Juanita
at the crossroads

Young, gifted and black. Willing to work hard and unsigned. Somebody who appreciate a gift, a talent: "It has to be a gift from God". On the point to sign with a record company, to get tied up to, maybe, evil; losing freedom and to do concessions. Why making concessions? Juanita: "Because the companies say so." Nevertheless, why do you need a company as companion? At Duivendrecht station we meet, it's a three floor station, 6 rail tracks, 4 subway tracks and 4 bus lines in the middle of no where going everywhere. It's a place were different worlds come together but often do not meet. A meeting at the crossroads.

18.15 is the time of appointment. I arrive at 18.00, that makes that I have some time to check out the magazine outlet. Walking into the shop, my eyes catch a beautiful young woman in the back. She's dressed in a red t-shirt with a red cap and by the corners of her eyes looking who's coming up behind her. Checking out a magazine called 'Sister To Sister'. I stand behind here and check out the new 'Source'. Get to the register and buy it. Outside I wait for her at the station's hall where we have agreed to meet each other. Some minutes later she walks up to me and we meet. "I did not introduce myself in the shop out of fear to mistake you with some one else", I said. We got comfortable at a nice quasi-quite spot. That I was afraid was a lie, I just enjoyed observing her and did not want to ruin it with getting down to business at once.

ART12 is a hardcore HipHop magazine and now we sit here with a RnB lady.
AQ: "What do you think about a HipHop Magazine that is interviewing you?"
Juanita: "Well, I'm happy with all the attention that I get. While I'm surprised by it. One question for you: Why does a HipHop magazine interview me as a RnB act?"
AQ: "Ah, good question. Well HipHop absorbs and is made by everything around it and interacts with it. You caught our attention being good in what you do."
Juanita: "Well, I'm not that surprised. These days you hear a lot of HipHop artists working together with RnB artists."
AQ: "You did not win the 'Wanted Final Showcase' (c report) although we knew for sure you would win. What happened afterwards?"
Juanita: "Not much at the moment. I'm continuing with my career and my education at the business school. I want to finish my school first and next year I probably finish it. Then I go 100% for my music career."
AQ: "Going to make your living out of it?"
Juanita: "That is what I want."
AQ: "How do you see it happen?"
Juanita: "A lot of hard work. And I hope to meet the right people. I already met some. But to make it you need... euhm, 10% talent, some percent good luck and a lot of hard work. So that is what I'm going to do: work hard!"

"To be where the magic is"

In the North West corner at Duivendrecht Station there is an industry/wholesellers park. North East covers a small quiet Dutch village: Duivendrecht. In the South West a million Euro's business park including a golf park and AFC Ajax. And in the South East corner we have the concrete jungle that forms the boombox: Amsterdam Southeast. By many who never have been over there, called a ghetto. By many whom live there called a great unique park to live in. Here lives a 23 years old woman with a great talent to sing and to write songs.

AQ: "Are you a RnB singer or are you a singer?"
Juanita: "I'm not only into RnB. I'm also into pop and for example 'Arrow Smith' but I'm not really a rock fan. Basically, a good song is a good song. You can put it in RnB or Rock whatever you want. So I think you have to see me as somebody who wants to sing RnB, RnB/HipHop and maybe a featuring with a Rock group."
AQ: "Why do you write songs and what do you feel?"
Juanita: "It is touching me, it's a way of expressing my feelings. The things I experience in life or what I see what other people experience in life. Some people just hold it inside, some talk about it. Sometimes I put all my experiences in one song and I get rid of it, you know. I'm not only listening to the music. The lyrics are also very important to me. I do this since I'm a little girl, I just love it. If I hear a beautiful song... like that Ke-Ci & JoJo song '(Tell Me If) It's Real'. It got a certain emotion in it, that it makes me almost cry. If a song can do that, there is something magic in it. And I want to be where the magic is!"

"If you look at the charts... it's just ridiculous"

AQ: "At the moment the lion share of the RnB music is only to cash in. It's all about love, sex and material things. What about a message like in the old days?"
Juanita: "I like to break up the trend of endless meaningless songs. I wrote a song about teenage pregnancy that I see too much around me. I try to put a social message in it. If I make a song that makes a listener feel good and do better, I feel fine. It's important that you really say something in a song. At the 'Wanted Final Showcase' I performed two songs. One up-tempo and one slow-tempo very serious song both written by me. My first intentions were to put 'Sometime', the serious song on the CD because it says more. But then the record company wanted a more up-tempo more lighter song. So it was 'I Like Your Style'. (c review)
AQ: "The record company says..."
Juanita: "They all want that commercial light stuff. I'm getting really tired of it. If you look at the charts... It's just ridiculous. In heavens sake, how can songs like 'Toy Box'' be on top of the charts?"

"So people can listen and see"

The fucked up thing about it, is that there are many people hungry for good music but they can't get it because the record companies say to the artist who are making that music that people don't want to buy it.

AQ: "You said that there is not much happening at the moment."
Juanita: "Well, I'm a song writer too, at home I write a lot of songs. So, some things are happening but not everybody can see it. But the day will come."
AQ: "Are you going to release a tape or CD independently?"
Juanita: "I don't think so. I think it doesn't work like that in the music business. You need a record company if you want to reach the big audience. I know you have to start small but that 'big' is the goal. So when it's done, it' s done good. I think it's kind of impossible to do it on your own."
AQ: "Do you think so?"
Juanita: "Yes, I think so... Everybody goes to the record companies. Although everybody is saying bad things about them you still need them if you want to reach the big audience. You need the airplay that only big companies can get."
AQ: "You're making yourself very depending on the record companies. Why do you need airplay? The best RnB you hear is not by radio, but because you are digging in the crates yourself."
Juanita: "That is true."
AQ: "Why don't you just give what the people want and stop thinking about a record company wants?"
Juanita: "Well, what I want is to make songs and to do a lot of performances. So people can listen and see you. With a record company, your depending on what they want. That is not what I want."
AQ: "Why do you go to somebody else to sell a product to your neighbor? You know 'La Caz', 'La Rouch'. They are very popular and doing many performances."
Juanita: "They sell their own cd's at those parties."
AQ: "Tadaa!"
Juanita: "Yes, indeed."

These days HipHop uses a lot of the vocal abilities of RnB singers. It is time that the many young underground RnB talent learn to use the uncut rugged and raw independently mentality of HipHop. That makes SoulPower.


AQ