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RAWartists Hollywood Presents: Allure on 8/8/14

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RAWartists Hollywood Presents: Allure on 8/8/14.

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Check out the next show RAWartists Hollywood Presents Axis on 10/3/2014

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RG Los Angeles Stories

2014

ZupaNova "Killin It" Single Release Party

RG Los Angeles Stories at the ZupaNova "Killin It" Single Release Party at Supper Club in Hollywood.



http://www.zupanovamusic.com

RG Los Angeles Stories



Check out the photos at THREE R PHOTOGRAPHY

DOrichTHINGS Launch Party VIDEO (Unsuitable for Minors)

RG Los Angeles Stories at DO RICH THINGS Launch Party VIDEO (Unsuitable for Minors) 

ZupaNova

ZUPANOVA

Lance Jones, Davy Brown, Kimala and Rawcel

ZupaNova

www.zupanovamusic.com

Lance Jones, Kimala, Davy Brown and RawCel

ZupaNova or Super Nova, a stellar explosion in the heavens, connotes birth of stars; In Latin Nova means “New”. So however you want to use the word, literally “Super New” or metaphorically “birth of stars and natural talent” I think it’s safe to say that this group’s name is very suitable since they bring fresh and stellar performance and music.       

At first glance ZupaNova’s style and music was reminiscent of the super pop stars The Black Eyed Peas. In fact, some members of ZupaNova had been hanging out with the latter in their early careers. Group member Rawcel and DJ Poet, the CEO of Listen Deep Records where ZupaNova worked on their music, were collaborating with members of The Black Eyed Peas during their early years. ZupaNova member Lance Jones is the chief vocal producer in Listen Deep. The recording studio collaborated with Apl.de.ap in many projects; the artist and studio still maintain a close relationship. Even though there’s a lot of influence—ZupaNova is ZupaNova—and not a shadow of The Black Eyed Peas.

Lance Jones brought in a lot of the R&B “let’s-get-ready-to-make-love-vocals”, Kimala was the sultry female voice that brings down men to their knees, RawCel contributed the Hip Hop influence and rendered some crazy rhymes and Davy Brown added jazz flavor with his out-of-this-world guitar line. Just check out their song “Need Your Love” from “First Contact” and you’ll understand what I mean.

         

There’s a lot of love in this group, they spouted mottos like “Team Work Makes the Dream Work”, “Zupa Positive”, “Share, Create and Collaborate”, that even the group’s manager Mike Bajrami told me “I like these people a lot, I don’t work with people I don’t get along with because you can’t maintain the relationship if you dislike your group…there’s something really special about this group”. 

What’s so special about them? Besides their great talent they were genuinely kind and humble people, I saw those attributes during the interview, and they put a lot of tenderness into their music in “First Contact”. RawCel a Los Angeles native with an easy smile gave a lot of the hip hop street flavor remove the real nasty and gritty language. Lance Jones must be one of the most welcoming and humble artist I’ve met. His voice could easily fit in a boy band such as The BackStreet Boys or a seductive R&B group like Boys II Men but I’ve never heard him brag of his talent. I actually met him a month before while working on another story in Listen Deep Records before my interview with ZupaNova. Kimala, who rendered her sensual voice and scorching presence during recordings and video shoots, was a caring and really friendly person. “I’m like their sister and mother put together” she said about being the only female member of the group. “She cooks for us” Lance Jones chimed in happily. Kimala has a special place in my heart since she’s my “Kababayan”, my fellow Filipino from the Philippines, and “Pinays” (Filipino Women) are known for their sweetness. Davy Brown was a laid-back and happy person so like how he played his jazzy guitar or bass lines in their songs. He worked with one of the Masters of Jazz like Bunny Brunel and Baba Elefante, that kind of cred could easily get into the head of shallow musicians, but not Davy Brown.

Their goal is to perform all-over-the-world. Lance Jones wants to hit Japan, Davy Brown wants to see Brazil, Kimala wants to perform in the Philippines, especially in the province of Pampanga, and RawCel’s personal goal is to do a concert in Staples Center in LA. This group has the heart, talent and the charisma and they are ready to take on the world. Watch out for fresh—and ZupaFabulous—music of ZupaNova. 

All Rights Reserved 
2014 
RG Los Angeles Stories / Three R Photography

ZupaNova Slide Ext "Energy"

ZupaNova "Energy" Music Slide

ZupaNova at the Atwater Beer, Wine, Food Festival

My piece on the Zupa Fab group ZupaNova will be posted soon here in RG Los Angeles Stories!

A Night in LA ROCK and Roll Mecca Video (long version)

A Night in a L.A. Rock & Roll Mecca (long version)

Dan Castle, Alison, Nico and Chicago Red

Alison and Dan in the Kibitz room

Dan Castle and Alison performing an unrehearsed song in the Kibitz Room.

A Night in a L.A. Rock & Roll Mecca

 Marshall

Nico

 Mark and Chicago Red

 Dan Castle

Dan Castle and Alison

A Night in a L.A. Rock & Roll Mecca

Tucked next to the landmark Canter’s Deli in Fairfax Avenue, was a tiny, dark and nondescript bar. It’s not that great if you consider the atmosphere or the drink selection or the layout of the bar. Right beside the bar was what looked like a raised surface that stood for the stage, a couple of speakers and a couple of hard lights to illuminate it and maybe six tables for patrons—that’s it. But some serious musicians had passed through this hidden gem called the “Kibitz Room”. The Doors, The Wallflowers, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers had come and hang out here and maybe played a song or two. On Sundays local musicians would religiously come here to play on open mic. My friend, Independent Film Director, songwriter and musician, Dan Castle said: “This is one place where you don’t have to be what you don’t wanna be”.

I must be the dumbest person to converse with about Rock & Roll, I wouldn’t know the band, the name of a song, the lead singer, what year which member left, but I know beautiful Music when I hear it. All musicians who performed on open mic wrote their own songs and boy do they have talent. Blues, Country, Folk, Bluegrass—they played it unrehearsed, unpolished but with heart and soul. I was very, very fortunate to have heard the music of Mark and Chicago Red. Blues was something I would skip while scanning radio stations but when I heard those two played I became a convert. Nothing like hearing Blues played live in a jam session—like how it’s intended—It made me imagined hanging out in a porch in Mississippi on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Dan Castle and Alison played an unrehearsed Country/Blues song raw. Alison’s voice was dripping-wet-sexy and it was hot with passion like a sticky, steamy, South Carolina summer.

“I come here every Sunday. This is church for me and most others. Most of these musicians probably didn’t matter much to the outside world” Dan Castle said somberly while we were walking back to our cars. I thought to myself that maybe…maybe these musicians probably didn’t amount much to anything…but in the Kibitz Room they were demigods. Dan Castle was right, people go to perform in that bar not to be what they don’t wanna be.

Written by RG in the spirit of spontaneity.

“I couldn’t jam with a guitar but I could at least try to jam with them with words”.

For the Musicians who come to Canter’s Deli, Kibitz Room, on open mic.

4/15/14. Correction on my post on A Night in a L.A. ROCK AND ROLL Mecca. Alison and Dan Castle performed "Take Me Home" by Concrete Blonde. It was not written by Alison.

All photos and Article are copyrighted 

Copyright 2014 RG Los Angeles Stories

Also see:

www.SurvivorsBook.blogspot.com

www.3RPhotography.blogspot.com