Featured Artists, Songs and Posts
Feautures
Songs, Artists and Music News that has win Nagamag’s attention. Timeless sound harmony and unique pesonalities that are worthing extra attention! With no specific release date or music genre, fine music never expires.
Steve Barakatt – Cedars of Lebanon (Video)
“World-renowned and award-winning composer, pianist, and music producer Steve Barakatt delivers a masterfully arranged and performed neoclassical piano sonata of the utmost quality with his exquisite expertise ”
-Nagamag.com
A beautiful piano solo composition inspired by the mythical Cedars of Lebanon.
Few words about Steve Barakatt:
For more than three decades, award-winning composer, pianist, music producer and creative director Steve Barakatt has collaborated with leading artists, record labels, studios, brands, and organizations on hundreds of projects around the globe. As a concert pianist, he has presented more than 500 live performances on five continents. His music has been featured on hundreds of TV programs & series as well as on major sports event TV broadcasts such as the FIFA World Cup and the F1 Grand Prix. As a recording artist, he has sold over five million albums worldwide and his music catalogue reached 100,000,000 views on YouTube.
He had artistic collaborations with Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Yaroslavl philharmonic Orchestra, Lahti Sinfonia, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre métropolitain, Radio Nacional de Espana, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, El Sistema, Angelique Kidjo, Natasha St-Pier, Nana Mouskouri, Maxim Vengerov, The Alexandrov Choir, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Nic Raine, Yoav Talmi, Christian Vásquez, Yiruma, Richard O’Neill, Shirley Bassey, Leon Lai, Alan Tam, Kelly Chen, Daniel Chan, Agnes Chan, Sincere, Yoko Oginome, Miri Ben-Ari, Noriko Sakai, Audrey De Montigny, Sun Min, Wheesung, John Park, Shayne, Chen of EXO, Lee Dong Woo, Yesung of Superjunior, Sunny of Girls’ Generation, Luna of fx, Wendy & Seulgi of Red Velvet, Taeil & Doyoung of NCT127, Universal Music Publishing, Sony Music Entertainment, SM Entertainment, Yamaha, Roland Corp, Japan Central Music and many more…
The world’s most recognized composer of official anthems, Barakatt is the man behind “Lullaby, The UNICEF Anthem”, the Saemangeum MegaCity anthem “One More Heart, One More Dream”, “Motherland” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lebanon, anthems for Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and the world’s 66 Royal Golf Clubs, and compositions for numerous other prestigious organizations and events.
https://stevebarakatt.com/
Will Brahm – Madrid (Video)
“Nowadays it is quiet easy for anyone to listen ethnic music with just a tap on a button but when you hear on Madrid you will not just hear Peruvian sounds and rhythms but a more personal interpretation on such melodies with an acoustic ensemble”
-Nagamag.com
Will Brahm said about this song “This composition of mine channels the sounds and rhythms from Peru, bringing the spirit of a Peruvian Festejo along with my own harmony, melody, and interplay with the acoustic ensemble.”
Few words about Will Brahm:
Will Brahm is a Los Angeles based guitarist and composer, and a 2019 Herbie Hancock International Guitar competition semi finalist. He received his bachelors of music in Jazz Guitar Studies at California Sate University Long Beach, where he was a five time consecutive recipient of the “K-jazz” scholarship.
Will has performed, recorded, and worked with artists such as Arturo Sandoval, the New West Guitar Group, Gordon Goodwin’s “Big Phat Band,” Kim Richmond, Otmaro Ruiz, Sara Gazarek, Jane Monheit, and Gretchen Parlato.
Will has toured with The New West Guitar Group across the United States and to Malasia and the Philippines, and toured with his own original music across the United States and to Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Greece, and Turkey. Recent albums of his include the 2017 release of his world original music ensemble “Homenaje,” the 2018 release of his duet album “Will Brahm & Lia Booth,” and the 2019 release of his most recent album under his own name, “Venture Atlas.”
Will draws from a number of musical backgrounds from all over the world, giving his original compositions the combination of singing melodies, rich dense harmonic variations, and diverse exciting rhythmic motion. His 2019 album release “Venture Atlas” contains all original compositions of his, and he is joined by Chris Wabich on drum set and percussion, Diego Alvarez on percussion, Ahmet Türkmenoğlu on bass, and Katisse Buckingham on flute.
Will’s new album “Venture Atlas” is out now!
https://www.instagram.com/willbrahm/
tigerlily Interview on Nagamag
Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?
tigerlily:
I'd say it's sultry, chill, pop music.
Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?
tigerlily:
New York City-based artist tigerlily makes sultry pop, a sound described by EARMILK as pop that “radiates heat . . . the grainy film of memories so sweet and persistent." Growing up in Seattle, tigerlily fronted an all-girl grunge band that was named "Seattle's Best Underage Band" by Seattle Weekly and received support from KEXP and The Seattle Times. For her solo debut, tigerlily worked with acclaimed producer duo Nima Skeemz and Elan Wright, whose credits include Macklemore and Travis Thompson. She's opened for artists including Grammy-nominated duo Social House and over 1000 fans tuned into the benefit release concert she threw to raise money for the Martha P. Johnson Institute supporting Black Trans lives. A vocal advocate for greater representation of Asian Americans and other POC artists in the music industry, her interviews have appeared in publications such as Audiofemme and Character Media. As MACG Magazine put it, "Tigerlily has ambition, experience, and vision. She's an artist that refuses to allow the industry to define her. She's a woman with a mission and the guts to pull it off."
Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?
tigerlily:
I grew up watching old concert footage of all the artists my Dad loved: David Bowie, Nirvana, The Pixies, Radiohead, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, The Who, Prince, Queen. I remember watching Freddy Mercury on stage at Live Aid and thinking that was the pinnacle of greatness one could strive for in life. Year later, I wrote my college essay on why he inspired me: the glitz and the tragic glamour of Rock and Roll and dedicating one's being to being a performer, an icon and an artist. I guess it was never a conscious decision I made that I wanted to be an artist, I just grew up knowing that was who I was. I wrote songs all my life and when I was 13 I started an all-girl dream pop grunge band with my sister and cousin, and now I'm a solo pop artist. It's hard sometimes being an artist - figuring out who you are without the pressure of who you think the industry wants you to be and navigating your fears and self-doubt. But when it's tough, I think back to being a little kid watching those old concerts of Michael Jackson or The Who at their prime, and to me, that's the closest to magic you can get in this world. I fall back in love with that childhood dream and I know this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.
Nagamag:
What inspires you to keep going when you doubt yourself?
tigerlily:
I’m doing this for me, of course, but I’m also doing it for the old me and all the other Asian-American kids who grow up subconsciously believing that being a successful artist isn’t for them since they don’t see anyone who
looks like them; who grow up not being proud of their Asian heritage. I want Asian-American girls to see
me and believe they can be a popstar if they want, they can be a rockstar, they can be whoever they
dream to be.
Nagamag:
Can you talk about filming the music video for your new single new york?
tigerlily:
We shot the music video at my friend's apartment and we actually had to sneak out on the rooftop since there was a huge storm the day we were filming so it was closed. I told security I left my cell phone on the roof so they let me up and then I snuck in the film crew and we quickly shot all the dance scenes before it really started pouring rain! The drone shot at the beginning of the video we also had to shoot on the down low since that was also not allowed, haha. But yeah, I think it turned out dope and I'm so excited to finally be sharing it!
Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?
tigerlily:
P.Kruise "Like Damn"
Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?
tigerlily:
Viiq "Break It If You Buy It"
![Cuushe - Magic [OFFICIAL VIDEO] (Video)](https://www.nagamag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cuushe-magic-official-video-video-nagamag-music-magazine.jpg)
Cuushe – Magic [OFFICIAL VIDEO] (Video)
“Magic by Cuushe is a dreamy chillwave/pop song with sensual soulful vocals and beautiful melodic lines, delivering small rain drops of nostalgia around through a heartwarming sound design which gives a softness tickling to ears as a fresh fluffy pillow does.”
-Nagamag.com
Following the big and bright return single “Hold Half”, today Cuushe shares “Magic”, the second single from WAKEN. The track features Mayuko’s distinct whispering vocals flowing in and out of the night drive-style electronic melodies. The “Magic” video is directed by Tao Tajima with animation from Yoko Kuno.
Mayuko Hitotsuyanagi puts clear outlines on her music with upcoming album WAKEN — a collection of vital, dream-pop centric beats and analog soundscapes woven with her newly freed voice, set for a November 20th release via FLAU. It moves through flamboyant analog synthesizers that seem to communicate with the universe, distorted guitars and mille-feuille-layered choruses. Wildly struck snares and beats recall the rave sounds of the ’90s, energetic, carefree.
https://www.instagram.com/cuushe/
https://flau.bandcamp.com/album/light
https://www.facebook.com/cuushe/
Frank Iva – Wreckage (Video)
“Wreckage by Frank Iva is a deep emotive solo piano which explores the shades of nostalgy through a well gently performance.”
-Nagamag.com
FRANK IVA is a Ugandan-born American music producer based in San Diego, CA. His work is an exciting fusion of electronic and live music with hints of jazz, hiphop, classical and gospel influence.
Even though his dream was to be a concert pianist, he first attended college as a Statistics major at the prestigious Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Through college and beyond, Frank coached worship teams, taught piano, and worked as a record engineer. In 2006, he moved from Kampala to the U.S. to pursue his dreams as a producer and artist.
As a black international student pursuing a degree in Music from Judson University, Frank’s worldview was soon greatly impacted through working as Worship Arts Director for a predominantly white evangelical church in the suburbs of Chicago. He faced both overt and subtle racism in America, that left him hurt and confused about his purpose.
A series of life-altering events took Frank through a time of no music, no church; of love, loss, and redemption; and across the country to San Diego, CA where he now resides. His work as Music Director at The Rock Church, as well as his MBA in Project Management has propelled his path back to his dreams.
Today, you can find Frank Iva merging his love of Chicago’s improv Jazz with that relaxed California electro vibe, with his first single ‘Conversations’, released May 2019. His anticipated uptempo followup, ‘Bassline’, was released December 2019. He will be releasing his first EP in early 2020. You can also view video of live production and performance in Frank’s ‘Iva On The Track” series on YouTube.
https://www.instagram.com/frankivamusic/
I Awake – Exoticas – I Awake Remix (Spotify)
“A hypnotic psychill journey which steps into ritual dub grooves, tickles you with mid range synth bliss and layered with lush reverbs and harmonies of spiritual mysteries. ”
-Nagamag.com
Exoticas is the lead single of I Awake & Less new album "Tabula Rasa". An album grown from a collaborative idea of making two versions using the same stems, I Awake providing the downtempo/neo-ambient flavour, and Less the upbeat club-tracks. This downtempo soundscape journey is the perfect soundtrack for the well tuned ear, a blend between synthesizers and foley all written, produced and mixed for a horizontal experience.