Aile Reve's Blog: 2015

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Nice to Meet You Maurice Moore • Dare to D.R.E.A.M. Series: RnB Never Died

"The dreams that I have for this lifetime consist of many different things, too many to list off. But to put it simply I would say that achieving a supreme sense of oneness with nature and the universe as well as finding true happiness and egoless love are some of my biggest aspirations for this lifetime."

- Maurice Moore, Ottawa

T H E I N T E R V I E W
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What are your two favorite quotes of the moment?

"To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders" - Lao Tzu

"Change your thoughts, and you change your world" - Norman Vincent Peale

Tell us two things that make you smile.

My beautiful girlfriend Madison and that moment right after I finish a great record.

Can you share with us how you got your start in music? -What was the very first thing you ever performed live?

I am part of a really musical family, all of my siblings are singers and musicians. For the longest time music has just ran in the family so that played a part early on, but I found hip-hop at a really young age and was mesmerized by the way it made me feel and how intricate the art form was, from a writing perspective.

I started out rap battling kids at recess throughout middle school and even battling a lot of the OGs around the neighbourhood. Eventually when I got into high school my sister really inspired me to sing and that was when everything in my life really changed forever.

Why has R&B never died?

R&B has and will never die because it has been such a prominent genre of music for ages. It's bled over into so many other styles of popular music and it’s through a lot of those genres that R&B still lives in mainstream music culture. The sounds have changed and the content has changed but the basic premise of soul, melody and harmony in R&B music is something that is timeless and will be continually reinventing itself for many years to come.

Can you share with us one pleasant thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I am a vegetarian ! :)

-How would you describe your fashion style?

Me.

For you, Art is…

Art is honestly whatever you want it to be.. it’s the universal language of creation. It is literally everything around us. Art is the physical manifestation of our cosmic roots as it clashes with our earthly reality. It’s anything and everything.

According to you, what is the purpose of life?

There is no purpose of life. Life itself is purposeless, but each and every soul that exists in this plane of consciousness has purpose and meaning, and we bring that to life. We waste our time asking this question not realizing that WE are the answer.

What’s on the near horizon for Maurice Moore?

I am working on very special project right now that is by far my most detailed and intricate body of work I have ever done. Conceptually it’s a culmination of the journey of falling in love at a really young age, my divine spiritual connection with music, and just what it’s like to be a teenager in 2015/2016. I have tons of dope content coming for everybody in the coming months. Stay tuned for everything ;)

Thank you for your precious time darling!
Photo, Courtesy of Maurice Moore

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Dear R&B lovers, baby makers, and love givers, FABE Festival is back for a second edition of its annual concert R&B Never Died, sponsored by Groupe Reno Metrix. Hosted by the lovely Sherley Gene from R&B duo G.NAX, and featuring both local and international performers, R&B Never Died (Second Edition) will be held on December 6, at the famous Club Soda. Save the date for quite the late-night fun soulful party now!

See you then!

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The Nice to Meet You Interview is Aile Rėve's signature. It is our way to soulfully connect with the artist and visionary. The NTMY allows us to take off for a voyage into the furthest reaches of their mind, with love, humility, and poetry.

Anaëlle Naná Moon Oyå
Mermaid-in-Chief @AileReve

Saturday 21 November 2015

Nice to Meet You Widline Desir • Dare to DREA Series

My dream in life is my deepest secret. I have never shared it with anyone. But when it happens, only then will I be ready to leave this weird planet and go home.

- Widline Desir, Montreal
Andy Voss Photography

T H E I N T E R V I E W
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When I think of you as a model, I see a fun and fearless down-to-earth woman who is naturally comfy in her own skin. What's the worst preconceived idea people have about models?

Why thank you! You have to find a way to be happy and comfortable in your skin. I mean, life will be long and miserable if you don't try.

People often think that models are superficials and self-centered. The girls I have met are some of the nicest kindness people with the biggest heart. And if you think models don't eat, wait 'till you spend a day with them!

If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why?

Whoopi Goldberg. She would make me relevant! I think she would understand my awkwardness and she would portray me with sincerity and humor.

Can you share with us how you got your start in modelling?

It was many moons ago when I did this fashion show. I have no idea how I ended up there but I do remember I was so bad at it! Then I did a couple more. Still awful! My friends Melissa Zibi and Paule Mari Assandre are the reasons I'm still pretending to be a model.

What have you been reading lately?

My last reading was "I know why the caged bird sings" by the late Dr. Maya Angelou.

Andy Voss Photography

How would you describe your fashion style?

I'm a hobo. You will never see me wearing a deep plunging neckline or any kind of plunging neckline. I love me a high neck. Other than that, I'll just wear pretty much anything I'm comfortable in.

What are the first 5 words that come to mind when you think about R&B?

Love, Love, Love, Love and Love.

Why has R&B never died?

Because you can't kill Love.

Can you share with us one pleasant thing we would be surprised to know about you?

I don't know if it's pleasant, but I'm a loner. I love being home, reading or binge watching series, eating pop corn with a nice bottle of red wine. I'm a cat lady in the making!

For you, Art is…
Remedy.

According to you, what is the purpose of life?

To be happy.

Andy Voss Photography

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Friday 20 November 2015

Nice to Meet You Kelly Krow • Dare to D.R.E.A.M. Series: RnB Never Died

My dream is to grow a family and make my music live forever.

-Kelly Krow, Montreal

T H E I N T E R V I E W
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Tell us two things that make you smile

- Food, Food & More Food

- Zero Traffic while driving

If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why ?

My favorite actor is Denzel but ill go with Will Smith by being versatile. I've been through a lot of things in my personal life. His dramatic roles are outstanding, His emotions in his movies are extremely amazing

Can you share with us how you got your start in music? - What was the very first thing you ever performed live?

Since the age of six, I was always involved in the art of entertaining. Whether it was singing, dancing, acting or comedy, entertainment was everything to me. At the age of 8, I was accepted into a music school where I would have advanced music training. In order to get into this school I needed a recommendation letter from my teacher. Unfortunately, one week before the final confirmation where they would’ve reviewed the letter from my teacher she had passed away. Since that day, my mother was the one who furthered my love for music by taking me to a multitude of shows and dance competitions. Always being involved in entertainment, my passion grew mostly towards music. Once I reached high school, I began to make my own music as “Young Krow” at the time. My first live performance ever was in 2007, a song called 'Baby Mama'.

Why has R&B never died?

R&B is reaching and touching people on a human level. That's never going to get lost. It makes people feel good inside, and you can't hide it. That's the power of R&B. Singing with emotional pain, passion and love, it's something very special.

What are your two favorite quotes of the moment?

- My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living.

- It takes going through some shit to realize some shit.

How would you describe your fashion style?

I'm addicted to 'black'. I'm always in black, 24/7. I probably have 50 same black t-shirts (SMH).

Black jeans, black shoes, black beanies, black scarf... Kelly 'Krow', my artist name says it all.

Can you share with us one pleasant thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I've been eating constantly and spending all my money on food. It was a problem at the time; I had zero self-control. I was straight up spending my whole paycheck on just food. SMH

It took me an insanely long time to realize that, but I'm 100% good now ! (laughs).

It's not 'that' pleasant but I know a lot of people can relate to this.

For you, Art is…

Expressing yourself through your works. Everything you can imagine is real.

What’s on the near horizon for Kelly Krow?

My official album 'My Lotus Garden' will be available everywhere as of December 4th 2015. Can't wait !

According to you, what is the purpose of life?

There's much more meaning in life once you know your purpose. According to me, the purpose of life is to be near those I love, to good memories, to provide a legacy, to be seen and be heard, to make sense out of something, to create your own happiness.

Thank you for your precious time Kelly Krow!

Photo, Etienne de Durocher | Courtesy of Kelly Krow

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Nice to Meet You NAADEI • Dare to D.R.E.A.M. Series: RnB Never Died

My dream in life is to be happy.

- Naadei, Montreal

T H E I N T E R V I E W
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Tell us two things that make you smile.

Boys

When the food is ready

If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why?

Me hopefully. I could totaly use the check

Can you share with us how you got your start in music? -What was the very first thing you ever performed live?

I'm technically still starting with music. First thing I performed live was a song named 'Soldats' with Booba at Stade de France. It got cut off short because Booba threw a bottle of Jack Daniels in the crowd of 80 thousand people and it started a riot.

Why has R&B never died?

I dont think music ever dies. It lives through memories. As long as there are people the music will live on.

What are your two favorite quotes of the moment?

"New phone who' this"

"What's the wifi code"

How would you describe your fashion style?

Preferably clean.

Very cozy.

Can you share with us one pleasant thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I haven't listened to Drake's, Kanye's or Travis Scott's latest albums

What’s on the near horizon for NAADEI?

Christmas food and Christmas gifts.

For you, Art is…

A language for those who have the luxury of time.

According to you, what is the purpose of life?

Finding peace

Thank you for your precious time darling!

Photo courtesy of Naadei

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Nice to Meet You GAETANO • Dare to D.R.E.A.M. Series: RnB Never Died

I have many dreams in life. One, that there will be world peace someday. Two, that world hunger to be remedied. Three, that a cure for cancer will be developed. Four, that I will never have to ride the NYC subway again (Haha that may never happen sadly). Sometimes I feel helpless with regard to these. I try to play my part by praying, and living like an exceptional human being. I try to show people through my journey that living your dreams is attainable. I don't write songs about all of these things, although recently I wrote a song for my grandmother who passed away from cancer. I suppose my biggest personal dream would be to not ever have to worry about money and paying bills, and just be able to create beautiful inspiring art with no restrictions. - Gaetano, New York

T H E I N T E R V I E W
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If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why?

Wow that’s a really tough question! It would have to be someone with a similar upbringing who has my musical passion and talents. I think the closest match would be Justin Timberlake. He has the acting chops and musical skills to do it, he’s just less Italian.

What is your favorite spot in New York, and why?

That's a tough one. But I would say SOB's (Sounds of Brazil). It's one of the most popular Hip Hop & R&B venues in NYC and boasts the tagline "Where Legends Are Made". I've performed there several times, at least 5 or 6 times now, and each time I perform at SOB's, I feel like a part of me gets better in some aspect. I've been fortunate enough to open for artists like Musiq Soulchild and Eric Benet, which has given me wonderful exposure to broader audiences. They also have a fantastic sound quality which is always great. Artists are always worried about sound quality for live shows. SOB’s is one of those places where you don’t have to worry. The vibe is very chill and laid back. Whenever I’m there, either for my own performances or just there to hang out, it feels like home.

Can you share with us how you got your start in music? What was the very first thing you ever performed live?
I got my start when I was a baby (literally). I was always singing, listening to whatever my mom was blasting on the radio. Because of my close relationship with my grandparents, I was exposed to a lot of vintage Italian music. My first performance was at my cousins wedding, I was just 6 years old. I sang an Italian classic “O’ Paese Di O’Sole.” It was a pretty defining moment. From there I was fascinated with all styles of music growing into my teens. With my father being a skilled pianist, I knew it was in my blood. I started playing guitar, piano, bass (even drums whenever I could get my hands on a free drum set) – while my friends were out in the street playing stick ball, I was inside drilling major, minor, and diminished scales. I’m a true music geek at heart.

Courtesy of Gaetano

Why has R&B never died?

Traditional R&B still exists, it never died and never will, but it’s just harder to find. You’re not going to hear R&B being drilled on commercial radio, or bumped in the clubs. It’s not what the young people are into. Everyone these days is trying to “turn up.” Some of my recent R&B purchases were albums from Tyrese, Eric Bellinger, D’Angelo, and Tamar Braxton. I’d say Eric B. is probably the most commercial out of all of those. For those more traditional sounding R&B albums, I think you need to be a true R&B head to find them. I usually discover new music through some of my favorite blogs and websites, social shares, word of mouth. I don’t discover new music from ads, Spotify, or commercial radio.

I think what needs to be considered is this - R&B never died, but it’s evolving. What you’re hearing now with a lot of the mainstream artists is an evolved version of R&B. The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Jeremih, etc. It’s not the traditional R&B that we’re used to, but it is what the younger generation is demanding. As a consumer, the choice is either to adapt and grow with it, or remain a traditional R&B extremist and stick to the O.G’s, so to speak.

What are your two favourite quotes of the moment?

“It’s more important to have a small group of people that care a lot about you, than a large group of people that care little about you” – Seth Godin

“The thing that we did was, we didn’t give up” – Jay Z

Can you share one pleasant thing we would be surprised to know about you?
I'm a man of many interesting facets. One being that I enjoy knocking back a few shots of whiskey and then performing stand-up comedy in NYC. I don't do it too often, but it gives me a chance to live a momentary fantasy, and have some fun while tapping into another part of my creative side. Another interesting thing is that I am fluent in Italian, and I love to cook.

Courtesy of Gaetano

Talk to us about "Acoustix", the soulful project you recently did.

Based on my videos of covers and the way I sing other artists songs during live sets, I’ve been told that I have a unique and interesting interpretation of music. I wanted to do something that I’ve never done before, so I did. Acoustix is a duet influenced project with acoustic, unplugged style remixes of popular and classic songs from artists like Tank, Usher, Eric Benet, Tamia, and more. There’s even a track performed in Italian. All of the tracks feature guitar solos, live production, and unique arrangements. I love the project because it allows me to express my musical geek side. Putting bluesy sounding jazz chords behind an Usher song is interesting, no one’s really doing that. Fans have been receiving it really well, everyone’s showing love so far. I’m very happy with it, but I need to put more efforts into promotion. But that’s a whole other conversation…

What's on the far horizon for Gaetano?
Working on my 3^rd EP. Continuing to build my fan-base 1 by 1. Focusing on delivering high quality content and amazing live shows. Also working on production/songwriting placements for major artists.

For you, Art is...
Expression of a given moment. A vibe. A feeling. Something that evokes (or should evoke) emotion. Something that takes you back in time, something that allows your mind to take you somewhere.

According to you, what is the purpose of life?

The purpose of life is simply to LIVE. But I mean, to really live. The big question that comes to mind is “Are you living, or just existing?” There are so many people out there that are just existing. Wake up, get dressed, go to work, go home, eat dinner, TV, sleep, repeat. Not that there’s anything terrible about that. Some folks are very happy with it, and that’s fine. But I know for a fact, many people who get stuck in that cycle are ones that have aspirations to do bigger things, but are too afraid to do them. They may be afraid because of failure, because of what other people might think or say, because of fear in general, etc. The purpose of life is to overcome those fears and execute your ideas. The purpose of life is to look back someday and know that you did everything you set out to do with zero regrets. You didn’t hold back. You didn’t miss out on opportunities because you were worried about what others would say if you failed. You were a leader, and not a follower. You were inspirational, and not aspirational. The first means you did it, the latter means you thought about it, but never did it.

Thank you for your precious time Gaetano!
Photos: Courtesy of Gaetano

• Get Your Tickets Here •

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The Nice to Meet You Interview is Aile Rėve's signature. It is our way to soulfully connect with the artist and visionary. The NTMY allows us to take off for a voyage into the furthest reaches of their mind, with love, humility, and poetry.

Anaëlle Naná Moon Oyå
Mermaid-in-Chief @AileReve

Nice to Meet You Sherley Gene • Dare to D.R.E.A.M. Series: RnB Never Died

"My dream is to live a life that pleases God... In the end, I just want to make God smile..."

-Sherley Gene, Montreal

Why has R&B never died? And what can you tell us about the R&B flavour you'll be bringing to the event?

R&B never died because it evolved and changed but is well alive! Some people have a hard time accepting change. Personally, I love R&B so much, I'm willing to follow its lead and go where it takes me. Whether it's R&Bass or Harmonies on Trap beats, I can appreciate the evolution in all its variety. I'm comfortable with it. Since I'm not performing but hosting this year, I'll leave it to the other artists to surprise us with the different flavours they will bring.

Can you share with us how you got your start in music? What was the very first thing you ever performed live?

I was introduced to music at a very young age since both my parents were part of a gospel musical group in the late '80s in Montreal. I penned and performed my very first song at Church at the age of 8. I was playing piano and sang in front of a small congregation in Laval. This was my first official exposure as a singer-songwriter. (laughs)

If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why?

I don't want any movie made about my life to be honest. I like to keep my private life private.

Tell us two things that make you smile.

Understanding God and love.

What are the three destinations of your dream?

I think I have more than three. But if I was to choose now, I would have to say Haïti, Kinshasa (DRC), and if I could see Heaven, that'd be really awesome!

How would you describe your fashion style?

Constantly evolving. Right now, it's comfort over everything, but it wasn't always like this for me.

Can you share one pleasant thing we would be surprised to know about you?

Sometimes, I eat paper. Bad habit I've developed since early childhood.

What's on the far horizon for Sherley Gene?

I'm a planner because I don't make emotional decisions, but when it comes to my future, I love spontaneity. I hate knowing what's coming next, so I let my faith guide me to my next stop. But I will say this though, there will always be new music!

For you, Art is...

The gift of expression.

According to you, what is the purpose of life?

According to me, the purpose is to know your purpose. According to my faith, my purpose is to share God's love to the world. And thus, I have found my purpose! (smile)

Thank you for your precious time Sherley Gene!

Photo credit: Andy Voss

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