and physical reality.

   

COMMUNITY CORNER

What a week this has been family! We hope that you are all practicing social distancing and staying at home to flatten this curve so we can all get back to our normal lives as soon as possible. However, that being said, we believe in always searching for the silver lining in every situation. Life can have us always on the go without a moment to just breathe. If Rona has done anything, it has forced us all to PAUSE. How you use this time is completely up to you, and there is no wrong or right way to get through this. For some this is the break you needed to relax, catch up on your shows, and spend quality time with family. For others, this is the time to put in work on whatever project you couldn’t dedicate enough hours to. The key to getting through this is taking care of yourself. We are launching our #LiveSessions starting TODAY to help you do just that. Follow us on Instagram @Afrohaus_

• SUNDAY 2pm EST- We are kicking off with a live meditation led by Yemsrach Tekletsadik where we address the importance of stress reduction to keep our immune system performing at its best AND to keep us feeling creative.

• MONDAY 2pm EST- Music always makes us feel better, so join us for a live concert with artist Mariah Eskoh who says that “self isolation allows you to dive deep into your soul. To embrace those around you, and to reminisce on the face and moments in time.” She will be performing her song “Away.”

• WEDNESDAY 2pm EST- Jessica Reid will be hosting a very informative discussion titled, “What’s at stake if black women aren’t counted in the census?”

• THURSDAY 2pm EST- Personal Trainer Collis Stutzer will be sharing with us simple and easy workouts to balance our Netflix binges. 

1. You began your music career as the lead singer of alt-rock group Harville. What has the journey been like stepping out on your own as a solo artist?

It's been scary, exciting, liberating, and challenging, in all the best ways. It feels like a re-birth and a new beginning on a meaningful journey. It's been dope reacquainting myself with all the music swirling around in my brain.       I committed to creating without judgment and releasing music without being precious and it's felt amazing. Knowing that every decision from writing, recording in the studio, producing, mixing, mastering, releasing and promoting ultimately falls on my shoulders is daunting but I feel more prepared than ever because of these last 3 years with Harville. And I'm proud of myself for not hesitating to put the music out despite whatever fear or lingering questions about how I might still feel.

The dope thing about being in a band is you have this constant flow from other musicians' creative wells. But sometimes that keeps you from exploring the depths of your own creative well. My decision to prioritize my solo artistry was a decision to seek out all the under-explored vibes, feelings, and sources of inspiration I've collected my entire life. I decided to prioritize my solo music when I realized that a part of my desire to be in a band was born out of fear and doubt in my ability to create what I was trying to create on my own. In truth, I was feeling alone and insecure about a project I had recorded, produced, mixed and mastered on my own called "Friday on My Mind" because it didn't go platinum lol. It was my first real taste of what I call "release anxiety" in the age of streaming, and I decided to hide instead of standing behind my product despite its imperfections.

Side note, I still have no business mixing or mastering, but it was a lesson I had to learn about sticking to my strengths and outsourcing intentionally when necessary. So now, returning to my solo music feels like finishing what I started. But now I have over 100 live performances under my belt including AfroPunk Brooklyn, countless hours of studio time with Harville, and more clarity and confidence that God put me on this earth to make music only I can make. 

2. Have you always known you wanted to be a musician?

I've always been a musician. I started singing and playing the piano when I was 5. My mother was a choir director and my parents put me into piano lessons as soon as I showed interest. I started writing songs at 12 years old and self-produced my first album in my bedroom when I was 16 using a mix of ProTools, Reason, and AcidLoops (great ideas, horrible execution lol). I even won an MC Hammer-judged talent contest performing one of my originals (Proof). What I didn't know was that I wouldn't feel fully alive or free until I acknowledged that my purpose on this earth was in music. I took a long journey through college, grad school, and a 9-5 in tech before returning to music full-time in my mid-twenties - and I haven't looked back since. 

3. What inspired you to write your solo debut single High Horse?

Music has always been the place I speak on things I either can't find the words for or didn't even know I felt. My fiance and I were coming out of a rough season, where some of my self-sabotaging bad habits collided with her childhood wounding and fears about my chosen path as an artist and I apparently still had some things to get off my chest. Even though both parties in relationships are somewhat at fault for any given discord, I tend to masochistically take on the brunt of the blame and self-punish without giving credence to my actual point of view. So High Horse is me poppin' off a bit lol. I didn't go into the studio that day with anything in particular on my mind, but my co-writer and producer Charle Myers programmed a drum loop, laid down those fire guitar lines and the first thing out of my mouth was the chorus completely formed. It wasn't even about anything consciously at first. After listening to the rough beat and hook the verses just flowed out over the next few days and that was that.

4.Who are your greatest musical inspirations?

It's a long list rooted in classic gospel, R&B and Soul and then it goes deep and wide: Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, Isley Brothers, DeBarge, Mavis Staples, Marvin Gaye, Kirk Franklin, Boyz II Men, Andre 3000, Whitney Houston, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Sade, Anita Baker, Pharrell, Neptunes, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Hieroglyphics, John Mayer, Kanye West, Drake, Radiohead, Ben Howard, Corinne Bailey Rae, Rhye, Moses Sumney, SOHN, Coldplay, Michael Kiwanuka and so many more.

5.How do you want to be remembered as an artist?

I want to be remembered as an honest artist with a unique sound who brought something new and different to the conversation and the sonic landscape of our time. I want to be remembered in music and in life for how I made people feel and hopefully that's more loved, more free, and more seen and understood. I want people to know that it's not just ok to be exactly who you are, but that the world actually needs each of our unique spirits to feel the full presence of God and heaven on earth.

LISTEN to Jonathan's new single "HIGH HORSE" now!