The stories that come together due to the sounds of music will forever be never-ending.  A perfectly synchronized beat.  The mix of a song that leaves you with an unforgettable vibration of soul shaking and life changing tunes.  It’s all for the love of the game and that game is one that true music lovers never tire of playing.  A true artist and music lover to the core, Jamal Ahmad born and raised in College Park, Georgia found his love of music at the age of 5.  As we know, most love stories start before we truly know who we are, but they set the tone for who we are to become.  Ahmad cut his first demo at the age of 16, played in the legendary House of Funk marching band for Morehouse College during the 90s and allowed his love for the craft to carry him even higher.  He is a songwriter, a musically gifted artist, a dreamer and crafter of those higher vibrations we love to groove to.  Come along with me and dive into a truly enlightening conversation as we learn more about his band, The DangerFeel Newbies, the latest release of his single, Somewhat Loved and the power of music and its undeniable influence on his life.  

There aren’t too many who know the story of Dangerfield Newby.  The son of a white slave master who would later be freed.  Newby made a living as a blacksmith and eventually joined John Brown and his raiders in hopes to free his wife and family.  What was it about his story that led you to call your band, ‘DangerFeel Newbies?
That is a brilliant question. Because the story of Dangerfield Newby is so intrinsically connected to the universal struggles of the human spirit. When I first heard about him while watching Ken Burn's Civil War documentary back in 2007, I remember his name striking a big chord with me. I literally came up with the band name, The Dangerfeel Newbies, after hearing his name. It had a vibration that felt like there was more to his story. So I did research and found out there was so much more to his story and when I discovered the love letters between him and his wife Harriet, I knew that their story would be felt deeply by all humanity. Because it's a story that's essentially about what sacrifices would we make for love, family and our people. It's like the Prince song "I Would Die For You". It's the ultimate black love story. When I saw the plaquer in the National Museum Of African American History & Culture with her quote, it affirmed my deep affinity for their story. 

Blues, jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop & house are all music genres that have deep history.  How has the influence and culture of music inspired you as a musician?
Sometimes we as African Americans forget that one of the greatest commodities we've given to this world, outside of our epic symbol of struggle, is our music and its spiritual and healing qualities. It's changed the world many times, going all the way back to the Fisk Jubilee Singers and Ella Shepherd creating what we now call Negro spirituals. When folks like Queen Victoria, Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain and royals all over the world heard their songs that were once referred to as "cabin songs", they heard something so hauntingly beautiful and soulful. Even the great composer Johann Strauss proclaimed at one of their shows that this was the greatest music he'd ever heard in his life. So that's how our story begins. It starts in this deeply cathartic space where the music is healing to our people who had been enslaved for hundreds of years and then set free in a cold wilderness. And everything else that came after it, ragtime, jazz, rock 'n' roll, soul, R&B, funk, hip-hop, house, techno, whatever, came from this same place and effectively changed the globe. That's why I take all these genres so seriously. You can see how the world moves to our beat. It's not the other way around lol.
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I’ve grown accustomed to truly experiencing all four seasons in the Midwest, however, I adore the beginning of Spring and love everything Summer has to offer.  The sun shines bigger and brighter.  The flowers are in full bloom.  The vacations have been planned, and it’s time to pull out the sandals!  With the change and turn of the seasons, it’s also necessary to make small, refreshing, and inexpensive updates to your home.  

​It might seem daunting and overwhelming as you truly don’t know where to begin.  I have found that starting with smaller projects and working your way up will lead to a feeling of accomplishment.  Warning:  Once you start making updates, it becomes addictive!

Over the years I have dibbled and dabbled in my fair share of DIY projects.  The results are the most rewarding, so when it’s all said and done it is worth it and then some.  

Often not receiving the credit they deserve, small projects are just as important as bigger projects.  Sharing my favorite, simple, and budget-friendly spring refreshers. Get your mind into this, and as always, have fun with it.  Don’t forget to turn the music up because it just makes everything better.
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Not only was that easy, but your house also smells amazing, you feel refreshed and a sense of accomplishment has covered you like the warm afternoon sun!

There never seems to be enough time or hours in the day to accomplish everything on your list.  For some, our days start early and end late.  Great balance is time for family, an efficient and productive work day, personal time for yourself, and carving out just a bit of your life for actual fun.  It doesn’t typically happen this way, but with all things, after a little practice and patience, you can create the environment and space that makes you happy.  

~AJ 🌻

Wednesday was a day like any other.  I woke to the cats scratching on the door and meowing as if they were trying to alert me to an intruder, a missed early morning Amazon delivery, or maybe just to hop on the bed to show me their loving affection as their trusted caretaker.  Their automated food bowl turned and there was nothing in it.  Oh, the joy!  My life has equated to falling into the demands of my hairy children.

Life goes on...

I digress.  Now, where was I?  Oh, Wednesday.  So the day progressed, I worked, had a little water, not nearly enough food, and developed this banger of a hunger headache.  You know, the kind that says drop any plans you had for the remainder of the day and just relax.  So I listened to my body.  I ate dinner, talked to a friend, and poured myself a glass of champagne.  When it didn't help my headache I thought for a second I should have another glass, but I opted for a little murder mystery to soothe me right on to sleep.  I am different, this I know.

Waking early is part of my routine.  I hopped out of bed before it was safe to text anyone WYD, so I decided to get a good workout in.  I could feel reminders of my headache from the night before but I ignored it and surprisingly it went away.  I knew that today I would be on a mission and would need a colorful day.  I've acknowledged the chapters in my life because they have perfectly shaped the way I view and feel things.  This chapter, this amazing place I have found myself in is called, 'COLOR'

I name things as I see fit.  The blonde-haired squirrel that visits in the spring, I've named Blondie.  The exquisitely dressed porcelain frog that sits on my patio at the first hint of summer, his name is Ferdinand.  My chapters, in all of their glory, are no exception.

Color enhances my already exuberant mood.  It just makes me feel so damn good.  The colors of light, the way it feels when they glow perfectly onto a canvas.  The color of my shoes that are so amazingly bright I can't stop looking at them.  And I surely cannot forget the many colors that have found their way onto the walls in my home.  They all make me feel bright and vibrant.  

And then there are the colors in this early morning bowl of oatmeal.  I wanted and needed something that looked as good as I knew it was going to taste.  I needed subtle yet invigorating excitement to set the tone for my day.  Exploring and diving into what feels and looks good is a personal journey.  I mean look at that drizzle of honey that has created an almost dew-drop-like essence!  Yes, I am serious about my creations even if they are in a paper bowl.   

I encourage you to find simple happiness, choose your color palette and allow those tastes and feels to come to life. 

Now... What'll it be for lunch?! 🎨 

I've always been intrigued by the notion of a booth that offers kisses for only a quarter.  Is this just a peck on the lips, a sweet and sincere kiss on the cheek, or a weird yet effective kiss in the air?  Either way, I give props to the person behind and in front of the booth.

It's love day!  A special day set aside to celebrate the passion and beauty of love.  The gift of its existence and the sexiness behind this man made national holiday that we all love so much.  Flowers are ordered, gifts have been shipped, and special nights are brewing for that special someone.  If it seems appropriate to raise both eyebrows in a rapid motion, now would be the time.  

What does love mean to you?  It could be many things, but I do know it is different for everyone and that is what makes it so unique.  

The feelings you have when you spend time with your family.  A racing heartbeat when a certain someone comes around, or the way you feel about your little 4 legged friends.  The feeling of being connected to someone in ways that speak to the love language you two have created together.  Just as good as this day can feel, there are some who can't wait for this celebration of sorts to end.  Perhaps you have gone through a failed relationship, or maybe you are grieving over the loss of your loved one.  It is safe to say most of us have experienced both at some point in our lives.   There is also a strong possibility you simply don't get into the fluff and hoopla of it!  

I get into the festivities as much as I feel the need to.  It's fun for me, however I am also a hopeless romantic.   I'm a sucker for a sappy love story on screen and in real life.  I believe in love at first sight and all things that are of this perfect gift from God.  Love is expressed daily, not just when the world says we should show it the most.  As fortune would have it, I found love within myself, for without it, I wouldn't know what true love should feel like, or more importantly, how to express it.  

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope your day and all days are amazing, full of love and happiness from the inside out.  My curiosity has gotten the best of me, so I'm headed out in search of this kissing booth.  I want to make sure I'm first in line!  
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​~AJ 😘

In all things great, one never seems to be enough.  Aja Graydon and Fatin Danztler are the Philly-based dynamic duo you all know and love as Kindred the Family Soul.  Their voices marry together in a way that has created a dynamic vibe you want to hear over and over again.  As we listen to music we pay close attention to the lyrics, but we also want to feel the songs and have a true connection. The authenticity of the music they have created over the years allows the listener to relate and groove at the same time.  Celebrating 20 years since the release of their debut album, Surrender To love, this married duo gives us an inside view to the start of their careers, the importance of maintaining the love, their latest and 7th album release, what they are working on next, and much more. 

This year marks 20 years since the release of your debut album, ‘Surrender to Love’ which received a Soul Train Award and BET Award nomination.  What was it like to release your first album and were you nervous about how the world would receive your music?
AJA - It was very exciting because both of us had been in some facet of the business since we were teenagers, trying to find our identity and our place in the business. Finally, we'd reached the point where our art would be presented and so we naturally felt nervous and relieved. We had 2 small children by then and much was riding on the success of it. I also remember a great sense of accomplishment, it made us that much closer. 

FATIN - Surrender to love turning twenty makes me think back to a much simpler time in our lives but one that was full of a lot of great creative energy. We were overwhelmed with gratitude and joy to release a record that was literally born out of the live performances we put on weekly in a small club. So to try to translate that LIVE energy and bottle it up for sale was difficult and challenging but has been a true blessing to our lives. It stands as a time capsule to a milestone period in our lives. We certainly were nervous as to how it would be received, but also confident in the ways the material had resonated with the audience we had earned early on. 

Music is a soulful feeling that tells a story in the most unique ways.  The way that your lyrics and voices come together is always a head-shaking, and vibe-induced moment.  When you are writing the lyrics to your songs, how do you know once you have created something magical?
AJA - We just listen for what clicks. No matter who takes the lead on an idea, it's about a vibe. When it connects authentically to us, we feel pretty confident it will resonate with someone else.

FATIN - I wouldn’t say you know lyrics are magical but you do know when they speak to you and that’s the first step of being confident enough to record them. You hear it back many times before anyone else does so you begin to believe in it before it’s critiqued. Sometimes it’s golden and sometimes not so much, but it always comes from the heart.

I remember with great certainty that history class was by far the subject I truly disliked studying the most.  Reason being, I never felt a connection with any of the stories I read in the provided textbooks.  What was deemed by the school board as standard for teaching guidelines, left the students lacking and void of their history which is rich in culture and holds centuries of legacy. 

James Baldwin stated,  “I began to be bugged by the teaching of American history, because it seemed that history had been taught without cognizance of my presence.”  

The thoughts of Baldwin would be echoed by many before and after him.  Half a century earlier, when Carter G. Woodson, a scholar whose dedication to celebrating the historic contributions of Black people led to the establishment of Black History Month, set the foundation in 1976 for what would become today’s national Black History Month, observed each February.

History has said to have a bad habit of repeating itself.  The good, the bad, and often times the ugly.  Rewriting the past is impossible, however, helping shape the future is a task we are all faced with and should be concerned with.  As times continue to pass me by, the importance of Black history is forever in my mind in hopes that it is never lost.

Knowledge is one of the keys to life, and with it comes a treasure far more precious than any rare gem you could ever find.  As we enter into this month long celebration of Black history we are in no way shape or form saying that the other 11 months of the year shouldn’t reflect on the history lessons that are forever there, it is just giving our culture a special moment in time to celebrate and add to the legacies before and long after us.   

There are many ways to celebrate Black History month and learn more about the culture, life and legacy of those past and present.  A history lesson is not just taught in class, it extends far beyond into your home life, the work that is done in the community, and the ways you can help to continue adding to our rich history.

• Gather old magazines and make vision boards.  You would be surprised how much inspiration you can find.
• Support local black owned businesses.  Call ahead and ask if they have any special events planned for the month of February, but if not, support them anyway.
• Educate yourself more on the Black Lives Matter movement and find out ways to get involved in your community and spread the word to your friends, family and on social media.
• Visit museums dedicated to the history and legacy of Black leaders who have paved the way for our continued fight for freedom and equality.
• Have an activity lesson at home every day for the month of February or once a week that is interactive and fun for the entire family.
• Research and read the work of Black authors.  The literature that is available is quite extensive.
• Enroll in online or in person courses dedicated to the teaching and learning of African American history.

The more you get involved, the more you know.  The more you understand, the more you are able to teach and share.  Nothing worthwhile comes easy, it takes time and patience to truly educate yourself on the important facts of our culture.  The beautiful thing about history is, once you know more about the past your eyes are now opened to the possibilities of the future.  Keeping the stories alive, sharing our life experiences, learning more of our heritage, are all reasons this month is so important and will always be.

“With our future ahead of us and the ancestors beside us, THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN’T DO!”

~AJ

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​~AJ

I believe that the energy you put out into the universe will come back to you in many ways.  How has music changed your life? 
​Music has changed my life in every imaginable way. One of my favorite mystics said “music is the dream of silence”. I mean, what a thought. I believe music is our greatest contribution to the planet as human beings. Throughout the ages, music has been that invisible expression that speaks to our souls in a universal language. We are all connected through song. Music has provided me with a tool to share my story and connect with the stories of others. It reminds me of the power of the unseen. The power of beauty. It’s a tool I can use to influence my mood and that of others. Music is my love language in every sense.

As a writer, I love the freedom to create from scratch, however, it doesn’t flow unless I’m in a certain head space.  When you write a song, where do you go mentally?  
When I write, I don’t go anywhere mentally. In fact I need to get out of my head and into another zone completely. It can’t be intellectual in the beginning. It’s best to tap into a trance like state and to grab whatever floats to the edge of my subconscious and conscious mind. My mood is more important than my mind when it comes to writing and creating. After I get the gist of the story I want to tell, I can then bring in my more analytical mind. That’s when I can start to think about things like structure and form. That’s when I can embellish. 
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The world of music is always changing, however, good music will always resonate in the souls of those who truly love the craft and creativity behind the magic.  What do you feel is most important in keeping music honest, real, and from the heart? 
I think the most important way to create truthfully as an artist is to live one’s life. When you are immersed in your own life, you have real material to draw from. When you live authentically, you can create authentic music that’s an embodiment of your soul. 

Lalah Hathaway posted an all-star lineup on November 28th and fans went crazy trying to determine how to purchase tickets until we all realized it was a fantasy.  If this was to come to fruition, how amazing would that be? 
That was so cool to me. After all,  she is one of the greatest vocalists ever. I had no idea Lalah even knew who I was, much less enjoyed my music. I love affirmations like that from the universe. Hey Lalah, I’m ready to open for you or collab whenever you have time.

​You are taking a cross-country road trip.  Who’s on your playlist for this long ride? 
Oooh, that’s a hard one to answer, but I would say at this point in my life my road trip playlist would include Joni Mitchell, Sade, Cocteau Twins, Stevie Wonder, Harold Budd, Laraaji, Alice Coltrane, Bob Marley, Antonio Carlos Jobim … demos that I’m working on. There are so many other artists I love that I didn’t include, but I think their music best fits other situations in my life right now.   

Music is an important part of so many lives.  Without it, I most certainly would be lost.  What do you want your fans to feel when they listen to your music? 
​I want them to feel that life is absolutely worth living. I’ve called it “life affirmative” music in the past and that still feels very true. Life is worth loving and opening your heart to. Even in the midst of challenges. As long as we are feeling people, we have hope.
 
When you are not writing and creating new music, what do you like to do to unwind? 
​I love to hike to unwind. Moving my body outside is so good for me. There’s that getting out of my head again. Communing with nature heals me every single time. I also love to read a good book. I know I’m in a good place when I’m reading a lot. 

Is there anyone in the industry you would love to collaborate with? 
Oh yes. I’d love to collaborate with John Mayer, Kevin Parker, Frank Ocean, and Esperanza Spalding.

Can you give us a glimpse into what’s next for Sidibe? 
New music and live performances. Hopefully some sweet collaborations too. ​

How can your fans connect, follow, and most importantly support you?  
Fans can find me on all of the socials. I’m most active on IG. They can support me by playing and sharing the music! If you’re feeling extra generous, you can go to my Bandcamp page and buy the music there.

In closing, leave us with a bit of positive inspiration.  
​Don’t get too caught up in the visible. Remember that the most important things are invisible to the human eye. Use your imagination and prayer to make contact with the divine spirit that is always present. Trust in the mystery and allow it to be. 

Get your digital or print copy of Issue 32 at Groovmagazine.com

~AJ

I am a firm believer in surrounding myself with those who inspire, motivate, and uplift me.  Without those three things, honestly, what is the point?  I was drawn to Anthony 'AJ' Joiner from his daily 'make you go hmmm' kind of questions.  He is an author, entrepreneur, radio personality, and founder and CEO of BLOOKSY.COM - the SaaS platform that uses artificial intelligence to help authors and academics write and publish faster.  Wow!  It's the perfect beat I needed to accompany the melody that has been playing in my head for so many years!  Awarded as Entrepreneur of the Year by the Future Successors.  AJ also hosts Tips & Tool every Tuesday on the #1 drive-time radio show!  I could go on and on, but that would take the joy out of reading for yourself.  So, sit back, relax, and get to know AJ.  You will be so very happy that you did!

To the most beautiful girl in my world... Here's to you!

Here we are once again.  That special day, significant, and absolutely blessed day.  Your day!  Life couldn't get any better if I planted this story into a fairytale with the perfect happy ending.  

There are material things that a person might receive for their day of birth.  Cards, flowers, jewelry, clothes, etc., but there is no gift more treasured than the gift of life.  You are 81 years young on this day.  Wow!  I can only pray as time goes on that I am graceful, elegant, and beautiful as you are.  A true gem in full living color.

I have always loved celebrating birthdays.  So very important and so worthy of the praise given to the special person on their truly special day.  On this day may you smile a bit longer and harder than you did the day before.  May the well wishes from those near and far fill your heart and flow through your soul, and may God continue to bless you, keep you and protect you for years to come.

Happy Birthday, Mom!  I love you so much!  From the moon and back and then all over again for as long as I live.  🎁

~AJ 🫶🏾