Toronto-based Afropop artist Aiza discusses her new soulful release “Winds of Change” collaboration with producer C The Reason
Toronto-based Afropop artist Aiza discusses her new soulful release 'Winds of Change' collaboration with producer C The Reason. Out Now via BMG Production Music.
Stream The Powerful and Inspiring New Single “I Love Myself”
“I Love Myself” is an anthemic jazz song that crescendos with epic big band stabs and orchestral flourishes. It delivers an unapologetic message of self-love and empowerment. Picture a late-1960s collab between Nina Simone and Quincy Jones at the height of the civil rights movement.
"The soulful collaboration effortlessly transports listeners back to the golden age of the 1960’s, evoking the timeless essence of the era. With lush strings, horn arrangements and stirring vocals, this new album captures the spirit of soul music at its most authentic and enchanting."- Backseat Mafia
Toronto, Canada - Singer, songwriter, actor and producer Aiza, has announced the release of a new album entitled ‘Winds of Change’ in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist producer, C The Reason. The album is now available via BMG Production Music and available for sync opportunities. The soulful collaboration effortlessly transports listeners back to the golden age of the 1960’s, evoking the timeless essence of the era. With lush strings, horn arrangements and stirring vocals, this new album captures the spirit of soul music at its most authentic and enchanting.
Aiza explains, “I’ve been collaborating with C The Reason for many years now but working together on a project with such strong roots in blues and jazz is definitely a first for us. The songwriting process was smooth and a lot of fun! We wanted to make sure that each song tells a unique story and I really enjoyed putting myself in these different characters’ shoes, from a broken-hearted and yearning lover in "My Boo" to a woman unapologetically owning who she is in "I Love Myself." While the lyrics were inspired by music from the 1960s civil rights movement, they are still extremely timely and personal. The songs started out as simple stripped-down demos and then took on a whole new life once C worked his magic on them. He is such a skilled composer and I marvel at his ability to come up with rich orchestral arrangements. He went and hired an all-star band of musicians to play the tunes and I had a blast rehearsing with them before our recording sessions. Most people know me as a pop artist but I’m also a huge fan of jazz and singing these songs pushed my voice to another level. I’ve never heard myself sound so raw and vulnerable before and I’m very excited for my listeners to experience this side of me.”
C The Reason adds, “In recent years I’ve been producing music primarily in the realm of afropop and contemporary R&B. Most people I work with probably have no idea that I actually have a masters degree in jazz performance. I’m deeply passionate about writing for big band horns and strings, so this project really was a dream come true. Some of my all-time favorite singers are Dinah Washington and Nina Simone, and I’m obsessed with the large ensemble arrangements of Quincy Jones, so those three artists were my North Stars for this project. Aiza and I got to work crafting melodies and lyrical themes that would feel undoubtedly timeless, but also could evoke the 1960s with all its social unrest.
A few years back I played in a Nina Simone tribute project with the virtuosic, Grammy-nominated singer Malika Tirolien, which really helped me to develop an even deeper reverence for Nina Simone. Her lyrics reign supreme, and everything else plays a supporting role to the message. With the “Winds of Change” EP, I tried my best to honour that spirit of "lyrics above everything." Each song on the project has a really powerful message, delivered impeccably by Aiza, and I was very careful to not “over-arrange,” just create a comfortable bed that punctuates the lyrics.
Each musician who played on this project was an MVP. The final elements to be recorded were actually the string parts, which were performed by some real musical heavyweights in Toronto: Kevin Fox covered the cello section (his arrangement and performance credits include Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Sarah McLachlan), while Drew Jurecka covered all the violin parts. Drew is well known for arranging and performing the iconic strings on Dua Lipa’s album “Future Nostalgia.” When we finally listened back to the whole project with all the elements in place, Aiza and I just sat back with our jaws on the floor saying "wow, we really did this.” Working with the team at BMG Production Music was truly great. I think everyone could sense that a really special project was coming to life, and played their part to make the whole experience a smooth ride from start to finish.”
Tracklist:
1. I Love Myself
2. Mrs Karma
3. My Boo
4. Nobody Knows
5. Winds of Change
Stream 'Winds of Change' HERE: https://lnk.dmsmusic.co/aizacthereason_windsofchange-1
Stream "I Love Myself" on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Jcy1u0dbgUw?si=GyyLYXvgw4GItUCi
Available for sync opportunities via BMG Production Music.
Select Tracks Notes:
I Love Myself
“I Love Myself” is an anthemic jazz song that crescendos with epic big band stabs and orchestral flourishes. It delivers an unapologetic message of self-love and empowerment. Picture a late-1960s collab between Nina Simone and Quincy Jones at the height of the civil rights movement.
My Boo
“My Boo” tells the story of an unrequited love that takes a dark turn. The song is an anguished blues ballad with big band horns and strings, inspired by iconic jazz vocalists like Dinah Washington and Nina Simone.
Winds of Change
“Winds of Change” is an uplifting gospel-R&B tune about the power of community, taking the listener on a sojourn from the front porch to a local march. With an iconic Wurlitzer intro and a classic soul horn section, the song feels straight out of a 1960s Muscle Shoals or Hitsville recording session.
Album Credits:
Aiza - Lead Singer, Songwriter
Christopher Cargnello aka C The Reason - Guitar, Bass, Songwriter, Arranger
Caulder Nash - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Organ
Jean-Daniel Thibeault-Desbiens - Drums, Percussion
Rob Christian - Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax
Andrew McAnsh - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Emily Ferrell - Trombone
Drew Jurecka - Violin
Kevin Fox - Cello
Sarah MK - Back vocals
Sasha L Henry - Back vocals
About Aiza:
Aiza is an Afro-bop Queen steadily building her empire. The Montreal-born, Toronto-based singer’s live performances are filled with explosive energy whilst her uplifting, playful lyrics spark comparisons to other badass trailblazing women such as Janelle Monáe. In Fall 2023, Aiza released her much anticipated debut album "Sovereignty", a fresh collection of afropop and R&B tracks. It garnered over 1.5 million streams on digital streaming platforms since its release and remained on the !earshot national radio charts for 28 weeks, peaking at #2 in Hip Hop and #10 in the Top 50. It also features Divinity Roxx (former musical director and bassist for Beyoncé) on the saucy diss-track “Rosé,” and its second single “Majimbo” landed in the CBC Music Top 20 charts for six weeks. Aiza's songs have appeared in numerous shows such as Never Have I Ever, Ginny & Georgia, Selling Tampa and Tuca & Bertie.
About C The Reason
Christopher “C The Reason” Cargnello is one of those rare multi-instrumentalist producers who is equally comfortable writing an afrobeats banger or arranging for a 17-piece jazz orchestra. In 2023, he produced Burundian-Canadian singer Aiza’s debut full-length album “Sovereignty,” a soulful blend of modern afropop and throwback R&B. It features Divinity Roxx (former musical director and bassist for Beyoncé) on the saucy diss-track “Rosé,” and remained in the Canadian national campus and community radio charts for 28 weeks, peaking at #2 in Hip Hop and #10 in Top 50. Alongside producing records, C The Reason was the executive producer and series composer for the award-winning CBC Gem original series “Real Blackity Talk” and composed the score for the film “Element” by director Will Niava (Billie Eilish, Joey Bada$$, H.E.R.).
C The Reason began producing music in 2012 alongside his brother Paul Cargnello under the name Skinny Bros, collaborating on tracks with old-school giants such as Maxi Priest, hip-hop legend KRS-One, and Lee Oskar (who founded the iconic 70s funk band “War”). He co-wrote and produced Aiza’s 2018 debut EP entitled “Adieu” which led to her winning Francophone Artist of the Year at the 2019 Dynastie Awards celebrating Black excellence in Québec.
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C The Reason
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