A chat with Zvibz.com

I recently sat down at Blackout Movement Studios with Andrew from www.zvibz.com, a reggae music entertainment website that goes beyond the typical - "what are you currently working on" and "where can we see you on tour". I rambled on a bit but it turned out to be an interesting conversation.

I appreciated the rare, on camera, appearance from Blackout who also talked about his journey coming up in the business. You can see his complete interview on http://www.zvibz.com

Long days to come

There's no visual attached to this post, no promo of anything, just a real diary entry. A little while ago, maybe November last, I realized that I spent a lot of time doing for other people's projects. I'm a workaholic given the chance, and I'm given the chance fairly frequently. I realized that it's neither always appreciated nor rewarded duly. So since I've chosen to avoid bitterness at all costs, I decided to channel my newly enlightened mind toward my own endeavors. I'd done it all this time but never with this amount of focus.

It's been rough. I have friends and people who help as much as they can. I do the best I can with limited resources and what I believe is unlimited potential. I have my eye on a prize that doesn't seem too far away although conventional wisdom would suggest it isn't within reach. I find conventional wisdom boring and the word 'no' means nothing to me other than - maybe not this way, try another route.

It's late and I'm antsy. I've taken on a lot to chew on but the reality is, I gotta get this stuff done if I want to get to where I want to go. Every night I'm excited to see what tomorrow will bring. My mother likes to quote a song I wrote long ago that says "every midnight starts a brand new day". I believe that. That after darkness comes light, and balance requires experiencing both, so I'l continue to revel in both.

I don't claim sadness any more, nor depression. I claim only ambition, determination, success, health, wealth, prosperity, love and happiness. I love my friends, and even a few who aren't. I'm thankful for every opportunity and every door that opens. Some good ones seem to be coming to me in recent days and I believe wholeheartedly its because I'm ready for what they offer.

I promise to remain thankful. I promise to pace myself. I promise to experience as much of the ride as fully as I can. I promise to live up to my promise as a human being, as a talent, as a heart, as a star. I pray you do the same. Have an outstanding week and make every week even more so!

C

Feeling Like a Star

I do feel like this video has the potential to grow legs on its own, but as impatient as I am, I appreciate all the leg growing help I can get :-). My friends at www.Carivibez.com have just informed me that I broke into their Top 20 chart at number 15 this week. I find that very exciting since this may be my first charting for anything anywhere in recent years.

Please have a look at the video if you haven't already. You can check it out there or, of course, on youtube where its received almost 8000 spins in a month. Bassanova & Moradzo did a great job on the production and hyping their crowd in this video, and clearly I had a grand time with my squad messing around in Mike Montoya's Miami studio.

Hope this record makes you feel like a star! Please head over to http://www.carivibez.tv/online/top-videos.php and vote us up. Thanks guys. Have a great week!

C

New Music Videos

It's 3 months since my last post and I'm no closer to slowing down. We just got through a crazy weekend. I got some tentative confirmations on some pretty exciting stuff, and slowly but surely people are starting to take notice of what's going on over here.

I had a decent press and public turnout at my video launch this past weekend where I world premiered "Hey DJ" and "Like a Star". It world premiered online on www.Carivibez.tv. People seem to really like one video or the other, which I'm cool with because I feel like there's something for everyone. They're both over 200 spins on youtube in 2 days but I still feel like that isn't fast enough. I'm getting pretty impatient with life, but it just means I need to work more diligently - not harder necessarily, but definitely more diligently.

My friends are all rock stars. Everybody came together to help make the event a success and my FB friends help in sharing the videos is helping them move along as they are. Its a lot of work with a small team but when we see the results of our efforts, we know its all worth it. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are my new music videos: Hey DJ and Like a Star. Please watch, like and share them where you can. Post them to your own blogs and submit them to anyone looking for material for their blogs. Thanks so much for your support and love. Right back atcha!

Soul Unsigned and Supporters of Independent Music

Yes, I'm now a dance music artist, but anybody who knows my history knows I'm very comfortable with a nice soul, jazz, funk, blues mish mash. There are days I'd rather listen to the Brass King, DJ PEACE and Poppa E than Y100 and Power 96. And they actually aren't that few and in between.

I recently came across a great site called SoulUnsigned.com who features QUALITY independent and unsigned soul music and artists. I approached them, and although I don't fit in exactly with their typical programming format (it's pretty grown and sexy), they appreciated 'Great Day' enough to include it in a February 17 mix. You can listen to the soul music mix here.

I sat and listened to that show from start to finish instead of running around doing 50 other things and skipping between "internet things" as I usually do. It was the most mellow hour I've spent in a long time. I'd love to share it with you and encourage anyone else with similar discoveries or shows to let me know. This stuff is pushing me even more to get going with my own show that talks about stuff we need to discover. Not just stuff that people already know about.

Mark my words: I shall get it done!

In the meantime, remember to check out www.soulunsigned.com

OK :-) I'm out again.

Keep dancing,

Calibe

Local Music: I need to hear more!

I've been feeling so much love. Every time I get some I have to share it. While the selections I hear from this Miami indie music review aren't always ones I personally am attracted to, I applaud Collen Dougher on highlighting local artists (and not just the same set over and over), and on making selections that won't appeal to only one set of listeners.

This week I was featured in her music blog for City Link magazine, along with some other local reverbnation artists with party music. Check it out at the link below.

Local songs: Where's the party?

By the way, I'm planting a lot of seeds now. One of my next projects will be a blog / video blog / internet show about SoFlo entertainment stuff. Not just night life, but day life, hotels, niche market stuff, restaurants, and of course music. As I build the idea and the content, I'd love feedback and suggestions from anywhere I can get them. I know this has been done a million times, but it's always very shiny and fake, or overly formal. I think Deco Drive has the right formula mixing humor with content. There needs to be something else though. That's what I'm aiming for. The something else that people actually want to pay attention to.

Planning to get started this week. Stay tuned and wish me success (and a little luck)!

Keep on dancing,

Calibe

Finally! A nice TV bigup :-)

This is going to be a quickie post. My mommy came into town today and I've already been out of her presence for 3 hours trying to get this video posted. Gotta get back to her. I only have her until Sunday morning.

Thanks to Watson at WSVN for giving me the segment and to Odette, Matty and Alex for getting it together in the first place. The producers at Deco Drive came out to the BlackOut Movement studio a few weeks ago to record a segment where I'd be featured as one to watch (good call guys!). I think it was very tastefully presented and they made me sound fairly intelligent. And I love the soft light. Hides all the flaws :-D

It was a shot in the dark that got me onto the show, just like it was a shot in the dark that got me into certain other opportunities that have come up recently. I give thanks to inspirational spirits and the beliefs that keep me going daily. If I can offer anyone any bit of advice to anyone in life, it is to find your own inspiration.

On the way!

C

February Morning

It's already February. I'm still feeling good about where the year is heading. I've got more people rallying around for the cause and some really good music being produced for me. The opportunities are coming and I'm strategically selecting which to go with. Might not be clear to all but they're all clear to me.

Although it's absolutely messed up the way everything is going over there, Egypt is inspiring me to never say die, to keep fighting for what I believe, and to make sure that sacrifice is never wasted.

I had a little snafu happen this week already. I posted that my Deco appearance would happen on February 4, not realizing that the date had been changed to the 10th. Hopefully my friends and fans will still tune in. It means a lot to have the people you know on your side, not that it isn't better or just as great to have the support of total strangers. Personally, I think the support of strangers speaks more loudly to the quality of your product. You know, friends will tell you things are great just for moral support. If strangers aren't flocking to you, you know what's really up. Thankfully, I get a healthy helping of support from both friends and people I don't know.

On my journey, I'm finding new, supportive and endearing people and friends along the way. One such is a young lady who featured my Great Day video on her music blog http://www.hundredproof.net a few months ago. She shot a little video interview with me. My make up isn't the greatest its ever been but we had a nice chat and a good time.

I've got one collab for which a video will be shot shortly, and I've got another that will be out in Europe toward the end of the month. There are also some writer credits I might be presented with that would just make my year. The ball is rolling and I don't want it to stop. Some people care about getting married and starting families and gazing at stars, I care about work. So I'm gonna keep hustling and keep appreciating the support of friends, fans and family. I have the greatest of each and I want all to know that you are appreciated.

Keep on dancing.

I'm on the Front Page of www.DancehallUSA.com!

What a great placement. The new site looks awesome and when they confirmed the feature with us, I was informed I was one of the first artists with the background feature. Here's the link:

http://www.dancehallusa.com/2011/01/new-artist-spotlight-blackout-movements-reggae-soul-artist-calibe-is-having-a-great-day/

What a great looking product! Of course I browsed through the site a bit. Loved their video player. Loved their gossip column content. Looks like they'll have a smashing year too! I think I've found my new source for all things Caribbean :-)

It's a Great Year Already

You know why? Because I decided it was going to be before it even came around. I've been exploring the philosophy that you make things what they are, and putting that philosophy into practice since about October of 2010. Can I tell you, approaching life as if the good things that you want to happen - will happen, makes SO much of a difference. It changes your attitude, it changes the people you attract to yourself, it changes the opportunities that are presented to you.

For example, there was a time that if I didn't know someone, I'd never call them, regardless of what opportunities 'someone said' they might present. Well, right now there are at least 4 projects that are potentially about to pop because of random collaborations. I'm the featured artist on most, as opposed to the main artist, but the position I'm playing on each record is beyond comfortable and people are being really good to me, and good about including me in the promo of the records.

It's been so many years of being in this business (over 10, I won't say how much over, but OVER), but this is only the second time I'm pushing myself to make contacts and find doors to open with or without help. I dropped the ball last time hoping other people would help pick up the slack. Won't let it happen again. We all need help, no one can do everything alone. The reality however, is that until you get the help you can't 'fold your hands and do nothing'.

So I've decided I'm going to have a never ending party. Once I'm awake I'm going to be happy. I won't let people spoil my mood for too long. I will find enjoyment in whatever the activity is, however mundane. I will enjoy dance music, which hasn't traditionally been on my radar (now that I've been thrown into it, it feels like home!) And I will show love to everyone who supports this vision and to everyone who does not.

I'm a firm believer that people can agree to disagree. I don't like every piece of music that I hear, but if someone wants my critique, I make it constructive, not mean. If they don't, I'll encourage them to follow the path they see for themselves, whether I get it or not. Wouldn't the world be a better place if people could all just relax?! Siiiighhhhh.

Oh well. I'm having a rockin' year and I hope you do too!

Keep on dancing,
Calibe

What a Wonderful Life :-)

I woke up early this morning because I went to bed early last night. Truth be told, I'd have got up early anyway. It's part of my new chapter whose mantra is - I will act now. Kinda cracks down on hitting the snooze button when there really is so much to do in every day.

Anyway, shortly after jumping on the computer to start my daily online promotion chores, I received an email letting me know that I'd got a review in an online magazine. I was a little apprehensive but after following the link to the page on www.grindmodeconnect.com, my day was made. Here's a snippet from the review so you can see why:

"Already moving away from being pigeon-holed, 'Great Day' shows how Calibe can work equally well over reggae, hip-hop, soulful or pop inspired sounds as her producers do a fine job in holding her down for beats. Certainly warming up as one to watch, Calibe is currently in the studio as this release gives an indicator of the quality that may emerge in 2011. Get with this now and say you were there..."

Now wasn't that nice? Bear in mind, I didn't want to say anything because it isn't done yet but forget apprehension. I'm going for broke today because tomorrow never comes... I'm interviewing with WSVN's Deco Drive on the 18th. I can scarce contain myself. I believe the video for "It's My Birthday" is going to be released in the next month or 2. I won't be in it but best believe I'll be looking for maximum exposure from all available media anyway.


And I do so appreciate the help of friends and fans so if you know of any channels that might be interested in a feature or review, please send me the link.

I'll also be interviewing on the Jorge Rodriguez show on www.SoFloRadio.com on January 14, as well as performing at the Downtown Get Down Urban Music Festival at Tobacco Road that same evening. Then on to correspondence for www.centvnews.com at the Buju Show on the 16th. It'll be a full and fun week next week. I hope you can share some of it with me!

Remember to check out the full length review at http://www.grindmodeconnect.com/view_cd_review.php?id=445.

Happy New Decade

I spent the turn of the decade on stage in front of 50 or 60 of the closest friends I'd never met before. It was great. I was on the patio stage at a cozy little restaurant in Delray Beach called Dada. I wouldn't have preferred to be anywhere else but working.

I'm so thankful to all my friends Poppa E, Oski, Jorge Rodriguez, Monica and Shari from www.sofloradio.com, BlackOut Movement, MoFk$htUp and everybody else who keeps me going. Every day isn't great, and maybe every day never will be, but most days are because we make them so. When I get back from Jamaica I'll be heading to the Downtown Get Down at Tobacco Road on January 14th, then to the Buju Concert with www.centvnews.com to be their media correspondent.

Looking forward to an exciting month and an eventful year.
Check out the video footage from Jolly Jam 2010.

Keep up on my YouTube Channel MissCalibe
Bless up!

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