On the “A” w/Souleo…
What a difference a few hours of peace and quiet can make in the lives of married duo, Kindred the Family Soul (Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon). During the recording process of their new album, A Couple Friends (due out on June 10) they found themselves creating for the first time without a baby on the way or just having delivered one.
“I wasn’t pumping no milk or making sure the baby was asleep before I cut my vocals,” said Graydon. “It’s amazing what we can do with two or three uninterrupted hours. We had time to be together as a couple and know how we fit our creativity into the reality of our lives while raising six children.”
While their last release, Love Has No Recession, was more driven toward social commentary, their new CD places strong emphasis on love and relationships. Producers on the project include Vidal Davis and Andre Harris (Jill Scott, Marsha Ambrosius), James Poyser (John Legend, The Roots) and more with Kindred writing or co-writing all the songs on the album.
The two are also intent on sharing their love with the community through the first annual, Kindred the Family Games, set to take place June 8, in Philadelphia and presented in partnership with Got Laundry? The program will feature activities designed to promote fitness and strong familial bonds. For Dantzler, this is a natural extension into the community. “We have become stronger people and I’ve seen my wife be more involved in community affairs and how our family plays into the community.”
“I feel like in essence we are trying to kill the vision that our relationship is so special,” added Graydon. “There are so many families that are also making it work every day and we want to put some shine on that.”
Women’s Fashion & FilmFest launches ‘Girls’ focused initiative
Who runs the fashion and film worlds? Girls! That’s the message that Jeanine Jeo-Hi Kim wants to instill in future female leaders through the second annual Women & Fashion FilmFest (WFF). As part of that goal this year, she is introducing the first ever Girls Film Festival and Girls Empowerment Fashion Runway.
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