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Saschali beginning to get noticed
Posted By LAUREN FIELDING, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY OBSERVER
Posted 13 hours ago
In a sea of people looking to stand out and make it big in an industry that can either make or break you, Saschali Brunette is one person who managed to rise above the rest.
Born in Chalk River, Ms. Brunette grew up in a family whose passion for music was a part of her everyday life. She was raised in a home where singing and performing was a normal part of family gatherings and events, and she often sung for friends and relatives.
"I was very young when I would sing for everyone," Ms. Brunette said. "I was so nervous that I had little butterflies in my stomach, but when the song was over I wanted nothing more than to do it over and over again."
Ms. Brunette's mother, Sonia Brunette-Quirion, was one of the people that inspired Saschali to pursue her love of music and performing. Mrs. Brunette-Quirion recently received an award at Pembroke's Tribute Night, alongside her brother Mickey McGivern and her father Bud Brunette, another well-known local artist.
"My mother was my biggest inspiration, she would sing the most wonderful songs and everyone would just hang on her every breath," Ms. Brunette said. "I wanted to get over my stage fright and be able to not worry about what people thought of me and sing my heart out. I was very young when my mom encouraged me to sing with her in front of friends and family."
Ms. Brunette attended St. Jean Baptiste School as a child and Jeanne-Lajoie when she was a teenager. She left home at 16, and moved around until she made it to Montreal.
While in Montreal, Ms. Brunette began to search for people who would help her make it in the music industry. She had realized that it would take leaving her hometown to really be successful, and when she arrived in Montreal she took jobs as a bartender in local bars so she could be as close to the club scene as possible.
"I think the music industry and the bar life go hand in hand, giving me the advantage of meeting people who were like me - a starving artist - or people who made music or produced it," she said. "I always followed up with people I knew and met in the industry to further projects or just to be a friend, considering we had a lot in common."
Always determined to follow her dreams, Ms. Brunette made a significant effort to track down people who could help her make connections, and she managed to exchange numbers and talk to a few very influential people. She was eager and open to suggestions made by producers or musicians, and soon landed a job as a backup vocalist for DJ and comedian Sugar Sammy.
Ms. Brunette worked with Sugar Sammy and was his harmonizing voice for a few years, performing with him in the Canadian Music Week in 2002 and Hip Hop Forever in 2003. Although she enjoyed working as a backup vocalist, she still felt a pull for something more.
Ms. Brunette always idolized musicians like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, both powerful female solo artists, and dreamed that she could be admired like they were. With this goal in mind, Ms. Brunette network in the industry, and soon met producer Germain Gauthier. Mr. Gauthier and his associates helped her to further her career, and soon she was working on various compositions and singing on compilation records through Mr. Gauthier's cousin Pierre Gauthier's record company, Fly Records.
Ms. Brunette was also involved in the performance analysis site HitLab.com, where aspiring musicians can submit songs they have written and sung to be evaluated by the general public. The top 12 vote getters are given the opportunity to perform for artist and hit-maker Akon in a showcase in front of dozens of record company executives and fans. Ms. Brunette never stopped to consider the competition, but stuck to the need to prove herself and make herself known.
"Just the fact that I was noticed and had the opportunity to perform in front of Akon was enough, I wasn't really thinking about the competition, but more on the chance I had to prove myself," she said. "I had already accomplished getting a high score on the site and I just found myself very lucky to get my shot. HitLab is a big part of my life and I enjoy every minute of it."
Her determination paid off when Ms. Brunette was chosen out of the other performers in the showcase to be part of Akon's production company KonLive. She has already recorded a selection of songs with Akon and other well-known artists, and will be releasing her own solo album by the end of this year.
Ms. Brunette is estatic about the opportunities she's been given, and wants nothing more than to continue to do what she is doing now - performing and having her voice heard.
"People only dream about what it's like to be in my shoes, and I'm so grateful for this chance. Who knows where I'll end up in the future, but if it gets even better than this someone's going to have to bring me back to earth, 'cause I'll be in heaven," she mused.
"When you work with the best producers, writers and of course Akon, it's only natural that you get the best product. I enjoy being in the studio and working in these conditions, because it brings the best out of me and helps me excel in what I can do."
Multi-platinum recording star Akon launches hitlab.com - Hitlab breakout
artist Saschali signs to Akon's label Kon Live -
MONTREAL, March 23 /PRNewswire/ - Six-time Grammy nominated artist/producer
and entrepreneur AKON hosted an exclusive VIP event today to announce the
launch of Hitlab, the newest destination for emerging artists to improve their
music and be discovered. During the press conference, Akon also announced that
he signed Hitlab artist Saschali to a recording contract with his distribution
company KON LIVE, after seeing her perform at Hitlab's first showcase held
last September in Montreal. Saschali is now the first HITLAB.COM artist to
sign such a contract.
After the press conference, Akon and the founders of Hitlab demonstrated a
special artificial intelligence software called Dynamic Hit Scoring (DHS),
which is proprietary to Hitlab. The groundbreaking technology can predict if a
song has the potential to be a hit by breaking it down into several variables
such as pitch and tempo, and comparing the structure of the song to the Top
100 Billboard(R) hits of the past six years.
Artists can have their songs evaluated by Hitlab's artificial intelligence
algorithm and get discovered anywhere in the world. A highlight of the
showcase was the participation of Janne Saar from Estonia who three weeks
after submitting a song and obtaining a score of 96%, got invited to Montreal
to perform in front of Akon at tonight's event. Hitlab offers an opportunity
for artists anywhere in the world to get discovered, produced and distributed
by having their songs analyzed by Hitlab's digital music site.
"Hitlab allows artists to be able to be their own label rep, showcase their
own music, it is the ultimate dream..." says Akon.
"The Hitlab concept is to create a community where the best emerging artist
can be connected directly to the Hitlab fan base all over the world." Says
Eddie Wenrick President and CEO of Hitlab. "Hitlab classifies songs in six
different genres of music. Fans can access the top songs rated by Hitlab on a
continuous basis in every genre of music." Says Wenrick.
To be successful in the current transformation in the music industry record
labels will have to simplify and facilitate access to the best content. Hitlab
strives to identify and seek out the best artists around the world who deserve
to be recorded.
The activities concluded with an exclusive showcase featuring top Hitlab
artists Saschali, Pamela, Janne, Melissa, and Alan Trader. All the artists
performing tonight had songs that scored in the top 12% of their various
musical categories.
Biography
Saschali, a girl from a small town in Canada, left her home at a very early age following her dream of becoming a star. A talented writer and singer, she found the way to meet and work with known musicians, producers and DJ's from Montreal. Her smooth and passionate music will touch you with her passion for life and love. You will remember every word she sings through her amazing delivery. You will feel her emotions while questioning your heart. Saschali will captivate you as she sings directly from her soul. She will draw you close to her words and music, making you want to hold on to everything that is real and important to feel.
BIOGRAPHIE
Saschali was born in Pembroke, Ontario. She grew up at the outskirts of Algonquin Park, land of whitewaters and adventure, were she felt caged in and knew that she needed to get out of this small country town if she were to reach her full potential as a success full song writer/singer. Knowing that she was wise beyond her years at the age of 16 she moved out on her own to experience the world and gain as much life experience as she needed to become the woman she had no choice to become at such a young age. Determined to control her own destiny, she decides one day to break loose of her home town and move to the big city of Montreal.
Knowing all about chasing a dream, she successively falls in love with the city, and adores the nightlife. After drifting a few months, she starts working at trendy bars - as a shooter girl then as a barmaid. During five years, she plunges at the heart of Montreals exuberant and colorful night scene.
She already knows producers, DJs and upcoming musicians, makes her first inroads into music and fills up her address book. Through a friend, Derek, a blues guitar player, she meets producers that carry weight at Soundbeat Records whose gates are soon wide open. Soon, she works with Sugar Sammy, DJ artist, singer and one of the hottest stand-up comedians on stage today! Sugar Sammy feels her talent right away. She starts performing with him as a backup vocal artist before huge audiences at events such as the Canadian Music Week 2002 in Toronto and Hip Hop Forever 2003 at the Metropolis, a well known concert venue in Montreal. During that period, she meets people who will affect her career like Germain Gauthier, a talented music producer, long-time friend of Luc Plamondon a
Through her engagements as an artist, the gorgeous young woman keeps on performing live on the club circuit. In 2004, she performs at the Vibes, then at the Rex with her new group the rap duo Day By Day. In 2005, she performs at the Times in Montreal and sings on R & B/hip-hop compilations recorded at Fly Musics studios. After years of hard work, she suddenly feels the need for a break. On a whim, she buys a ticket bound for Fort Lauderdale. She works a few months in creative reappraisal at a snappy beachside joint, the Beachbums.
When you really believe in something, suddenly it becomes possible. I know people who are there for the money. But I dont care I care about music! And passion! I do what I love. And if it doesnt work out, Ill still believe in it... (Saschali Brunette, September 2006)
Back in Montreal in January 2006, Saschali meets a longtime friend, Germain Gauthier. They begin updating each other on their careers. Impressed, Germain introduces Saschali to Pierre Gauthier, his cousin, chairman of Fly Music. Under the spell of her music, Pierre decides to ride along. Then things moved on really fast � She worked successively with the likes of Philip Appallo, Sammy Moughlan (Bandit Studio). Recently, Saschali has been very much involved with Eddie Wenrick (Kiss, Zappa, Beach Boys...) and Bob Jamieson (ex-boss of BMG Music and RCA Music).
But the best is still to come. Thanks to her story-telling voice, the quality of her flow and her clever wordplay, Saschali is surrounded by brilliant musicians who believe in her. Since March,06 she worked with artists such as Akon, Elephant man and producer Sonny Black (Corneille, K-Maro, Corneille). Saschali's first solo album will be released through major label, Interscope Universal records in the U,S late 2008.
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