Reviews
Track Of The Week: Let Your Light Shine
In a birthday celebration of one of the greatest persons to ever walk this planet, Jenerik Soulz presents this week’s track of the week in Let Your Light Shine. Nelson Mandela has epitomized the meaning of hope and regardless of the grave obstacles ahead of him he was able to shed his light with a smile which has become a blanket not only to his South African people but to the world. This song is about people just like him and seeks to remind us to see the light from within us and keep shining. Check out the full track review here. (SMS “Muzik LYLS” to 37020 download it. SMS costs R7.50)
Don’t forget to sacrifice 67 minutes of your time to do good in your community, as did Madiba.
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We really want to hear what you think of Let Your Light Shine, use the comment box below to rate and review the track. On a rating scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor and 5 being classic).
Also sms ‘JS TOW’ (Without Quotation Marks) and your rating e.g. JS TOW 5 to 34010 (sms cost ZAR2). Daily, a randomly picked winner will receive a link to download the “Track of the Week” and weekly winner a Jenerik Soulz TShirt. This competion is valid for the week 18 July 2010 till 24 July 2010.
Generik Souls – Generic Souls – Generik Soulz – Generic Soulz – Jenerik Souls – Jeneric Souls
Track Review – Let Your Light Shine
Let your light shine is a heart warming classic with the timeless message of perseverance and persistence, its inspirational theme taps into the spirit of never giving up regardless of the challenges ahead and number of unsuccessful attempts. The song captures the lives of individuals such as Nelson Mandela who epitomized the meaning of hope and regardless of the grave obstacles ahead of him he was able to shed his light with a smile which has become a blanket not only to his South African people but to the world. Life is a gift in itself from a higher being and what we do with that gift is a thank you to you’re creator, struggle is often seen and regarded as a negative element which needs to be avoided at all costs, but in actual fact it is through struggle that one builds up character and is able to define oneself. Let your light shine draws inspiration from key modern figures or simply people who chose to positively fight through life with a smile and dignity and were able to reach a place of peace and tranquility with their actions.
Oprah Winfrey’s words of “Let your light shine: Shine within you so that it can shine on someone else. Let your light shine.” is a key theme in this track. These words capture the essence of believing that each and every one of us has a purpose on this planet, and that even if one is a street-sweeper you should strive to be the best street-sweeper in the world and through that positivity one is able to let their light shine. That “light” is simply a metaphor for belief because without the wings of belief a person is unable to soar past the highest skies of life and feeling the wind blow through there hair. Belief is life; once we believe we can achieve and those accomplishments help us in touching our dreams consciously.
The song is a self help musical piece which encourages people to never stop no matter what the circumstances are, to keep pushing and going and that those efforts will be rewarded one day. In the words of Albert Einstein who stated that life is like riding a bicycle. To keep balance you must keep moving.” The moment we dwell on the burdens of life we forget about the miracles and joys of it, and let your light shine presents a clear picture of striving to better oneself creates a universal chain reaction which lights up the world and eliminates the darkness surrounded amidst it. Faith is another key message rooted deep inside the song, faith are the eye’s that see beyond the physical but search towards a more spiritual meaning which cannot be distracted or deferred.
The music of Let your light shine is calm and serene with a heavenly bliss of reflection embedded in the melodic structure. With a warm light synth layer leading the track, and gently keys sitting on the lap of the synth like a child with its mother, the cohesiveness creates a harmonic blend of warm sounds. The drum pattern is busy in activity yet calm in personality and structure, the high hats lift the mood with their constant resonance; while the snare is piercing in tone and blends effectively with the kick. What fundamentally makes the track stand out is its purity in sound and clean transitions; its purity is used to create an angelic ambiance for the mood of the track letting out inspirational feelings of reflection and hope to the future. Crying chants in the back create a sad longing mood which helps in lifting the track emotively, while the light strings tie the track effortlessly together.
Track Of The Week: Ubuntu
With South Africa hosting the FIFA World Cup in June 2010, and using the tag line “celebrating Africa’s humanity“, Jenerik Soulz debut’s their latest single, Ubuntu, a song about humanity. Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s definition is that, “A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.” These words carry the important message that with Ubuntu people understand their value to society and are never isolated because that self-assurance has built a heart of love and understanding whereby people work effectively together. Check out the full track review here.
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Also sms ‘JS TOW’ (Without Quotation Marks) and your rating e.g. JS TOW 5 to 34010 (sms cost ZAR2). Daily, a randomly picked winner will receive a link to download the “Track of the Week” and weekly winner a Jenerik Soulz TShirt. This competion is valid for the week 23 March 2010 till 28 March 2010.
Generik Souls – Generic Souls – Generik Soulz – Generic Soulz – Jenerik Souls – Jeneric Souls
Track Review – Ubuntu
The song Ubuntu looks to embrace the traditional belief within African customs of focusing on people’s allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of Southern Africa and speaks particularly about the fact that you cannot exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness as people within society across all forms of races and captures the human virtue of generosity. The song runs in parallel with the principles of Ubuntu as it tries to highlight this important notion and spread its intentions to the world. Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s definition that, “A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed“. These words carry the important message that with Ubuntu people understand their value to society and are never isolated because that self-assurance has built a heart of love and understanding whereby people work effectively together.
In a Capitalist world which is fuelled by the acquiring of power, wealth and the constant pursuit of materials in excess, Ubuntu tries to oppose the vices of greed and attempts to instill a deep understanding of the importance of people instead of the focus on individuality. Ubuntu forms the basic understanding of the history of South Africa, because it took a common effort from people to fight against oppression during apartheid to build a new democratic country for South Africa free from hate, discrimination and racism. The word Ubuntu defines the core of Africans as caring, loving and family orientated human beings who strongly believe in the goodness of human nature and their ability to change for the better. South Africa being a country which fought against the oppressive evil of apartheid not only taught the world how to forgive but to live with those who once oppressed you.
The words which uttered from former South African president Nelson Mandela in his famous speech that, “Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement! God bless Africa!” sets the assurance that oppression by one another should never happen again, and Ubuntu revolves around the forms of freedom and equality and highlights the importance of society and looks at the bigger picture with the collective effort by humans. It also tries to instil within all of us the responsibility we have to care for one another not only in our traditional family circles but to every individual we interact with, regardless of their race or culture.
The song Ubuntu was created with the intention of reminding the world of this simple but important belief. The Drum pattern for the song sets the mood in African style as the thick 808’s lay the foundation for the sharp hi hats to follow in synchronisation with the jumping shakers. The snares are clean and poignant in character as they create a vibrancy of movement following the lead of the other percussions. The melody structure of Ubuntu is simple and mimics the ideas of the traditional belief system created by Africans; its simplicity captures the notion that it is the little things we do every day that help us build the bigger picture. A heavy synthesized base line carries the drums in local South African style with the melody lines lying across on the bass in perfect harmony throughout the track. The lyrics are jovial in manner yet serious with their undertone of peace and unity, stressing the message of “togetherness” and most importantly to “love one another“.
Leaders Of The World (The whistle song)
Jenerik Soulz is proud to participate in the Fair Play for Africa campaign by seeking to provide a unique and clear voice by calling out to all the leaders of the world and people of Africa to unite and work together in improving the quality of life for all. This quality of life touches on essentials such as access to quality health for friends and families and a transparency in issues such as HIV/AIDS. These very issues lie in parallel with what Jenerik Soulz as a young, vibrant band tries to combat through positive and easy-on-the-ear music.
The song composed by Jenerik Soulz, titled Leaders Of The World (The Whistle Song) is a song which tries to capture the optimism and positivity of the African people to celebrate the progress that has already been made as a continent. The whistle which is consistent throughout the song which blends immaculately with the melody plays out as a powerful metaphor to demand accountability and blow the whistle on under-performing African and international governments; who have promised to spend 15% of their budgets on health. The whistle also holds a more literal message as it represents the people and it is a clear reference to the biggest sporting event which is about to take place in Africa for the first time, the much anticipated Football World Cup.
The track is titled Leaders Of The World for the direct purpose of getting straight to the point and calling out to all leaders, African and other Continents, to keep their promises and work with the people on a grassroots level in partnership to do more and improve the quality of people’s lives. The whistle which is traditionally used as a communication tool transcends all boundaries of language and culture and can be used symbolically as a mechanism to blow out on governments who are not doing enough while at the same time blow in celebration of Africa as beautiful continent alive with possibility.
The key ingredient in the track is the positive elements around it; the vocals are concise and lucid in execution while capturing the core roots of Africa through the use of thumping African percussions. The baseline is thick with character and breathes an air of strength throughout the song. The layered melody whispers elegantly in a melancholic tone symbolizing the challenges Africa has faced over the years and those which are to come in the future. The drum pattern with a consistent 808 stamps a stern voice for Africa that it does not seek pity rather it seeks partnerships and good ideas. In its entirety the song captures the message of solidarity and humanity to work together under the banner of the Fair Play for Africa Campaign.
Track Of The Week: Summa Lovin’
From their debut album Room Service, Jenerik Soulz offers the latest single ‘Summa Lovin‘ (Click here for track review) Summa Lovin’ is an upbeat track which captures feelings of festivity and celebration, it’s sole purpose is to uplift people and encourage them to live life to the fullest…. Hit the play button (if it’s not playing already) on the media player at the bottom of this page and enjoy.
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Use the reply box below to rate and review the track. On a rating scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor and 5 being classic), sms ‘JS TOW’ and your rating to 34010 (sms cost ZAR2). Daily a randomly picked winner will receive a link to download the “Track of the Week” and weekly winner a Jenerik Soulz TShirt. This competion is valid for the week 25 January 2010 till 31 January 2010.
Room Service Mika Stefano’s Album Of The Month
Mika Stefano is a social blogger. He is a personal brand that has become a public profile. He is one of Johannesburg’s most flamboyant socialites. He is also the person who knows the latest gossip and entertainment news …And he’s reckons Jenerik Soulz’ Room Service is HOT and deserves to be his Album of the Month.
Check out his review of Room Service here, get yourself a copy (if you haven’t done so) and comment with your review.
Track Of The Week: dance4life
In commemoration of World AIDS Day, Jenerik Soulz presents dance4life as this week’s track of the week. dance4life addresses the recklessness of individuals who follow a care free life living only for the present and forgetting about the future. It taps into the mindset of youth and seeks to instil an insight of living a healthy responsible life which comes with making conscious decisions throughout life such as the dangers of multiple partners in relationships, the dangers of not using protection in sexual activities and the ignorance showed towards this incurable disease… Read more about the track in our track review.
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We really want to hear what you think of dance4life, use the comment box below to rate and review the track. On a rating scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor and 5 being classic).
Also sms ‘JS TOW‘ (Without Quotation Marks) and your rating e.g. JS TOW 5 to 34010 (sms cost ZAR2). Daily, a randomly picked winner will receive a link to download the “Track of the Week” and weekly winner a Jenerik Soulz TShirt. This competion is valid for the week 01 December 2009 till 11 December 2009.
Track Review – dance4life
dance4life is a track created to spark a movement in fighting one of the biggest battles in society. HIV/AIDS, a pandemic which has killed over 25 million people since 1981, and with the worrying statistics of Africa having 11.6 million AIDS orphans; and with young people (under 25 years old) who account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide, there is a dire problem amidst our people which needs serious attention and solutions. When looking at the concept of dance4life it addresses the recklessness of individuals who follow a care free life living only for the present and forgetting about the future. It taps into the mindset of youth and seeks to instil an insight of living a healthy responsible life which comes with making conscious decisions throughout life such as the dangers of multiple partners in relationships, the dangers of not using protection in sexual activities and the ignorance showed towards this incurable disease.
The greatest weapon in fighting this disease is education, which instils a certain dignity within individuals to not only value themselves but value others in the world, to fight off this disease which strips away the face of society and places a cloud of darkness over the light of life. dance4life is a shining moonlight that reflects across the hearts of young people with its strong message of waking up every morning and taking responsibility of your life, and when it starts with you that is when the world is able to change. The lyrics are simple and easy to digest, with visionary portrayals of a nation in desperate need of change, because the only thing constant in life is change.
In placing a magnifying glass on certain themes in the track we are able to break down key messages embedded in the track, such as peer pressures which youth face today in growing up quickly and developing far faster than past generations. Modernity has not only shaped the word positively it has also brought huge problems with it, such as the constant bombarding in every form of the media of sexual messages, these sexual messages are reinforced every day of our lives and cannot be avoided. Youth who are the biggest consumers of these media forms are faced with problems of misinterpreting the messages which result in early sexual participation, teenage pregnancies and these problems are aligned with the vultures of the pandemic AIDS. The youth now need a voice of which they can associate with and understand clearly without false misconceptions and dance4life is that voice of conscious reason or a ventriloquist within music that feeds the souls of the young.
The track is a soundtrack for an HIV/AIDS awareness organization called dance4life which Jenerik Soulz supports and has donated music whereby the proceeds go to fighting the disease. The music is co-ordinated simultaneously with the fundamental principles of the dance4life organization, who strongly believe in interacting with the youth because they hold the key in building a better tomorrow.
The music takes its place around a fast club like environment with hard flashing synthesizers which co-ordinate in rhythmic fusion, alongside head banging 808’s which lead the march as a metaphor in fighting this disease firmly without doubt that it can be defeated, the light strings layered beneath the synthesizers bleed with melancholic movement and paint the picture of lives lost in the battle of AIDS, they all come together in uniformity in creating a club hit, which sinks within the hearts of every youth. The simplicity of the lyrics which are effected with a futuristic auto-tune device in order for modern listeners to relate, has a certain prophetic hope that belts out the message that if we can all in our own capacity take up the challenge to fight AIDS, then in the end it will transcend into a cohesive group effort. The words “just push your passion” signify the simple message of having a passion for life and when that reality is created one values every second of life, and will protect their life against any threat even HIV/AIDS.
[Click here for track review in pdf format]
Track Of The Week: Room Service
Back by popular demand, Jenerik Soulz’ lead single Room Service is the track of the week. The song follows a young woman who uses metaphorical expressions to refer to the gifts that her boyfriend buys her to “Room service” in the setting of a hotel which captures a melancholic moment of loneliness and entrapment within these walls of luxury. The soliloquy effect in expressing her frustrations hold water in her statements that instead of the luxuries, she would prefer him beside her which is her hearts necessity… Read more about the track in our track review.
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Also sms ‘JS TOW‘ (Without Quotation Marks) and your rating e.g. JS TOW 5 to 34010 (sms cost ZAR2). Daily, a randomly picked winner will receive a link to download the “Track of the Week” and weekly winner a Jenerik Soulz TShirt. This competion is valid for the week 01 November 2009 till 06 November 2009.
Track Of The Week: Quick Fix
Jenerik Soulz presents the second single from the forthcoming album Room Service. ‘Quick Fix’ (Click here for track review) follows a typical girl’s night out in the city whereby she rejects trivial advances by another man who is drunk off infatuation but feels a burning desire to acquaint himself with this young woman at any expense. Hit the play button (if it’s not playing already) on the media player at the bottom of this page and enjoy.
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Use the reply box below to rate and review the track. On a rating scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor and 5 being classic), sms ‘JS TOW’ and your rating to 34010 (sms cost ZAR2). Daily a randomly picked winner will receive a link to download the “Track of the Week” and weekly winner a Jenerik Soulz TShirt. This competion is valid for the week 25 October 2009 till 31 October 2009.
Track Review – Quick Fix
Quick fix is about refusing to be the scapegoat or easy resolution to others; it seeks to eliminate the inferiority complex in people inflicted by others. This track touches on the importance of acquiring virtues such as confidence, self-love and a self-assured standpoint of oneself in life. It looks at the notion of accepting and loving a person in your fullest capacity and not for just a cheap thrill to merely pass time. It sincerely deals with the issue of seeking longevity in people and things, with compassion and consideration. The 21st century has brought with it the inability for people to spend time on things because of instant gratification and the hustle bustle of modern society who place no emphasis on people but rather on superficial things.
The importance of independence is highlighted gracefully and takes the standpoint of one believing that they should not pay attention to people who undermine their sense of value. Because independence empowers one with self love and eliminates at all costs the negativity around oneself, which comes in the form of people incapable of seeing the good in people. Quick fix looks holistically at the complexities of an individual trying to forge their path in the world, while not sacrificing their identity by those who are seeking a ‘quick fix’, which is a metaphor for a cheap thrill which holds no water and is futile in the sense that it does not last, and is laid on the foundations of deception.
The song follows a typical girl’s night out in the city whereby she rejects trivial advances by another man who is drunk off infatuation but feels a burning desire to acquaint himself with this young woman at any expense. In doing this, a clear scene is painted through the situation of this man offering this girl a drink and chatting her up, as a means to an end. Her response is of one of a true independent and dignified woman who turns down these advances because she sees the intentions behind them. The woman’s response echoes the theme of the song, that of her not seeing herself as just being merely a ‘quick fix’. Men are always identified as being the predators and the woman are the kill, and the men will do anything in their powers to go in for the kill, but quick fix disapproves with this notion, by looking at the decency in mankind and that the process of befriending one should not be done through superficial things such as alcohol but through the simple gift of true honest language where two people meet each other on a mutual accord.
The music of Quick fix stems from the truest form of jazz and combined with the typical structure of an upbeat house affair. The Rhodes keys form the main mood of the track with their sensual, nostalgic chords which sink within the hearts of the listeners. The jovial drum pattern creates a festive mood of dance and happiness and is lifted with the heavy synthesized bass line played on top of the drums. The vocals are typical of an 80’s feel which are gentle yet the messages in the song are executed with conviction, jazz holds a strong place in the identity of quick fix, with the improvised piano solo within the track which highlights the conflicts of a society who lives by the standards of only seeking a ‘quick fix’ in life, which not only leaves one empty but disillusioned. The nostalgia brought by the light synth towards the end of the track concludes the sadness brought on by people through meaningless advances which lead to someone getting hurt emotionally, and seeks to capture this truth, yet with the possibility of shedding the light upon the situation that when one respects and loves themselves they are able to pick up the dangerous signs of a ‘quick fix’ brushing the advances aside and living their life peacefully yet with the purity that when a good moment presents itself they will be able to see it with the eyes of a child and see the beauty in it.
Room Service – Track Review
Room service digs deep into the human condition of love which still seems enigmatic to society after thousands of years on the planet earth. The song critiques the desire to be in a relationship for more than what material things can offer, it looks sharply from the outside at the illusion and trappings of a superficial attainment brought by infatuation. The embodiment of this false illusion seeks to direct the listeners towards a fulfilling life of true love which transcends beyond the superficial, untainted by the physical realm and that concentrates on a spiritual connection and a bond which looks past futile objects. The 21st century has brought with its technological advancements problems of human connections, whereby materials instead of simple human interactions have taken over and tried to replace each other. Society has lost its touch of humanness and what Room service tries to evoke is a sympathetic look at the dangers of personal neglect and that no inanimate object can ever replace the presence of human connection.
The song follows a young woman who uses metaphorical expressions to refer to the gifts that her boyfriend buys her to “Room service” in the setting of a hotel which captures a melancholic moment of loneliness and entrapment within these walls of luxury. The soliloquy effect in expressing her frustrations hold water in her statements that instead of the luxuries, she would prefer him beside her which is her hearts necessity. Her yearning seeks to capture the hearts of many women who wake up in empty spaces and need the fulfillment of life which only has meaning when shared in mutual love. The conceptual outlay of the track is somber in mood and translates unique messages of reflection in tone and evokes passionate emotions of love. The underlying interpretations of Room service are simple and lucid, as they inspire us to look past the shallow elements in life and rather search for the deeper fulfilling well of life which unlike the shallow wont quench your thirst momentarily but will quench it eternally in a pool of bliss.
When stripping the track to its bare minimum by isolating key elements within the sound, the melodic structure of the Korg keys lead the listener towards a calm space of reflection as they are rich in texture and warm with ambience. However in juxtapose the heavy synthesizers layered across with a thumping drum pattern and thick bass line raise the tracks personality into a more emotive affair of contradicting sounds. The African bongos add a touch of ethnic grace in tying the loose strings together as it merges the various sounds into a cohesive work of art. The vocals elegance in execution sit comfortably within the blending sounds as the lyrics compliment the expressive production of the track.
The track Room service targets young and old woman who are eager to love with substance and purpose, and escape the limiting effects of materialism. Its universal undertones capture a large array of other dilemmas while focusing primarily on the needs of woman who in their complex state of minds just simply want true love which comes with truth and honesty.
Jenerik Soulz Room Service – Album Preview
The Jenerik Soulz trio’s music stems from the distinct sounds of Hip hop, Soul and Jazz which seeks to capture the essence of organic sounds blended within the heartbeat of house music. This is a collective contribution from its different members on the debut album titled Room service. The first officially released single, Room Service, adds personality to the sound yet embedded deep within the core of the music are revolutionary messages which seek to capture the listeners imagination as the music is rich in texture and bright with an infinite amount of messages.
Jenerik Soulz as a band tries to evoke deep underlying feelings with the use of soul in the melodic structures yet in juxtapose, releasing energy with a sense of celebration and festivity with hard hitting drum patterns while also using synthesizers in capturing the modern, urban feel of the youth’s vibrancy.
The collaborations formed on the album were instinctive and fit comfortably into the soulful realm of Jenerik Soulz. Bantu Soul adds a warm masculine presence within the tone of the song “Again” while complimenting Dionne Song’s pure femininity. “D.I.Y.” brings together Dionne Song and her highly energetic friends in the form of Denise and Lutho John, who bring a fresh zest of youthful vibrancy and eloquent delivery in their passionate collaboration. “Summa lovin” packs the punches as a summer anthem calling in the soulful elegance of Aya whose telepathic exchanges with Dionne Song bring an organic affair in execution. The final collaboration is with Antonio Lyons on the sentimental “Jo’burg city”, as he breaths insight into the heartbeat of the track, he’s honest portrayal paints a vivid picture like a painter on a canvas.
The album brings together a diverse pool of subject matters with tracks such as “dance4life”, aligned with our relationship with the organization dance4life, seeking to highlight the effects of HIV/AIDS and the need for responsible living. “Let your light shine” is an inspirational anthem which promotes people to never give up on their dreams and be a light onto others.
The album versatility in subject matter provokes a multi-dimensional look at the world with its universal messages such as love, caring, respect and tolerance reverberating through every note. The central theme which characterizes the album is the element of positivity, which is circular among every track with a fresh perspective.
Simply put Room service is a melting pot of eclectic sounds, which lurk between the fine line of unconventional music and creative standards.
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