Jhyve
Written by Ani Artinian Thursday, 09 July 2009 06:27
When I asked Jhyve to describe the sound and genre of his music, he grimaced. This artist certainly does not like to categorize or define himself. Smiling, he said that if he “had to”, he would describe it as r & b – with a little West Indian, calypso, hip-hop and soul in the mix as well. He even went through a rock and acoustic phase when he first started singing back in university. He and another guy got together to form a band and performed several local gigs, mostly playing cover songs that encompassed a wide range of musical genres. Jhyve believes that he started singing in university because he was constantly surrounded by a lot of creative and musical people. Many of them would sit around playing and singing music in his residence, and this influence got his own creative juices flowing as well.
Thanks to the musical influence of his family and friends he grew up with, Jhyve says that when musical inspiration hit him in university, he was “in a sense, ready.” Little did he know how challenging the journey ahead would be. As a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer, Jhyve acknowledges that it’s definitely hard when you have no one else to depend on creatively. He also has very little free time to himself – if he’s not singing he’s writing, and if he’s not writing he’s producing. On the other hand, Jhyve finds that having so much control over your music and creative process is “empowering”, since his music can be anything he wants it to be. Decidedly, it’s “both a gift and a curse.” All his hard work is put forward in hopes of accomplishing as much as he can musically.
He believes that “music today leaves people numb” and it is “impersonal and arrogant.” A lot of music out there is highly manufactured, and Jhyve prides himself on genuine self-expression and strong lyrical content. He hopes to be a breath of fresh air and to make music that speaks to people, and helps them feel something. He’s currently in the process of recording his album, and is hoping to get his first single some radio time by the end of the summer. He also looks forward to performing a lot more and circulating his music to current and prospective fans.
Visit www.whatisjhyve.com and get to know Jhyve a little better.