Mar 28, 2013
Dearest Fans
Currently sitting in the studio watching Stoyan produce a new song “Gotta Let Go”. So whilst he creates beats, bops and all funkilicious things, I’d stopped by to say Happy Easter and here’s what’s coming out :>
Again this week we had Time Out Awards for the best in restaurants throughout Dubai. The Brunch I performed at, Mina A Salam, received a nomination but the winner went too Bubbalicious, grrrr…lol! Still very proud to part of such greatness of the Jumeirah group and to The Fridge Dubai who manage me.
Not only have they secured my residency there for the last year, but also at Dubai World Cup this weekend in the Bubble, which I am sooo excited for my band to perform at. Adding to my performance schedule is a new residency at Bahri Bar in Mina A Salam, Madinat Jumeirah starting next week. This means the next 4 months are busy-tastic times. Thank you to Dean and Shelley from The Fridge for working so incredibly hard for putting this together. It takes an immense amount of belief in artists, knowledge, care and time putting contracts of this type in place. LOVE YOUR WORK, so very grateful for everything, thank you!
As much as I am loving what I am doing, today I have had a bit sad bit of news. A few of my great friends who are musicians have been messed around by fraudulent agents within the Gulf. These sharks are unfortunately from the UK and believe they can pay off F&B directors under the table and then not pay their artists for 3-6 months on end, bearing in mind these artists perform six nights a week in foreign countries. There are approximately 30 unpaid acts in the Middle East. You would think that in this day and age people would not be able to get away with this unprofessional behaviour. If I could give you any more information to expose them, I would. Unfortunately there’s a hefty court case going on and it is not my place to do more than say to musicians worldwide; please be very, very careful whom you sign a contract to. Research and obtain references from more than one source, and ensure it is reliable.
I speak from a place of experience and say this from the bottom of my heart. In 2008, Mr Nobody pretended to be Mr Somebody from Universal to me saying he would produce my album and arrange a tour. It was fabricated, it was not funny, I lost money and my band broke up. So pretty sure you can understand that timewasters are my pet dislike, and in the music business there are way too many of these about for my liking.
That is the main reason I wrote a book to help musicians be prepared, sensible and business-minded with our creative and sometimes crazy master-mindsets. As well as that, I soooo believe it will educate people that hire and admire musicians to appreciate what we do, without running off with our hard-earned money and will see beyond surface-level image. We are pretty down to earth everyday people too…so was Einstein! One day it will be published and maybe musicians will be taken more seriously from little to BiG stars.
So all I ask over this Easter period and thereafter, when you see a musician performing in any circumstance and you stop to take the time to listen and are moved by what they do and how they hold their head high in maybe an empty room…applaud them and encourage everyone else to do the same. Everyone one of us starts somewhere, credit goes a long way.
Upcoming gigs are…
Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: Bahri Bar, Mina A Salam, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai from 20:00-02:00
Every Tuesday Sorso, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Abu Dhabi from 19:30-midnight
Every Friday Brunch Mina A Salam, Madinat Jumeirah Hotel, Dubai, 12:30pm-16:00pm
Right it’s showtime, off to hair and make-up! Have a splendid chocolate filled weekend :> Next week, more news about the recent big shows my band’s been in and some sneaky peaks at songwriting sounds…
Love
Miss T