Chocolate Blonde World

Starting from next week, you will be able to follow 'Chocolate Blonde world', each and every Monday exclusively on the 'The Fat Blog'.

It's guaranteed to be an interesting read, as we document her rise up the ladder of fame, its not to be missed!! Are you interested in some background info on this budding starlet? of course you are...


‘Chocolate’ never sounded so good…….

After causing quite a storm on MySpace & YouTube with her promo tracks ‘Role Play’ and ‘say something’ this versatile songstress is set to notch it up a gear with her refreshing take on Pop / RNB.

‘Versatile’, ‘fun’, ‘lyrically gifted ‘are just some of the words that have been used to describe the 24 year old singer/songwriting talent from East London.

The debut single 1.30am (*ick on my forehead) is due for digital release 31.08.09. Currently in promo stage having already caught the attention of main stream music journalists such as Simon Price from The Independent on Sunday.

With widespread recognition on her mind ‘Chocolate Blonde’ is fast gaining an enviable reputation for her energetic live performances and is currently tearing up numerous music venues up & down the country.

An accomplished dancer and choreographer she has shared the stage with chart topping international acts Kylie, Usher, Robbie Williams, Beverly Knight, Sean Kingston and the Arctic Monkeys to name a few.

As an artist in her own right ‘Chocolate Blonde’ has supported US artist Mario on his UK tour and appeared on Nokia Green Room on channel 4. She also won the prestigious MP3 Music Award in 2007

As well as her UK activities she is gaining attention internationally after having had extensive air play on MTV Africa with the ‘Say Something’ video.

The delectable ‘Chocolate Blonde’ is ditching the urban stereotypes and bringing fun & diversity back to the music industry….WATCH THIS SPACE !

For further information, press & bookings contact
Fat Talent Mgmt E: mgmt@fattalent.com

Hello...whats occurring?....

The scale of personal and societal occurrences over the last few weeks has left my brain feeling like a used teabag. If you’re anything like me, you’re choking on humidity, Gordon Brown has lost all your money, the remote is too far away to turn Jeremy Kyle off, student finance has you waking up in a cold sweat and you won’t be going to see Michael Jackson in July, or indeed ever. But, I have good news! Well, good news if you like to read about the absolute cream of unspoiled musical talent, and the odd gadget. The Fat Blog now has a new contributor, (that’s me, in case you haven’t guessed) and I’ll be covering two of the most important subjects in the whole wide world: music and technology. You can expect regular gig reviews (and the odd account of a club night, Rinse FM’s fifteenth birthday party is on the way…) paired with a healthy smattering of technological musings, and information about what may be coming out in the not-too-distant future (…did somebody say Xbox 720?).

A bit of background about myself is only polite too, I suppose. My second year at Goldsmiths University is on the horizon, as is the arrival of my results from the first year (pray to any and every God you know on my behalf). I study English and History, but don’t pity that, people usually exhale slowly and give me a charitable smile when they ask what degree I’m studying towards, but I’m having a lot of fun and have worn an admirable groove into the sofa at the student union, and, if I’m honest, most pubs in the general area!

So anyway, keep an eye out for me. I’m always open for suggestions aswell so if there’s anything you want me to look at or chase up (I’m not afraid of placing a phone call or twelve to find out the latest for you lot) give me a shout at kirstysimmonds@live.co.uk.

Stay safe, in a bit!

Kirsty

New Blogger: Singer/songwriter ...Yelitza

Name: Yelitza

Blog Name: Flutter

Age: ?

Occupation: singer/song writer /promoter

Welcome to the Fat Blog, Its great to have a female musician on board…. can you tell us a bit about yourself ?
Thank you for inviting me. My name's Yelitza, a singer / songwriter born and raised in Birmingham. I'm a huge fan of music, from RnB & Hip-hop to Reggae and Classical. I've been writing poems since I was 11 and began songwriting when I was 19. Since then I have performed in various places across Brum and up and down the country.

What inspires you as a songwriter?
Pretty much anything in life inspires me. I love to write about what's going on around me! From everyday things to the more complex things like relationships! I try to stick to subjects I have experienced, it's easier to draw from personal life helps you to get the content right. On occasion, I have written about people around me aswell. Strangely, nature is a big influence too! I love to talk about the stars and the countryside. Stuff we can take for granted or don't really pay much attention to. Think that's the day-dreamer in me! I'm also inspired by people with drive and ambition.

What would you say are the 3 most important pieces advice that have been given to you?
1. Don't forget those who helped you to the top, 'cause you may just need them if you fall back

down to the bottom!
2. Patience, Persistence, Patience!
3. Always be polite and humble; you never know who you are talking to.

So your B’ham based entertainment event L.I.M.E (ladies in music & entertainment) is going from strength to strength can you tell us about that?
Yeah, the show is doing really well. It's a surprise because whenever you start something that relies on other people coming out to support, it's difficult to predict what will happen. It could have so easily been a flop! Thankfully I know a lot of great people. We're like one big family and we work together to make the show a success. Thank you so much guys (Ecks Famo). It's important to share your ideas, draw on other people's knowledge and work as a team. You can be more successful if you don't just keep things to yourself. That along with the fact that there are so many great talents in the city and a huge amount of people who like to see music Live has helped to build the show.

L.I.M.E. was set up to give myself and other female artists a place to perform. The reason I focused on the ladies was not because I'm against the guys, it's simply that most successful nights have a gimmick and what better way to entice the crowd then to know there will be a room full of ladies singing and rapping, dancing and chillin'. It's on the last week of every month (check myspace for details) and each month we have regular artists, a main featured artist and slots for new talent to show what they can do. Food is served first, then performances, then we hang out, jam and network. It's a brilliant atmosphere and everyone who has come through has said they had a great time!

From your personal experiences as a musician what opportunities does B’’ham offer ?
Apparently, Birmingham used to have a really big music scene. A lot of reggae bands, soul singers and popstars have come from here. Thing is, this has died down over the years and the opportunities have disappeared with it!

Of course, I can only speak from personal experience but I have to say, there does not seem to

be many opportunities in Brum. Don't get me wrong, there are some great venues here - The Jam House, The Yardbird, The O2 place... to name a few. Thing is, as a new artist, the doors are hard to open! There are so few places where you can go to simply develop your stage performance, build your confidence and spread the word about your music... at least I couldn't find many! That's why I created my own show!

I can sum up my feelings by simply saying... for the new artists, there are very limited opportunities but the city definitely has the potential for big things - watch this space!

What sort of things can our readers look forward to from your weekly feature?
Honesty! I think it's only fair you share what works and warn about what doesn't. I'd like to create a blog that gives readers a chance to see what an aspiring artist has to do in order to get heard. Tips, ideas, video blogs that sort of thing.

…and finally we always like to end on a random note so, if you could be sat around the dinner table with any 3 people past or present who would you choose & why?
Took me a while to decide on this, because there are so many people I would love to meet. I narrowed down to:

Luther Vandross - A musical legend of course! I love his music! Would love to have heard him sing live too.

Kat Williams - One of the funniest comedians out there. I love to laugh, so he'd have to be there.

Oprah Winfrey - An inspiring businesswoman. I feel I have a lot I could learn from Oprah plus I would love to go and work in her school in Africa!

We'd all like to take the opportunity to welcome Yelitza on board the 'Fattest' of blogs and we look forward to her weekly installments:)

Interview: Fusion

drum & bass lives.......

NAME: Charlie Potter aka Potta MC
AGE: 20
OCCUPATION: Drum & Bass MC

The Fat Blog is happy to introduce our latest recruit.....

Hi Potta MC, and a big welcome on board The Fattest of blogs!..I for one am very excited @ having a fellow drum & bass head alongside . Although admittedly I am slightly older than you, and my memories go way back to the jungle days of '93 which later morfed into D&B amongst other things!....


What drew you to D&B music specifically?
I started going raving when I was 15 or 16 (I am 20 now), we used to sneak into Fabric every Friday night so we could see all these massive artists that no one else our age was able to see. Initially, I wasn't a huge fan of the music and the vibe it created in a club. We took a lot of drugs back then, and the more I did the more I was sure D&B wasn't for me. I always saw myself as more of a trance kind of guy at that age, but no one would come with me. I suppose back then I was unaware of the depth and history that Drum and Bass was steeped in. A few years later I went to Innovation in the Dam, and for the first time ever I raved completely drug free. It was amazing, I've never enjoyed a rave so much. Ever since then my involvement in D&B has been solely about the music and having a good time, nothing else.

Back in the day the scene was killed off by the bad attitude of a few and gained a terrible reputation for crime, drugs, nutters and generally anything other than the music!..15 yrs on how is the scene in 2009?
It's not as bad as at used to be, you do still get all those things at raves. If you put 5,000 people in a club for ten hours straight and serve them with drink, things will kick off. It's a shame to label the Drum and Bass following as thugs and troublemakers though, some of the people I have met through Drum and Bass are now some of my closest, and most genuine friends. The trouble at raves comes mostly from people who get too drunk or drugged up and make themselves an easy target, or people who try and show off and make a name for themselves. Either way, your asking for trouble.

The reputation does still proceed the music today. It's a shame because Drum and Bass is going from strength to strength. We have a new wave of talent coming through at the moment, and we are constantly being surprised at how far the boundaries can be pushed. The future looks bright.

In my opinion d&b is arguably one the best forms of underground dance music created & in the words of Goldie's 'Timeless' .Why do you think this genre has survived so long?
I'm not going to give it the whole "Drum and Bass defined a generation....blah blah blah", however true it may be. Drum and Bass survived for so long because it created a culture based solely on having a good time, expanding the mind and experimentation. People enjoy that I think, I know I do. In the rave it doesn't matter if your male, female, black, white, gay or straight. As long as your having a good time everyone respects that. As long as people have a desire to let their hair down and party, Drum and Bass will have a reason to be.

You have recently been signed to Natural Selection Mgmt...how did all that come about?
I'm so excited about this. This year will see me teaming up with some of the scenes big names and giving me the opportunity to prove I can hold my own amongst them.

I was at a night in Kingston called Repeater. Since I started performing, I find it a lot harder to let loose at a rave than I used to. I spend a lot of time watching the artists, how they use the music, how the crowd reacts to them and why, how they work in sync with the DJ, it all helps me learn. At Repeater I noticed the MC wasn't very confident and was tiring. I asked him if I could come up and he told me to go to the stage entrance at the side of the room. When I did, security wouldn't let me through, I waited until they looked away and slipped passed and onto the stage. After I finished I was approached by my agent and we went from there. It proves that often risks do pay off, but you have to be prepared to face the consequences if they don't.


What is your all time favourite tune?
Power of Ra by Ebony Dubsters. It was one of the first D&B tunes I heard and I've loved it since. It always gets me pumped up in the dance.


So tell us what we can expect from your weekly feature?
Every week I'll be bring you the low down on new events, artists, tunes and general information you guys might like to read about. As well as this, once a month I'll post my months top 5 tunes too. It will be a good way to keep yourself busy for five minutes while you pretend to everyone you're working.


And we always end on a random note so if you could be a super hero which one would you be & why??
The Hulk. I have a short fuse. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.


A big thank you to our latest recruit and bop your head along to this one:).....