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JONTE'
New York singer and performer JONTE' is just about to release his first music video(MAKE-UP). I was one of the lucky ones that could take a look at it before its launch, and I must say it was an incredible experience. Make-Up not only combines dance with creative styling but it is daring and so inspiring and it raises the bar for the people in the scene that would like to venture in the same area(video making). I talked to Jonte' about the experience of doing Make-Up and tried to find out a little about this great performer who will also be in one of the 25 profiles of the third issue of Gazelland Magazine.

Q-Gazelle: Tell me a little about you darling!
A-Jonte' : BLUSH!!!....WELL I WAS BORN & RAISED IN PORTLAND OREGON.THE FOURTH CHILD OF MY FATHER, THE ONLY CHILD OF MY MOTHER.GOOD OL
CHRISTIAN BOY GOING TO BAPTIST CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY
SINGING IN THE CHOIR NOW AND THEN JUST TO FLIRT WITH THE
BOYS IN THE TENOR SECTION. GREW UP IN  A SHELTERD CITY WHERE
BEING ANYTHING OTHER THAN "NORMAL" WAS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK GOD I'M A SON OF TWO PEOPLE WHO GAVE ME ROOM TO BECOME WHO I WANTED AND ARE PROUD OF ME.WITH THAT, THEY LET ME TRAIN AT THE JEFFERSON HIGHSCHOOL FOR PERFORMING ARTS, WHERE I FOUND MORE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIKE ME AND HAD GOALS AND AMBITIONS TO BECOME FIERCE PERFORMERS .I BEGAN TRAINING AND TOURING AS A BALLET AND AFRICAN DANCER ALL OVER THE WORLD. AFTER GRADUATING HIGHSCHOOL I MOVED TO NYC TO TRAIN AT THE ALVIN AILEY DANCE CENTER, BUT QUIT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO MAKE MONEY AS A BACK UP DANCER/SINGER FOR MAINSTREAM ARTISTS BECAUSE I WAS BROKE!! STARTED WORKING CONSTANTLY AND MET TONS OF FABULOUS PEOPLE ON THE WAY YADDAH YADDDAH YADDAH
HERE I AM FOLKS !!

Q-Gazelle: How was doing the video Make-Up?
A-Jonte' : EYELINER!!!....STRESSFUL AT FIRST, WHEN U HAVE AN 8:30 AM CALL
IT'S PRETTY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON TIME. SO I WAS WAITING IN MY BLACK
LACED DRESS, MAKE UP DONE TALKING TO MY MANAGER AND VIDEOGRAPHER UNTIL THE REST OF THE CREW SHOWED UP AROUND 11 AM.LOL. IT WAS A PRIVELAGE TO WORK WITH OTHER CREATIVE PEOPLE SUCH AS MY CHOREOGRAPHER RAMON BAYNES AND ALL THE TALENTED DANCERS. WHEN YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO BRING NEW IDEAS TO THE TABLE WITHOUT TRYING TO OVERPOWER YOUR WORK THINGS TURN OUT GREAT.
EVERYONE WAS ON KEY WITH THE  CHOREOGRAPHY AND STYLING .NO ONE COMPLAINED AFTER FILMING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND THE DIRECTOR WAS OPEN MINDED ABOUT EVERY IDEA THAT PEOPLE PUT OUT. AWESOME EXPERIENCE!

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLET INTERVIEW )
gazelle column
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