INTERVIEWS

TUNE IN WITH DeyonWho ON THE HYPE 87.3 FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

INTERVIEWS

Check out TampaMystic’s interview with DeyonWho

DeyonWho, a prodigious talent, has been on a trajectory to stardom since he was a mere 10 years old, crafting his unique sound with no formal training. His remarkable skill lies in blending various genres into enthralling compositions, showcasing his creativity and boundless potential. By the age of 15, DeyonWho had already made his mark with his debut song “Be Without You,” igniting a growing fanbase as he performed across local venues, carrying his fervor for music into his college years with performances that highlighted his distinct musical style across the Southwest.
His music, a harmonious blend of R&B, Pop, Hip-hop, and Soul, breaks the mold of traditional genres. The release of his EP “Climate: April Shower” in 2017 offered a profound commentary on the black experience, resonating deeply with listeners and reflflecting the complexities of life as a young black man in Western society. This was followed by the 2018 mixtape “Make it Make Sense,” which married various musical inflfluences to delve into themes of love, optimism, and perseverance, further cementing DeyonWho’s commitment to his art.
DeyonWho continued to evolve his sound with singles “IDWI” and “On Me” in 2020, setting the stage for his much-anticipated debut album “Boundaries7:17” set to release in the summer of 2024. This upcoming project promises to be a vibrant fusion of dance music, incorporating R&B, house, Afropop, and techno, all imbued with elements of funk and soul, showcasing his ability to innovate and push musical boundaries.
As DeyonWho gears up to release “Boundaries7:17,” his journey from a young musical prodigy to a visionary artist stands as a testament
to his relentless pursuit of excellence and his ability to captivate audiences with his evolving sound. With each project, DeyonWho not only promises to deliver groundbreaking music but also to redefine the landscape of urban music genres, ensuring his place in the annals

Tune in with Sophia Mengrosso on The Hype 87.3 for an exclusive interview

INTERVIEWS

Check out TampaMystic’s interview with Sophia Mengrosso

Artist adjoins Metal to Opera to rage against domestic violence in ‘Demonizer’ 

By Rebecca Haines

LOS ANGELES – A hellacious, new voice is shining a light on the difficult topic of domestic violence in the world with fiery passion, remarkable strength and no shame.

Sophia Mengrosso said her 13-track album “Unforgiven” embodies everything an artist holds dear including personal stories, raw emotion and song lyrics that were born at her piano. This strong, Hispanic female artist beautifully connects one spectrum of music to another – Metal and Opera – particularly with a song that calls out domestic violence in a most powerful way … “Demonizer.”

“’Demonizer’ started many years ago as a story – some feelings I put on music sheets about domestic violence and abuse,” Mengrosso said. “Growing up I saw it a lot. It was hidden. No one talked about it. There was no bringing people to justice. Victims are afraid to be shamed or to be blamed. I was scared, and I wanted to empower people who suffer from these things – to take power back. Sometimes people say forgive, but I don’t believe that. Society pressures us to forgive someone who destroyed your life. It keeps eating us. Destroying us. There was never justice. Some things cannot be forgiven. I believe you have to claim your power back, and take what they took from you … That’s my way of justice.”

The song’s message belongs perfectly under the “Unforgiven” title, and its sound reverberates its boldness. While Mengrosso’s classically trained vocals lure the heart, the Metal thrash exemplifies the emotion. Visuals for the “Demonizer” music video use hellish darkness and flames.  

“I wanted it to be strong and I wanted it to be dark, because it’s a dark subject,” Mengrosso said. “It’s OK to have rage – it’s OK to have the dark energy and to let it out. It gives me power to pull out of darkness. It means I want to have justice and burn out what harms. It’s my rage on those people. It’s what they deserve.

“People who deal with those horrible things feel weak. I have found a way to express that it’s like a storm – something massive you woke up that’s not going to back down until this entity is clear. You have power to push back and not be silent.”

Relating deeply to the societal norms of the vibe “be nice – don’t talk about dark things,” Mengrosso fights the influence of putting limitations on people. Even in music, she found too many rules in the Classical genera and longed to express herself more. She said Rock and Metal was where she found freedom.

“In my years, people have limited me – put in a box to suit some styles – but music is made to make our lives better,” Mengrosso said. “Rock is for strong vocals and this is where I found myself. Something in my brain resonates and stimulates with that sound – I just love Rock and Metal. It soothes my soul and resonates with me with how I feel inside. As a female artist, it gives me power to express myself, makes me feel strong and room to improvise with how to send my message.”

Born in Siberia, Mengrosso fell in love with music at a young age – particularly the piano and later the harp. By the age of 15, there was no doubt in her mind that she was born to create music. She moved to the U.S. when she was 18 and in a few years achieved a position of a polished singer and songwriter that flawlessly connects her classical training and the rebellious world of Rock and Metal.

Today Mengrosso uses her platform to empower women – not just in the face of abuse, but also to pursue whatever their heart desires.

“People will make you feel small for their comfort,” she said. “There is pressure to be nice, quiet, calm – because that’s more convenient for them. My main point is to be loud. Take your place. And don’t be afraid to speak up about problems. Deep inside, you know what’s right for you. When you put it away, that’s when depression happens … Things like this need to be brought up – celebrated. Don’t see it as weakness – it’s a part of you. And if you can help someone else, that’s the best part of being a human being. And for me as an artist, if I can inspire people I’ve never met – that’s the biggest reward.”

As Mengrosso continues to lean into an incredible future in the music industry, she is anticipating a collaboration project with Snoop Dog this summer. Next, she’ll go on a music-filled trip to Europe where she will reunite with past teachers, and then stateside fans will welcome her home with live performances in Texas, New York and LA. Make sure to stay connected to Sophia Mengrosso on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

 

 

Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B0CBQF9W28/sophia-mengrosso 

 Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sophia-mengrosso/1697167028 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2v2izImh5Klqia6oxOQC2F 

 YouTube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UC0TxBlMHC7tODcQyDKxqOuA 

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophia_mengrosso/

 

Sisaundra interviews on The Hype 87.3

INTERVIEWS

Sisaundra has been blessed to have so much going on in the entertainment business throughout her life, and her new single titled “You Remain” transcends genres while spreading the word of God in a fun, upbeat way.

She has been on NBC’s The Voice working with country star Blake Shelton, has worked with some of the top musicians in the world, and hosts her own talk show on AFRO TV. The newest endeavor involves a track where she celebrates the Lord while belting out her vocals, with the backing of a talented band that she’s worked with for more than a decade.

“It is a tapestry of genres,” Sisaundra said. “You know like Donny and Marie Osmond said, “I’m a little bit country,” well I am a little bit country. You could kind of see it coming out with Blake on the Voice, but more so now in this song.”

One morning Sisaundra woke up and saw some new boots that she got from Shelton for being on his team while on The Voice in 2011. She put them on and started tapping, singing a melody and even yodeling. Sisaundra drove to the TV studio where she works, and told her band that she had a great idea. While they nixed the yodeling, they dug the idea and put together a track that Sisaundra loves.

“We came together and wrote all the lyrics for it,” she said. “We infused a lot of who we are and what we believe in this song, and I told them they really needed to capture the country side of me. I am very, very happy that we were able to do that, and I hope everybody loves it.”

Sisaundra grew up in a small town in Florida called Lake Hamilton, and was the daughter of a sharecropper and a pastor. This meant she spent plenty of time in church, and also plenty of time working. While she comes from humble beginnings, her richness in life comes from the aspects her parents shared with her.

“These are the things that they believed in, which was God, and their work ethic that was a ‘get it done’ mindset,” she said. “They were also empowerers and encouragers, so I feel when I look back at it in retrospect, it really helped me to develop into a better person because of who they were.”

Her parents have since passed away, but the memories of them and what they taught her hold true. Their leadership, love and work ethic was integral in the person she has become. One of these major pieces was her family’s involvement in music, and from the age of four, Sisaundra was singing. 

“Getting into music was just destiny,” she said. “Of course, being a preacher’s kid, you’re going to do something in the church. You’re going to sing, play an instrument, preach. You’re doing something. My father encouraged me so much all the time to get into music. I would have wonderful surprises, like I came home one day and he had a beautiful blue drum set in the back of the truck.”

Sisaundra’s father was determined that someone was going to play drums in the church, and that was going to be her. They also bought her a piano, and just constantly exposed her to music. Her sisters had a group called “The Lewis Sisters” who would travel and open for major recording quartets. Sisaundra asked them if she could sing, but she was just way too young at the time. 

Sisaundra didn’t want to give up that notion, and she asked her father if she could sing after he gave his sermon at Sunday mass. After some thought, her father gave the okay, and Sisaundra was on her way.

“As they say, the rest is history,” she said.

Sisaundra has had some incredible moments in her entertainment career. She spent 10 years performing with Cirque de Sole and has also worked with major talents like Celine Dion. Sisaundra was working with Peabo Bryson, who famously sang with Dion on “Beauty and the Beast.” She was also the understudy of Dion, and would sing the duet with Bryson while on tour. One day her manager called her and said Dion wanted her to go out on the road as her vocal director.

Fast forward and Sisaundra was continuing her push as a singer, but was also a single mother of three. They are grown now, as she has a 36-year old son named Vinson, 25-year-old daughter named Rasheedah and a 17-year-old son named RJ. 

As a single mom, Sisaundra wanted to make sure that she spent quality time with her children. She decided at age 43 that she was going to retire completely to stay home and take care of her kids.

Rasheedah, who was then just a child, was baffled that she was seemingly letting her dream as a singer fizzle out. She had some words of encouragement for her mother.

“She sat me down and said to check out this show,” Sisaundra said, referring to The Voice. “The nearest audition was New York, and she said, ‘you’ve got to go audition.’ I was like, okay, I ain’t got no job. I might as well fly to New York and audition. Lord have mercy, that thing just kept going.”

Sisaundra was selected to appear on season six, and since she has country roots, she knew being on Team Blake was the right move.

“When you get the courage to step into the spotlight, for me, you don’t take that for granted,” Sisaundra said. “It was really a blessing to hear so many other people, outside the people who love me, saying I was going to move forward with this. I went ahead and accepted, went to California, and was on The Voice. It changed my life.”

Sisaundra said that it takes a certain type of courage to go up there and perform in front of 16 million viewers. While she didn’t win, she turned plenty of heads and the doors quickly started to open all around her. 

Now she is the host of The Sisaundra Show, which is a talk show on AFRO TV that gives a platform to people like herself who needed exposure. It is filmed live and has an audience of 12 million viewers, airing five days a week at 7 p.m. on Comcast XFinity Channel 1623.

Be sure to check out Sisaundra’s work including her new single “You Remain” available on all platforms.

Spotify

Website

The Sisaundra Show

YouTube

Instagram

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