I was once asked what this song meant and I hesitated to answer at the time.  But this is a new year – this song is about possession, about soaring beyond this material world into the indescribable realm, about communicating with beings as old as time.

The glow of 7 white candles
A circle of sea salt
Ancient words to open earth’s doors
1 drum beat dancing outside
You’ve fallen in a trance

Oh life’s burning with desire
Oh I’m speaking with the Ones of Old
Oh I’m filled with new meanings
High above this world I go
I’m seeing with new eyes now

An alter in the woods
A life misunderstood
4 symbols start with air
Water cleanse me, earth remake
Fire give me life

-Words & Music by Nhojj

I’m really excited about sharing this music video with you – it screened this year in the Sundance Queer Lounge along with other gay videos.  Kirk Shannon-Butts did a great job capturing the beauty and essence of “Love” ~ in order to obtain the slow motion effect, I had to learn to sing at double speed… lol – but it was so much fun.

“Love” is theme song for Kirk’s film “Blueprint” (which premiered at Cannes Film Festival last year:)  A big thank you to Adrian Lopez and Houston Street Production.  Let me know what you think of it:)

PS – This video climbed to #1 on the MTV Music Top 100

Its exciting to once again be recognized, my song “Love” which is featured on my latest CD  “Soul Comfort” has garnered a nomination for Outstanding R&B/Soul Song.  This is the second time my work has been acknowledged by the OutMusic association, my sophomore CD “Someday Peace Love & Freedom” was nominated in 2004 for Outstanding New Male Recording.  Congratulations to all the nominees and a big thank you to Tomas for encouraging me to submit my work:)

I got a chance to talk with Tomas from TE Talk about the Velocity Awards, Barbados Music Awards, and some upcoming projects I’m working on.  Tomas is an artist, record producer, and a good friend (he suggested that I submit for the Outmusic Awards:) Listen and enjoy:)

The Barbados Music Awards was such a magical night. R&B legend Regina Belle was sitting in the audience (I heard she took a picture of me while I was performing). A big thank you to Walter Greene and Ronnie Morris for making this happen, and for Kirk Shannon-Butts for great styling.

I had a great time talking with Cassandra on Good Morning Barbados TV, I didn’t enjoy getting up at 4:30 AM to videotape the show… lol, but the experience was truly amazing. A big thank you to Ingrid:)

“In this body, nature’s body, I’ve found my soul” ~ This is a celebration of Spirituality in all its forms.

This piece is based on the Rabindranath Tagore’s quote “This is the ultimate end of man, to find the One which is in him; which is his truth, which is his soul; the key with which he opens the gate of the spiritual life, the heavenly kingdom.” I hope you enjoy.
Love & Light
Nhojj

New York, NY (Billboard Publicity Wire) March 5, 2009 –”I like to think of style this way,” says Nhojj. “Fashion is what you wear. Style is what you exude. For a performer, style is that part of yourself you share with your audience. What I share is my Caribbean roots. It’s part of me. It’s part of my music. It’s one part sensual, one part spiritual, and one part joyful. I call it Caribbean Soul.”

Nhojj tapped the talents of Maxwell stylist, Kirk Shannon-Butts, for his recent Barbados Music Awards performance. “I’ve always been a huge admirer of Maxwell.” The singer says, “His style is smooth, elegant and authentic. It distinguishes him as an artist. I wanted to bring this sense of style and individuality to my BMA performance so I contacted Kirk. He orchestrated the style for the Maxwell 2008 Tour.”

For his performance Nhojj wore a white suite from French designer Sonia Rykiel’s Homme Collection, with a vintage orange shirt and Valentino shoes. The picture of Nhojj playing his guitar, shrouded in a blue spotlight, along with his soaring vocals, brought cheers from the audience, which included Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Square One and former American Ambassador Mary Ourisman.

The Barbados Advocate Newspaper reported that Nhojj “definitely made an impact on his audience with his voice, his lyrics and his personality.”

Within hours, the popular CBC TV show Mornin’ Barbados scheduled Nhojj as a guest. On the live taping, the singer/songwriter discussed his latest CD “Soul Comfort”, the BMA’s, and then serenaded host Cassandra Samuel with an acoustic unplugged version of “Love.” “Wow!” she exclaimed at the end, and broke into spontaneously applause. “Remember the name,” she said, “because he is going places.”

For the morning show, Kirk chose vintage black tux jacket and pink t shirt by African designers Bebenoir. The whole affair was overseen by Carib News Editor Walter Greene, who heard Nhojj performing in New York City and invited him to sing at Guyana Fashion Weekend 2008, where he introduced Nhojj to BMA producer Ronnie Morris.

Nhojj has recorded 4 CDs and a live DVD filmed by Emmy-nominated director Bill Cote. His voice has been described as “A honeyed, subdued and unadorned combination of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye,” UK’s LOGO Magazine, and “A voice that wraps the body and soul,” Italy’s Acid Jazz Magazine.

He topped the NY Indie Charts in 2007 with his unique brand of Caribbean Soul, spending a total of 37 weeks as #1 artist in the Fusion, Neo-Soul, Nu-Jazz, Healing, Easy listening and Gospel categories on MySpace, and received honorable mention at the 13th and 14th Annual Billboard Songwriting Contest.

Having started his musical journey at the age of 5 singing in his father’s church in Guyana, Nhojj speaks with humility when referring to his recent successes. “The whole experience in Barbados was beautiful and I am thankful for each blessing. Experiences like these encourage and strengthen my faith and I hope it inspires others to live their truth.”

A big thank you to Nigel and Alyson for this article in the Barbados Advocate – Nigel did an awesome photo shoot and then I sat down and spoke with Alyson.  We spoke about my influences, the experience of performing at the 2009 Barbados Music Awards and my latest CD “Soul Comfort”

Nhojj Article in the Barbados Advocate Newspaper - Click to Read

New York (Billboard Publicity Wire) Guyanese soul singer Nhojj heads to the 4th Annual Barbados Music Awards on January 4, 2009 to perform his sensual ballad “Love.” The ceremony will be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Barbados, and will be viewed globally via live web broadcast.

Nhojj will share the spotlight with Square One (Lifetime Achievement Award recipient), Regina Belle (International Lifetime Achievement Award recipient), and 111 nominees including Rihanna, T.I, and Krosfyah. The BMA’s honor the best in Caribbean and International Music, and attract recording industry leaders as well as visitors from around the world.

BMA producer Ronnie Morris invited Nhojj after hearing him sing “Love” at Guyana Fashion Weekend ‘08 – a performance that brought explosive applause from the closing night’s audience. Attendees included the American Ambassador, GFW president Sonia Noel, BET host Abiola Abrams, and “Amen” sitcom actress Anna Maria Horsford. Walter Greene, host of the event and editor of the weekly New York Carib News, wrote “Nhojj is on the cusp of becoming a household name.”

At age 5 Nhojj began his musical journey singing choir hymns in his father’s small church in Guyana. Now he writes and records his own songs. Lyrics to “Love” are provocative–”I want to see you nude in the moonlight”–quite a jump from “The Lord’s Prayer,” one of his childhood favorites.

“It’s not so much of a jump,” Nhojj explains. “The nude body is a creation of God, a thing of beauty. I want my music to tap into that beauty. I want it to be positive and affirming–to be joyful.”

In recording “Love” for his new release “Soul Comfort,” Nhojj utilized the work of pianist Carl Evans (Stevie Wonder, Barry White) and percussionist Tommy Aros (Luis Miguel). “Love” is featured in the Indie film “Blueprint” which screened at over 30 International Film Festivals this year, including the Cannes Film Festival. A music video is in production with “Blueprint” director Kirk Shannon-Butts.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Nhojj. He slowly ventured into the music business only after graduating from New York University with a BA in Economics. “For a long time I didn’t believe I was good enough,” Nhojj explains. “I would always compare myself to others – fear is paralyzing.” He credits friends, family, and meditation for giving him courage to face his fears and begin writing and recording. Now with 4 CDs under his belt, and a live performance DVD filmed by Emmy nominated director Bill Cote, Nhojj feels ready to share his brand of Caribbean Soul with the world.

“Music for me is about connecting with the audience in a deep way,” Nhojj reflects, “when the mood is right and the spirits descend – we all feel the euphoria, its like fireworks – I’m really looking forward to this experience… to putting a smile on everyone’s face.”