| Jazzed Up: The sister group Jazmin shoot for stardom |
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| Written by Hazel on Friday, 20 March 2009 00:00 |
 Jazzed Up: The sister group Jazmin shoot for stardom
interview by: Hazel Lodevico
Hello Ladies, thank you for taking the time to speak to Thirteen Minutes! Congratulations on doing so well on MTV’s Top Pop Group! What was the experience like for you? We had an amazing and unforgettable time on MTV’s Top Pop Group and made lifelong friends with the cast and crew. Even though at times it was intense, doing what we loved everyday was fulfilling and a lot of fun! Before the show we worked and went to school full-time so performing on national television each week was surreal. The experience really gave us a glimpse of a full-time career as an entertainer and helped us realize that we really do want to do this for a living! You gained a lot of fans from the show. Was there at least a little disappointment that you hadn’t reached the top prize? It’s only natural to feel a little disappointed when you don’t win in a competition, but we were just so thankful for the exposure and priceless experience that it didn’t matter who won. You had been singing and performing together for a while before you competed on Top Pop Group. When did you all first realize that you four made a great sister act? Growing up, our dad was a preacher so we sang in church all the time, with my mom on the piano. People would come up to us and tell us that we should form a group and we decided to do it since we loved singing and had such a good time together when we performed. Felicia began promoting us on the internet and once we saw the positive responses from fans, our dream of becoming a pop group slowly started becoming a reality. I read that your parents were extremely strict on you while you were growing up. What was it like growing up without some of the things most kids take advantage of (i.e. TV, sleepovers, even dating)? Our parents were strict growing up, but it caused us to be creative and find new ways to have fun! Instead of watching TV, we would film our own music videos. Instead of listening to pop songs on the radio, we would listen to our parents’ Motown records. It was hard not being able to go out and do most of the things kids get to do with friends, but we grew so close as sisters because of it and now understand the importance of family. How do your parents feel about your singing career now? We are blessed that our parents are very supportive of our singing career. They love how music keeps the four of us together as a family and understand this is what we love to do. Because we’re happy, they’re happy! You write you own songs. Where does the inspiration for your music come from? The inspiration for our music comes from everything in our lives and we always write straight from our hearts! We draw from experiences and struggles we’ve been through to share our story and hope to inspire others with our music to pursue their dreams and enjoy life to the fullest. How would you describe your music? Which musicians influenced your sound? Our music can be described as pop and r&b with a hip-hop undertone. Our harmonies are influenced from motown and jazz artists like Jackson 5, The Supremes, The Marvelettes, The Temptations, The Andrew Sisters, George Gershwin, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. We love smooth melodies over a beat-driven track so recent r&b and hip-hop artists like Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Chris Brown, Jay-Z, Ludacris, T.I., Mos Def and Snoop impact the way we arrange our songs to flow. We try to incorporate all these elements into our music. As a singing group, your voices harmonize really well together. What kind of personality or talent do each of you bring individually to the group? (Nadia) I love to vibe with the music and have a great time on stage. I am also a romantic so most of my songs are about love. I have a background in fashion and style is my forte. I brainstorm our outfits and help to stylize each sister so that it reflects everyone’s individuality and still remain cohesive. I’m also the big sister so I make sure everyone stays healthy and happy. I always have a smile on my face! (Felicia) I am always down to go out practically any day of the week to network and meet new people. I just love going out and dancing so I try to bring the party onto the stage, in creating our choreography and into our lyrics. Also, I design all of our graphics and drive the marketing direction for the group so while I’m out I’m constantly looking for new and inventive ways to promote JAZMIN. (Celia) I am comic-relief for the group, without even knowing it (my natural clumsiness helps)! I keep the morale and energy up in life and on stage! Writing is a passion of mine so I am constantly putting down my thoughts, hopes and dreams on paper. No matter what we’re going through, I always try to put a smile on everyone’s face. I enjoy life and make sure to live each day like it’s my last. (Daria) I try to bring a strong and soulful sound to the group with my voice. I always have new melodies running around in my head. I enjoy thinking of fresh tunes along with lyrics that are fun to sing along to. I love how singers can move people and that’s what I hope to bring to the stage every time. Singing is my number one joy in my life and I hope to show that to the world. What are your plans now after the show? We are making music everyday and are hustling to fight for our spot in this industry. Currently we are working on new material, booking shows and are constantly in the studio. We hope to achieve our dream of making JAZMIN the first Chinese-American pop group in the US! |
