HER With Amena BrownWe are talking musical firsts with my friend and one of my favorite music artists, Chantae Cann. Listen in as jazz and soul artist, Chantae, shares about the CD she couldn’t believe her dad bought for her, the process of making an album, and her new album and documentary debuting in 2024. To stay connected to Chantae’s music, please visit https://www.chantaecann.com/.
To get transcripts, links, and details from each episode, check out the show notes. To continue your support of the podcast and my work, become a member of my Patreon community where you can get access to archived episodes, bonus episodes, and behind the scenes content. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter, for podcast clips, poetry quotes and random quips. For information on how to book me to speak or perform at an event, visit amenabrown.com. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support!
Oh, y'all, welcome back to her with Amita Brown. And I'm saying this in a very particular way because I'm very excited for us to have our guest today and this is really long awaited. I'm very glad. I'm very glad that this worked out. So I want you all to welcome jazz and soul music artist Avid Watcher of Sister Sister Yo Favorite Sanga's Favorite Sanga v Shante Can in the bill in the building, y'all, Schante is my friend, like in real life, she is my friend, like we like. I hug her when I see her.
You know.
Sometimes we sing like a very random ta to one another.
On one now and color listen, listen, don't don't don't don't leave the people to train.
Now, that's right, given the truth, That's right, my counselor Now, did you know we have we have had some times. We have had some moments where we had to just hold each other up. We had to do that. And I love me some Chante cam music as well. I really will be at the show, Matt. And I actually got a chance to see Chante not the last time that you did show in Atlanta because I was very cry to your sad that I was booked out of town or Matt and I would have been there. Maybe Matt would have had to work. I would have been there, you know, with my my hand, you know, the concert hand. I would have been there doing that. But your last, your show before that in Atlanta, Matt and I got to come. And this actually brings up other questions. I want to ask you, who not be talking to Chante for three hours? Okay, this is just a thousand things I'm trying to.
Talk to you about.
But we have seen you as our friend and as an amazing music artist too, and like it was very dope after all of the years of the pandemic for those of us who are stage people, whether that's performing or just loving live music, Like I just love live music. I just love to go see people like doing their thing. And to have seen you after like all those years, and I was like, Chatte really went home during the time of the pandemic and just got even more dope somehow, just even more dope. Like I love that for you and me.
Thank you, Emina, you really appreciate that. Like you already know it's not to be here with you. It's always a good time talking with you, whether we're be being recorded or not, and both times are amazing and hilarious. So thank you for having me. It's yeah, you know, we we go back like I don't even want I don't even want to say how many years because I can't do that kind of math anymore. You know the kids did they They are like a little shortcut.
Yeah, but if we told you all the year, it's a long time, it's been a minute, it's been a minute. I love that for us. I love that for us. I'm very happy about this.
Many didn't make make it past the mark and we are here.
That's it.
Still walking in our gifts, still walking in our purpose, to walking in our calling, and still connected in the creative community. So that is what I am most excited about talking with you, specifically.
About Yes, Chante and I thought it would be fun, y'all if Chante and I could talk a little bit about musical firsts, because I love to talk to people about these things. I mean, obviously depending on the person's age, if you're talking about first album or LP or cassettes or CD, you have all sorts of you know things, but you can learn a lot about a person based on those musical firsts. So I want to to ask you some of these chante. Do you recall the first CD that you that you purchased, You remember buying it with your money, you went in the store, you ordered it online. What do you remember that? Or first, what would be in the first five of CDs that you ever would like? I love this music so much, I need to take my money and pay for it.
Okay. So there's there's a combination of scenarios that this would have happened. One. I either begged my daddy to get this for me, because you know, it was like that in between time me having my money and me not having my money, or me being like, ahnet so I don't have to spend my little my little twin dollars or whatever. So I think there was a combination of those things. But okay, and this is no judgment zone.
No, that's right, that's right.
Okay, So okay, some of them are non juddy. But the one that I asked my dad to buy in particular, was hilarious. Okay, Okay, let's just let's let's start with the one that I that I got for myself, and I remember specifically, one of them was Erica ba do.
By Duism Yes you know, to get helling me.
Don't want to get man that that album blessed me so much because this was news to me, but it just made me feel so amazing. There was so many good songs on there, and I was like, this, this is such a unique sound. I've never heard anybody sound like this ever, at least in the years that I existed at the time. To think that the album came out, I was like, what is this a yay yay? But it's working, you know. And I'm saying and she learned how to make it her own. And it was something that either you either loved or worked or extremely ear by, you know. And and there are times where I felt both. There are times where I feel about not even however, it's set precedent for me because I don't know, like the live music just really spoke to me on that record. I'm like, all these words and I'm looking at I'm looking on the little the CD uh list with the words on it, jacket word.
If you don't have.
Those words, we're going to make up something. And I was like, Wow, she's saying a lot of things in here and I wasn't even like a lyrics person back then, but just to read along and sing along to what she was doing and how she expressed that. It really touched me in a way. I said, well, I can, I can get with it. I can definitely get with this. I remember around the same time. I don't even know if this was for musicality, but this is this just what was out when I when when that was happening one someone not talk to so miss done anyway, you know that that single about seven oh two co two. I think it was off like the uh the Good Burgers soundtrack. I don't know, but yeah, that was a good time back then. I think total was that was out back then.
That was the time for that was a time. I thank you for bringing that thank.
You album that I asked my dad to buy, and I'm so surprised that he bought it for me. I was just like, Okay, you got you. That's when I knew he was woke for real back then, and I was like, oh, okay, So Biggie Smalls.
Say, what should I say?
What I think life after death or what I was like, wait a second, or I don't know if it was like after that it had a baby on it.
They had the baby on it, they had the white background.
Okakay, so maybe it wasn't that one. It was the one dang because child. I don't know. He had like a single one there with bone thugs, harmony.
I remember this, Okay. It was it was a black it was ready to die or it was Life after Death.
I think it was ready to die? Guy, what what's up? What's the one on there where it's like, well, I don't even want to say the words.
I'm not gonna do it, please, okay, because.
The world is filled like black blank talk about those.
I know, yes after death, just the one that had the heart.
Baby by baby that's on there. I'm not I'm gonna digress. But my dad bought it for me, and I was really I was like, ok what else can I get him get in the body. I was trying to figure it out.
To buy you the notorious Life after Death?
Wow, I don't know.
MM.
Had I had a child in that day, I don't think I would have done the same thing. I said, either or he's just really woke, or he trusted me with it, and I said, okay, well, but I don't know, it was just something about that hip hop era that that even is an influence on me now and not necessarily all of the negative parts of it or all of the you know, because it could go either way. So I wasn't trying to be like this hardcore gangst girl. But I did live in the South Side Chicago for many years where there was lacks of gang activity surrounding me, So it wasn't you know, it wasn't far feted that was what was happening in the culture. But I was just oh by the rhythm, and I remember Outclass came out around that time, and I will try to like make up the words and like what is he saying to this little beat? It just I was influenced by it at a very young age, and so it's still because a part in my artistry today. So I'm a moveventon to those guys.
I really love this story. I love so much that this is the album that your dad got for you. I also feel that if you were growing up in the nineties, you have at least one parental slip, Like there's one moment that you can be like, you know, wow, I'm not sure that my parent was supposed to you know, let me see this or let me listen to this. My mom's parental nineties slip was Jason's lyric. She was like, we need to go see a movie. Let's go see this movie together. And there I am in the movie with my mama looking at Alan Pay's Harry behind and we both were surprised both were in for a moment. I think she was like, she was like, you know, my child's a teenager. Let me take her here. You know, we can you know, we're you know, she's not quite an adult, but we're you know, she's getting old. Let me take her to half this moment. And then we both got in there and had to watch Allen Payne and Jada Pinkett now Jada Pinkett Smith in this field of flowers. Like that was my mom's one that I was like, I'm not sure if that was like a here I have evolved as a parent, or if she really just didn't know right know. She got in the movie and was like, what have I done? Why did I bring my child to this?
I mean, did you guys stay for the end? Yes? When you could get it?
Okay, Yeah, She's like, I can't make that money I think we watched them high film, and I will say about my mom, we're people who want to want to really like discuss art, you know, like we'll go to a film and like want to discuss it. So I feel like we went and like ate some food after that and like discussed everything except his hairy But you know what I'm saying, like we just the whole sexy got.
Left out off the table.
We didn't talk about that. I called my friends later and was like, Y believe my mom took me to see Jason's lyric and they were like Jason's lyric, Yo.
Mama, yeah, Yo, that is insane. Wow, Yeah, that's insane. Yeah. So I and I appreciate your mom for that because you are who you are.
Okay, I'm here, now, I'm here. I learned just a little more well rounded, you know, a little more learned. You know, a little more learned. So love that for me. So my first CD that I purchased myself was either TLC's Ooh on the TLC tip or it was SWV s WV because I think their first album was self titled. It was one of those two. Both are great, both were great, Both had a lot of neon color involved in the actual CD itself as well as the CD jacket. Yes, yes, nails, lots of denim. It was. It was a lot of loud primary colors involved.
Metric berry very much.
That big hats on the TLC album cover condoms all over the place. It was a time, It was a time, It was the time. Okay, now let me ask you. Let me ask you about your first concert. And I know you and I both share the background of being people who grew up in church. So I whenever people ask me this question, I have two answers, Chante, because my first concert was in church. Like, it was not in a concert hall. It was not at a venue. My first like for real concert was inside the church. And so it depends on where I'm at, Chante. Are you trying to gaze and gaze like you know, I'm trying to gauge like who who is here in the room that will understand me saying My first actual concert was Dawkins and Dawkins, which is a Christian, a Christian soul that you know like that. They were my first live show. That was some real good old gospel R and B type. MU said, really enjoyed that and then you know, you know, we hated we love it. But my my first actual, for real like in my mind, for real concert that I could say to most people but now not, it's Kanye West. I saw Kanye West for five dollars.
Wow.
Saw Kanye was for five dollars with a singer that we didn't know was John Legend. It was before anybody knew who John Legend was. It was Kanye West and John Legend for five dollars at Centennial Olympic Park. These were my two yeah, like for real, for real, Like we were really like, wait, who's the singer? This is amazing man, I wonder where he comes from?
Right, Like who are these people?
Like it's like two years later we were like get lifted came out. We were like, we saw him for five dollars with Kanye.
Yeah, that is unheard of. Like we don't do no fight out of nothing, no more. I mean taxes ain't even five.
Hours, no, not even a drink in the venue. It's fopped.
I can't wow.
So do you have dual stories? Do you have a was your actual first concert in church or no? And I would love to hear that one if you feel so led to share. And then do you have a concert that was outside of church that was like your first concert experience.
Yes, so I don't even honestly, I don't even remember my first gospel concert, like until years years later. I was probably in Atlanta, and I was probably just Yeah, it wasn't one of those things where like, you know, I had to go because my parents or whatever. It was just like whatever people I was with at the time went to whatever gospel concert. And honestly, I really don't even remember the gospel one back then. I don't. I do know that my mom used to like go to the Stellar Awards and she would bring me back these little goody bags. Would takes in one of those tastes with doggers and doggas. Girl that was a music had Dowkins and Dawkins. I think Jay Moss was on one, Joe l. Rosario was on a couple. That was always a treat. So I was like very privy to the Dowkins and Dokins. Yeah, it spoke to me. So, but before that, when I was in Chicago because me and my friends girl, we were upsets, absolutely obsessed with immature. Yeah, yes, yes, it was a mess. I mean all on the walls, all on the room, all in my notebooks at school, invatory imagery. I mean, we were literally obsessed. And so that was the first real concert that we went to in Chicago. I don't even remember where it was, but it was there.
That was was the entire group. Did you have certain members of the group that you were really like? Like it when I loved the Boys, it was I mean, I loved the boys, but I really it was Hakeen for me. So did you have like a member of um sure that that was like your person?
So I'm kind of still this way, but I was way more in this way like back in the day, Okay, because everybody was obsessed with the pretty boy Romeo, everybody was such with Batman. I chose to love LdB because he was the lesser of the two. I ain't got to worry about everybody being upset over him. I can have him to myself. I ain't gonna worry about all that energy because people ain't gonna be fighting over him. And that's why I chose to love him.
You wanted to give the underdog some love? Chante, I feel that, I mean it, maybe.
I am so maybe this has this has the traveled with me through the ages, just displays in different ways. But I said, I never specifically being like, oh my god, everybody's on these these guys. I'm just gonna, you know, and I'm gonna be okay with that. I'm gonna stay in my lane. So yeah, we were. We had our own little triunity of immature worship. That's what it was. I was like, oh my god, I mean the daydreams. Yeah, so it was. I even had this, Oh this is so silly. I even had this letter that I never sent to. I was supposed to send it to like the fan club or somebody, but I never sent it out. I just kept it just from my own obsessive nature, just to look at it. I laminated with like this little clear take girl, I was cutting out these little hearts, you know, the little whole punchers that punch out hearts. I added that to the next I was very crafty back then. I think I got it from my grandma, but I you know, I never sent it, but I kept it for my own memories.
I love this so much. First of all, thank you for referencing a fan club, because how else could you get in touch with artists that you love back club like the period. I definitely sent two letters to Janet Jackson's fan club with my school pictures. I wish that I would have done what you did though, and kept that so that I would be like, what are you writing to her? What are you wanting her to know about your life? Are you telling her about school?
Like?
I remember what I said. I just remember. I was just like dear Janet and I me and roslid my little my little school cut my little school picture out. So that was the only thing you could do. You had to put it in an envelope.
And mail envelope with.
The stamp to the fan club with the little lift the stamp and the envelope. That's a lot. That was really a lot that we were put through during that time. That was a lot. That was a lot for us. Wow, vive that though, generation I love that. Okay, let me ask you about do you have a first music centered movie that you loved and I'm leaving room for if you're a person who loves musicals, it could be that, or it could be a movie that you remember loving the soundtrack almost as much as you loved the movie, Or it could be a movie also I mean, I think Purple Rain is a good example of that, right that it's not it's not a musical, it's not a biopic, but it is a movie where music is very like central. So can you think of an early movie in your life that you loved because of its music.
This is very tough for me because my brain is maybe fifty different places I could just be naming. I kind of ran them, like wait until Exhale.
That's a that's a very solid soundtrack there. That's a very solid good stuff.
I don't even think outside of Boie until til years later, but I've definitely heard the music first count on me through Shoot.
And Brandy and c.
Yeah. That period period it was like okay, cool, I see you guys, I see you guys out here. Yeah. So that's just like a vague memory for me of a soundtrack that I kind of listened to a lot. There was a songboy, this girl named Billy Lawrence.
That was on that soundtrack.
It was like this white girl, but she was kind of hip hoppy.
Let me find out Billy Lawrence.
Come on, come on, because I remember one of my best friends used to be upsets with her as well. I think it was on soundtrack or like on like a special edition. It's least somebody.
But it was like, yeah, I'm gonna find out. I'm gonna do the research because now.
The research, that's all. That's all I got right now, and soil something hits me like minutes later and I'm like, ooh, I forgot about this. That's what I got for right now.
I'm gonna think about that. I'm gonna think about that some more. I'm trying to figure out what would I say is the earliest. I mean, it's interesting what you said though about Waiting to Exhale as a film, because I feel like that there was an era between the late eighties and mid nineties where there were soundtracks that were either equally as big to people as the film, or what you said is spot on the soundtrack reached you younger than you were old enough to watch the movie that the soundtrack was actually that excellent. I actually went back and rewatched Waiting to Exhale, like as an adult woman, because I'm pretty sure I was too young to be watching it the first time. So I went back and watched it and was like, this soundtrack is almost like impeccable. It's just track for track the Ole Thing. Man. By the time Whitney's Everyone Falls in Love sometime, I was like.
Oh, man, listen, anything Whitney is gonna be a great time. Like every It's like epic every time, epic every single time.
Really really took me to a place. Okay, speaking of albums, as a music artist who has now made multiple albums, you are in the process of working on what is going to be your next album. How do you know when you're getting the beginning of an album idea? Do you typically have a way the album idea comes to you? Or is it that the songs tend to come to you and then as they accumulate, you start to think this maybe is becoming an album.
Okay, So both of those things are very true and often happen like all the time with myself especially, So it's like I will get pieces here, pieces there, pieces here, pieces there, and then sometimes this piece that I thought wasn't going to be anything turns into a main thing because maybe I found somebody to collab on it, or I found an elevated track, So it's beyond what I was originally thinking. So now I'm like, okay, you know, let's leave no stones unturned and nothing wasted. So I have a list of song titles in my notes on my phone, and sometimes I go back to them and say, I need to write a song called this because that's how I feel, that's what I feel I'm being called to express in this season. And then there are times when I just hear dope tracks or like somebody will send me something, or I'll be vibing with somebody musically and I'm like ooh, and then I'll just start singing or speaking or you know, flowing or whatever, and I'm just like, you know, c that vibe in the moment on the spot with that other individual. And so sometimes I'll have I'll have dreams of songs in my head and then I'll wake up and literally record of a crazy behind voice memos, sound and all kind of grappling and you're just crazy. But I'm hearing all Like I literally hear all the instrumentation in my dream. That's what happened with a couple of songs on this new album. So there's a few different ways. And then as far as like let's say the name of the album, I really just brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm, and I'm like Okay, lord, what what would you like to speak in this in this season? And I'm very very led that way. And then I just write all these words, and something made just speak to me, just because I'm looking at all the words and how they fit together and how they make me feel and how they relate to my truth and and so yeah, it's it's in a mouth aclamation of all of those things that literally make up a whole a whole piece of work. So yeah, that's my story.
I'm always fascinated in speaking with music artists about the process of albums because the closest I come to that as a poet. I mean I have done albums as a poet too, but I think I did them differently than a lot of my friends who are music artists described because I really just had like a backlog of poems I sort of needed. You know, back in the day when you could really make money selling CDs at your merch table. Whoo, that was a time.
Oh my god, I remember the time.
That was a time, y'all. I mean you could really, you could really make a CD.
For less just got the burning, you just got the burning, burning. Who putting on a little putting on a little cover in a little you had a sticker and a takes.
Boy boy, you really listen, Yeah, this is worth what I'm charging. Cost you less than two dollars to make it. You could charge ten fifteen dollars. We was making so much money at the merch table is all day.
And I wouldn't even know. I wouldn't There was no way to tell if you're bule you're not, and if you are helping.
Me right right, getting the word out, getting the word out at that time, that's the thing, that's the thing that was the time. So I was like, I made those albums, but I didn't actually have the creative process that you described of when you're not going there to just need to package some merch together so you can have merch but his thing. But you're actually thinking as a creative work. You're looking at the album and thinking about what your soul wants to say. What do you feel like you know the work itself wants to be. So I'm always fascinated to hear about that process. So let me ask at the end of the process. Because I also hear from music artists that you could have way more songs then will actually make it on the album in the end, right.
So you can.
Yeah, So how do you know when it's done? When the album is finished, is there typically like a feeling that you have inside or is it sort of process of elimination. Because you've been in the process of writing songs, you can kind of see the idea germinating. You can see which songs fit and which ones don't. How does that process typically go?
Okay, So in my current today outlook on that, there are a couple of things that I am factoring in now because society has changed, technology has changed, the attention spans of the people have changed, So there were a couple of times. Okay, so let's just take this last album that I'm working on that I'm finishing as an example. At first, I had maybe like, like in total, there was a possible maybe thirteen to fifteen tracks that I was very I felt very you know, strongly about, you know, included a couple of interlals, a couple of this, a couple of that. And so when we were kind of shopping distribution labels and some other people that were going to help, you know, fund some things, they were like, Okay, this is great, Like all of this is great, this is amazing. However, in today's society, there is a there is a sweet spot of album tracks and for streaming, they were saying the sweet spot is like ten tracks. Wow, yep, between eight to ten tracks, because people's attention span is very very short. And also there's something like if it's over ten tracks, you're really not making any money off of the additional two because how whatever the the bat or the price, I don't know how to how it works out, but yeah, there's a theory that if you make over ten, you're really not making anything from the extra two because they count something something, something I don't know. So I'm kind of taking all that into consideration. And so I did scale back on like a couple songs, but it ended up working really really well. So it just it just kind of allowed me to really give those ten songs like and honestly, okay, it's ten songs, but like maybe two interludes, so twelve tracks in total, ten full songs. You know, however you want to slice it, that's up to you and yours. But it kind of just allowed me to really really fine tune those records dedicate the proper attention that they require. That they deserve and so yeah, even though I was like, oh, okay, I see what you're saying, but yeah, it was like everybody, every everywhere we went, they had that. So yeah, that's kind of where I am now. I am doing a volume one in a volume two. So anything that's not me used boo booh, we're gonna go on the next record. Hm.
You know what I'm saying. Mm hmm. I was wondering about that. It's very interesting to hear you describe sort of the especially being an artist who who cares about the concept of your album and how the songs collect together, that you want there to be some sense of synergy there, and that as an artist in the market now having to consider certain things that are more you know, for us as artists that will be more on like the business side of thought, but that you have to consider them even in like how you may decide to make your creative work. But it definitely was coming to my mind thinking, Okay, if you're if you're an artist who's in the mindset of like you're used to making albums that had fifteen tracks, and it's like that would really help you because if you're if you're my automatically right. I'm like you have that sounds fantastic. And I will say I will say for artists that I love and have listened to their newest albums that have probably come out in the last two or three years, I have noticed them being shorter. But as a music fan, as a music fan and a and a person who loves to go to live shows, it may it puts me in the position of want more. It puts me to be like ooh, like oh, that was so good. I have to see that when this person's tour comes to Atlanta, I have to be there for the next you know, part two of this album idea, And so I hope that even though for those of us who are like really music heads, it's hard to think that people's attentions fans are shorter when music is amazing, like that can be hard on me, I.
Mean, because we could listen forever and ever and ever am.
I'm give me, what are we doing with the songs The Key of Life? What about that?
I mean, that's a whole day's worth of music like.
This was amazing, But I hope that it produces in people who love music a desire to want more from the artists, they love to want more of that next record, to want more of getting to see how that shows up in a live set to this The other thing that came to my mom when you were talking earlier. Yes, I want to talk also. I want to ask you about how you feel you have developed what chante can't as the performer is on stage because this and I've seen you perform in various environments and as your music and you have have evolved and broaden and all these things. And that last show that I saw, Chante can like the sense of I don't even know if confidence is the right word. I want to say chante it's a of mastery is what I think is the word that's in my mind. More that it takes a certain something when you're there in the writing phase and in the recording part. But what is the gap between you have finished recording this music you are now like now, I got to get this music ready for stage, and I got to get it ready for stage to where I feel comfortable going in and out of it. However, I like, what's the process of how you get yourself to that? Because you were so comfortable up there, and that makes the audience feel so at ease with you because we know you know where you're going, So all I gotta do is follow you. I don't have to be in the crowd, Like, is everything okay? Is it supposed to be like this? I don't know. So what's the process like of recording and page and writing and how that transforms for you on stage?
That is an amazing question. And it's so funny that you ask that in in this uh, in this current season of my life, because so I just recently, not not even at the show that you saw me yet, but like literally within the past couple of weeks, I got connected with with a artist developer, and I got connected with somebody to who's going to help me get into acting and film and kind of just kind of expand my artistic nature to wherever it can go. Because I really feel like there's something there, like there's something that's pulling me to the arts. I just don't have any for real, for real training or you know, I just know what I know, and I know what comes natural and I know what I feel, but I just don't know, like you know, I haven't I haven't gone to school for it. So there's an artist developer that I just recently started working and with. There are these coaches that kind of are have been helping me get my live show the new show together because the old show, you know, because I've done it forever ish forever, forever, e I can be comfortable in that. And I and it wasn't always that way, you know, as somebody who's dealt with anxiety pretty much their whole entire life. The stage for me, there were parts of it that were my safety and also my safety lied in like jam sessions with with the live music, live musicians. My safety lied in not necessarily ooh, I'm performing, but it lied in Ooh me and this musician are having this amazing musical conversation. We're coming up with this on the spot improv improv, improv because that was like my strong suit and I was just like I was like just learning my own voice. You know, when when I was first coming out as an artist, so I used to do I remember doing full shows that were all in prov and like it was just like okay, and oh people are still here. Okay, cool. Now I just have to be more intentional about those moments, because yeah, it should not be for the whole entire show. But at that moment, like that is where that is what soothed me, that is what lessen my anxiety. So I stayed there a lot, and I based a lot of my shows off of that. Now I do remember there being a transition where I wanted to intentionally say, hey, let's you know, do a set list. Let's make it amazing, Let's do the covers that I love to do, Let's do it my way, and let's do my interpretation of it. Oh, let me be inspired by this musician here, this musician there. So I was around musicians all the time, I was around singers all the time. We were shedding vocals all the time, NonStop. That really really helped me because that was my safe place too. And so so getting all of that ready for for stage and it for and for it to be uh translated, Well, it just takes doing it over and over and over again and walking in that confidence that you talked about, because I still have to intentionally walk in it, you know what I'm saying, Like, I still have to be intentional about walking in that, but rehearsing, practicing by myself when there's no singers around me, you know, having those moments that has been so helpful to me. It's helped, you know, keep my my vocals warm up, It's helped keep my my my chops up or whatever. My performance, my family, all the things kind of have been preparing me to make the show what it's supposed to be. So that's kind of things that I've been working on subconsciously and now more intentionally with the artist development and because I never had artist artists development like me me with my vocal right let me you that my big sister, she she was that for me, you know when I didn't even know what that was at the time. So yeah, there are still areas in which I know can be improved as far as connecting and being intentional about every single moment and looking confident and feeling confident and not just let me hide, let me hide in this, let me hide in this like you know, like coming out of that that hiding. So yeah, I appreciate you for for bringing that up.
Yeah you spoke some words there because I really what you described about your process, especially in this season of times. I think as stage performers, there is a vulnerability to start building the new show, Like I feel like I'm sort of in that zone a little bit too, where like I know, as a performer, I know this story right here, it killed every time, so I know I can throw it in. But when you're building the new set, there's a lot you're still trying to figure out how it works, Does it work? Do I want to transition from this to that that way? And that can have a certain kind of vulnerability because you're not guaranteed that the audience will respond to it the way you may have imagined, and some of it may take time of you doing it on stage several times before you get it to where you love it. But if you can do that, then you have fresh material, fresh art that an audience can experience with you. So it's worth that process, but it is uncomfortable in some regards. And tell my god, right that part. You also brought up a really excellent point too, of being able to bring in other experts, other people that can help broaden you, can help strengthen some of those muscles, and you can help you to see yourself beyond what you may know of what you think you can do on stage or what you think you can do in your profession. And it's so powerful and that's a vulnerable thing too, like to have to bring in other people and let them sort of look at you from the outside looking in, and to take in the the like not criticism, but like the feedback that they may give you. You know, and it may not all be how brilliant you are, how dope it is. That may be like, hey, you might want to think about this. That the third and you have to humbly process that with the end goal being that you hope to really put on the best that your present you in this moment, not a past you, but the you you you are right now. That's the goal, is to put that, put out, put that out there, put the best to you right now. But that does mean you gotta take in some things and try to figure I was like, oh, why you didn't just tell me I'm amazing, Like I thought that's what our session was gonna be.
You didn't do that anything is That's exactly what the lady said. She was like, you know, I know you're used to everybody telling you that you're the Besys and you're this and this and you are that. However, however, we we need to go higher. You know, you need to have people around you that are gonna be give you healthy constructive criticism, like it's our job to do that. We've been doing this for years. We've been doing this for A B and C people. That's what we are here for. We are a safe place. We know there's potential in you. We know that it's eating greater potential, and we don't want you hiding anymore. And so a lot of places where I lived was inside of my head. And so when I'm performing for the artist's development session, it's I'm in my head because it's like there's one on one, it's like a small group. Once again, I'm like, oh, okay, cool, because you know, if I was at a show, I would be way more uncomfortable because that's in my element. You know, I can hide behind the then I can hide behind you know, the music, and I can hide behind this. I can hide behind that. But their thing was we know you can sing like that. That's not the issue here. Where this is not a this is not a singing class. This is something to where it can be translated. And wherever you go, people are gonna look at you and say she's been working on this theater. People will look at you and say, oh, well, let's get her for this musical and let's get you know, well, she has a wonderful voice, but how is she with this? How is she with that? So it's helping me, hone in on those things and get outside of my head and just be like not not concentrate on Oh I got to hit this right no, oh I got to hit this right now. I got to hit this right note. And so I was just like, oh, okay, because you're all in my business right now.
Oh that's the thing. You really got a lesson people all you you look like.
You're trying to sing the right note.
Okay, I'm sorry because I didn't want to look like I was t I wanted to do it.
I didn't want I just wanted. I mean, this is I want to hit the right note sometimes. But they were like, you can't think about that like that. It was just really it helped me put some things in perspective. So I'm excited.
Thinking from perspective. The streets are talking that there is a Shante can documentary in the works. Are you able to speak to the things the streets are saying, Shante?
Absolutely, I love the streets sometimes, you know, because they be watching, they watching talk watching. Some streets is cool. Some streets I'm not. I'm cool on, but these streets I can trust right now. So yes, those streets that you are referring too, are talking about a documentary that I am working on. I've been Oh, it's been a while since I've started. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I started. This was birthed maybe in twenty fifteen, so it's been a long journey for it to be from there to where it is now. So this documentary is about Huntington's disease awareness and how that relates to my story, how that relates to my life, how that relates to my my journey as an artist, as an individual. And it is called I can't say the name because we've we've said it already. So it's called Beautiful Brave, which is the name of one of the singles on the new.
Album, Oh I Love.
Thank You and basically beautiful Brave. Uh So I'll just say the lyrics of the song, so beautiful Brave gotta get up, get up and say I'm scared but I'm gonna do it anyway. Do it afraid, gotta get up, get up, say I'm scared, but I'm gonna do it anyway. And so it's just kind of speaking to the craziness of life that kind of ensued when I was finding more out about Hunting's when I was dealing with people in my family with it, when I went to go get tested my own self. So apart, I'm bringing people along for that journey as well as spreading awareness for people who have no idea what Huntingtons is. But overall, it's I wanted to relate to anybody across the globe, whether you're an artist dealing with a specific thing or somebody that you know, maybe dealing with with with something a sickness and illness something that they is just outside their country role like how how do you how do you brave through it? And how how does you being brave turn into something beautiful? And so that's kind of the inspiration behind it, and we're looking to release it sometime next year. We're kind of talking to some distribution now but going through some first drafts and so yeah, we're kind of in the final processes of that. So I'm very excited about that.
Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing, Chanta. So that's amazing on a lot of levels. I mean amazing for you to be sharing a story that's personal to you that I know is going to mean a lot to a lot of people to hear the journey that you have been on like that. It's amazing in that way, and it's amazing to embark on taking your story into your own hands and to say this is the story I want to tell, this is the way that I want to tell it. And for us as artists, and in particularly as black women, for people of color who are artists, to be able to take our own stories and say this is the way we want it to be told. It's so powerful. So y'all make sure y'all be on the lookout. And speaking of the lookout, Chante, people are listening, they have heard the stories. They want to know. Where can they hear this music? Where can they buy these tickets for when you might be doing your thing in their city? How can they follow you so they can know what's what? Tell the people how they can access all things Shanta can?
Okay, yes, So for those of you all who are interested in staying alone for the journey, and would like to be connected to anything that may be happening in the future, whether it's the release of albums, whether it's the documentary. All the things will be available to you at the website, which is shante can dot com, c h A N t A E C A n n dot com. And obviously I'm on Instagram, Facebook, anywhere music is. That's where I am. All of the digital platforms out there, Spotify, album Music, Amazon, all the things I am there, look me up. I would love to continue to stay connected. Yeah, that's it, y'all do that.
And if y'all here and y'all are like, oh I'm late to the Shantea Camp party, don't worry. You can be late in on time. This is your time. You can go ahead, go to there. You can connect right now. Oh that's you know. You go ahead and catch up on these albums before the new one come out, so that way you'll have all those songs under your belt already. You already got time. Shanta Can. Thank you for just sharing your time with me. I appreciate this so much. It is so good to talk with you, to talk music with you, to talk about your process, and I am out here awaiting. I'm awaiting this new album, the new show, the documentary. I'm out here. I can't so thank you so much.
Thank you for having me. You know, anytime we are sisters from another mister, you're you know you are and my mom.
That's it. That's it, because because me and Matt be looking like Shante's parents. So whenever we go to the show, she'd be like my parents. If you don't be looking at me and Mad, they'd be looking at me and Matt like, Hi, now is the math not math? Hello? Yes, thank you so much. Chante y'all go to chantecam dot com. Do all the things there, see y'all soon. Her with Amina Brown is produced by Matt Owen for sober Feiti Productions as a part of the Seneca Women Podcast Network in partnership with iHeartRadio. Thanks for listening and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
