A Conversation With ChrystalChyna

 

Dynamic Duo Bring the Spirit of Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, and the 2000s Aesthetic to R&B

 

By Shelah Moody

 

    Chrystal and Chyna Johnson are divinely connected in the music industry.  

   Being divinely connected is a phenomenon where, throughout life, you are placed in the right place with the right group of people and you rise to greatness. Some people call it luck, some call it blessed.

    ChrystalChyna merged not only their names, but merged their talents as creators, bringing new energy to R&B, infused with the spirit of their godmother, multiple Grammy winner Natalie Cole, and their aunt, multiple Grammy winner Chaka Khan. 

     I recently joined ChrystalChyna for a Zoom interview; at press time, the soulful and vibrant, identical twins were quarantining in Baldwin Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles, with their mother. 

    As identical twins, Chrystal and Chyna are also divinely connected in terms of consciousness; they often answer questions in unison and finish each other’s sentences. We began with a discussion of their latest single, “Rain.”

https://youtu.be/4LUW9O_9YaM.

 

Streetwise Radio:  First, tell us what you’ve been doing and how you’ve been keeping busy during the pandemic.

 

Chrystal: Trying to stay sane! 

 

Chyna: We’ve been trying to take care of ourselves, first, because of the quarantine games; they got to us (laughs). We’ve been trying to take care of our health and stay busy as far as writing and putting together different things…

 

Chrystal: And ideas.

 

Chyna: So that when we do come out of this… whenever that is...

 

Chrystal: We’ll have everything ready!

 

Streetwise Radio: Tell us about your new single, "Rain."

 

Chrystal: So, we have been wanting to do “Rain” for a long time —since we were kids. We would always sing that song, plus SWV songs in general. They are one of the main groups we grew up on; that we could actually see ourselves in, just based on their appearance and how they carried themselves. They reminded us of us. We could relate to SWV and their voices and we were really big fans of Coko, the lead singer and we would try to mimic her voice. We love how diverse they are with their vocals and their look. 

 

Chyna: We love SWV. With “Rain” being a song. we’ve always wanted to do; we wanted to do it right. We didn’t want to record it and not have it come out sounding as clear as the SWV version. With a cover, you have to do it right; you can’t make it unrecognizable. Thanks to our manager, Celeste Butler, it was tight. Originally, Chrystal and I were not thinking big enough on it; we thought we would practice it really well like we always do, and film a video in front of the fireplace. Celeste was like, no, this is too good of a song, we’re gonna record it, do a video, and do some choreography. 

 

Streetwise Radio:  Your class and soulfulness shine through on  “Rain” and you remind me of your godmother, Natalie Cole. Please share some memories with us.

 

Chrystal: It is so funny because there are certain things we do that will make people who were employed by our godmother- her hairstylists and wardrobe team- say, “that’s a Natalie picture there.” We didn't realize how much impact and influence she had on us because she was just God Mommy.  There are certain things we do, and mannerisms we have that are exactly like hers. That’s how close we were. She was really our other mother. She was literally the person we were going to if anything happened to our mom. We picked up a lot of things from her. Not intentionally, but because of how close we were. We really looked up to her. She really did impact us a lot while growing up.

 

Chyna: Right.

 

Chrystal: I act a lot like her. People say that a lot, that I act like Natalie. I can feel her near me all the time; I can feel her arms around me. There’s just something about her; like, certain scents remind me of her. I think about her every day. She had a certain laugh when she was telling a story. I can still feel her energy.

 

Streetwise Radio: What kind of perfume did Natalie wear?

 

Chyna: There was a distinct scent that she would always wear. It was fresh but spicy. She just smelled expensive.

 

Chrystal: I know that both she and my mom would wear Alfred Sung perfume. And when we were younger, she would always buy us this special perfume called…

 

Chyna: Mariella  Burani.

 

Chrystal: Now, it’s hard to find in stores, but this past Christmas, our mom gifted us with our own Mariella  Burani perfume. She knows how much it meant to us.

 

Chyna: We even have old bottles…

 

Chrystal: That our godmother gave us; we kept them as memorabilia. We still have them on our dresser.

 

Streetwise Radio: How did Natalie become your godmother?

 

Chyna: Our mom, Benita Hill-Johnson, was 19 when she met our godmother, Natalie Cole. Our mom met our god mom through our Auntie, Chaka Khan. 

 

Chrystal:  Our mother met Auntie Chaka when she was 17. This was before Rufus and Chaka Khan blew up before they had their first big hit. Our mother was Auntie Chaka’s first Los Angeles friend, and she lived with our mother and our grandmother. Our grandmother is Chaka’s daughter’s godmother. We’re all connected.  My mom lived with our godmother when she was around 19 and she was helping with our godbrother, Robbie Yancy. She was in the room when a lot of the songs on our godmother’s album, “Thankful” were written with (husband/producer) Marvin Yancy. Our mother and our godmother—they had a relationship— basically being like sisters through Christ. That’s why they were divinely close. Our mother was our godmother’s, right-hand woman. Our mom was there for everything, from the beginning. She saw everything. 

 

Chyna: Our mom was doing “American Bandstand” for a little bit, but she started off as a “Soul Train” regular dancer. 

 

Chrystal: Our mother was a singer as well, and she got to sing with Bobby Womack. In LA, at the time, the gospel scene was big, so she was in some choirs. She was divinely connected but not on purpose. It’s not like she sought out the chance to be around celebrities. She loved music. She became a celebrity hairstylist; at one time, Robert Townsend was her boss; and she was one of the key hairstylists on the sitcom “A Different World.”

 

Chyna: On the last season of “A Different World,”  she was responsible for Jasmine Guy and Cree Summer’s hair.

 

Chrystal: After “A Different World” ended in 1993, our mom became our godmother’s full-time personal assistant for 15 years, until our father passed away when we were 11. Our mom was more than a personal assistant; she handled a lot. She also helped with our god mom's comebacks. 

 

Chyna: She never missed a beat.

 

Chrystal: Even after she stopped working for our godmother after 15 years, people would still approach her and ask her to do stuff for her because they knew she was the right woman to get things done.

 

Streetwise Radio: Tell us about the influence of your Auntie Chaka Khan.

 

Chrystal: She’s our mentor. She definitely put us in a lot of rooms, and we are very appreciative. She’s always given us pointers and has been very supportive.

 

Chyna: We performed with her at the Microsoft Theatre in LA. 

 

Chrystal: That was our first big thing…

 

Chyna: Yes! She’s always been very supportive of ChrystalChyna in everything, like helping us figure out our group name. I remember when I first found out (Chaka) was my auntie. 

 

Chrystal: You know the movie, “Nutty Professor?” We were watching the sequel in our parent's room and “Tell Me Something Good” was playing in the movie. Our dad came into the room and said, “you know that’s your auntie, right?” We were like, really? When we were around her as children, we really weren’t thinking of that.

 

Streetwise Radio: I love ChrystalChina’s harmonies. Have you taken vocal lessons?

 

Chrystal: Yes, we started vocal training when we were 14, in 2011. March 5, 2011. I remember making it a big deal because I knew I wanted to do it. We started out being classically trained, and then we moved up, and we’re still being trained.

 

Streetwise Radio: What's it like working together, not only as sisters but as twins? 

 

Chrystal: It’s fun! I love it! 

 

Chyna: We feed off each other! We just have fun together every day. It’s just like, your best friend is coming over, but she lives with you. 

 

Chrystal. Exactly. I have fun with her every day.

 

Chyna: We’re always doing something!

 

Streetwise Radio: Tell us about your upcoming projects.  I love your video, “No Pressure.” 

 

Chrystal: We wrote, “No Pressure” in 2017. 

 

Chyna: We started recording “No Pressure” in mid-2018. We decided that it would be our debut single; because it’s really vibey and jazzy, at the same time, with a groove. It’s not too overwhelming. We decided to release a video; we filmed it here at our house. We live in the Crenshaw district of LA; and one of the areas is called Baldwin Hills, one of its three black, affluent neighborhoods in the hills. In Baldwin Hills, we live in an area called “the Dons.” Generations of LA kids; including our mom when she was young, went to parties in the Dons. 

 

Chrystal: The streets are called Don Miguel, Don Luis, Don Mariano,  etc. Our mother was raised in the Crenshaw district as well and we were raised here.

 

Chyna: We wanted to pay homage to that because it means a lot to us that people from different places become aware of the black history here in LA. A lot of people don’t know about it. We wanted the video-based in the early 2000s because I love the early 2000s aesthetic. We wanted a storyline: party in the Dons like it’s 2001. 

 

Streetwise Radio: Tell us more about the early 2000s aesthetic.

 

Chyna: Personally, Chrystal and I really love old-school music. I don’t really consider the 90s and early 2000s music old school, I say it’s a throwback. I love the way they filmed videos back then; the coloring, the lighting…

 

Chrystal: Everything was kind of futuristic, new millennium.

 

Chyna: We wanted to keep that aesthetic because Chrystal and I would always watch “106 and Park,” “Rap City” and “TRL.”  When we were kids, we had access to things; our parents sheltered us but they did not censor us.  We made the video and we did our own treatment. We took a lot of screenshots of videos that we love from years past, recreated them, and made them come to life. We were inspired by different eras and different films. 

 

 

Streetwise Radio: What is the first thing you would like to do when the world opens up? 

 

Chrystal: Party. (laughs).

 

Chyna: Party (laughs). I can’t wait to like, go out with my makeup on, and you can actually see my own face. When we drop our project, it would be nice to have a release party. And just to be able to feel safe.  

 

Listen to ChrstalChyna here on Streetwise Radio, and follow them on social media and other streaming services:

 

IG: -h​ttps://www.instagram.com/chrystalchyna/

 

Twitter ​- ​https://twitter.com/chrystalchyna

 

FB​ - h​ttps://www.facebook.com/ChrystalChyna

 

YouTube​ - ​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtDiATqGCWqDu4sz_kGDhXw

 

Debut Single, “No Pressure”:

Music Video: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoVJKbGl590

 

Spotify​:

​https://open.spotify.com/track/4zZKq1r36fL1hQgkTX9JF8?si=nnelwRNuR92n3 zbqWlFTFA

 

AppleMusic: ​https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-pressure-single/1466474561

 

 

 

 Second Line for the Great Ones, 2021

By Shelah Moody

         “My mom couldn’t read, nor write. But I’ve been all around the world and met all kinds of people from all walks of life. I’ve done Royal Command Performances, I met Prince Charles back in the sixties and the Queen Mother. I know the sister of the king of Sweden; we hung out.  Sammy Davis, Bob Hope--we did things at the White House. I worked with Bill Clinton on the Millenium event and we partied until 4:30 a.m. But no one has ever topped my mom. She was illiterate in terms of education, but as a human being, she was number one. So I grew up with an angel, a person who had such a level, the human spirit. That’s all I know. That’s all I can be. People say, diva, but I’m really just little Mae Mae from Detroit, basically.”--Mary Wilson

       It seems like we are losing our legends faster than we can write about them. In this blog, I pay tribute to three of the influencers that we lost in 2021.

WARREN SMITH

Warren Smith & Shelah Moody

                                            

    On Jan, 13, all eyes and ears were focused on an impeachment hearing for Donald J. Trump, who was being held accountable for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC. 

     I was in a group chat on the subject of this historic event when someone changed the subject. 

    “Did you hear the news about Warren Smith?” someone asked.

     “On no,” I typed. “Did he pass?”

     “Yes.” Someone dropped a sad face emoji.

     “Mercy!” I typed. 

     Someone dropped the link to a post, written by his family, on his Facebook page.

     Sadly,  the post confirmed that Sierra Nevada World Music Festival founder Warren Smith -- Aug. 26, 1945- Jan. 11, 2021--had transitioned after a long illness.

       “Warren crossed peacefully at his beloved ranch on Monday, after falling asleep while wrapped in Gret’s embrace, surrounded with love and listening to Bob.”

       “Gret” is Warren’s loving wife and business partner, Gretchen Frantz, who’d helped him build and run the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival via their company, Epiphany Artists, since its inception in 1994. “Bob,” of course, refers to global music icon Bob Marley,  no doubt, one of his inspirations for starting SNWMF.  

    This is a hard blog to write because along with being the subject of many of my SNWMF interviews and reviews, Warren was also my friend. He and Gretchen would invite me to SNWMF wrap-up parties for staff and volunteers at his sprawling Ryde, CA ranch and we would often hang out at parties and gatherings.

     I began covering the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 1995  and followed them to three venues: Marysville, Frogstown, and finally,  Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville, CA. 

Warren Smith & Cocoa Tea

      Over a 25-year span, the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival must have presented at least one musical act from every country on earth. This was Smith’s unique vision, as he traveled around the world looking for new and exotic talent to showcase at the festival. I am told that one of his favorite groups was Rupa and the Fishes, from the San Francisco Bay Area. 

      I had some wild times covering SNWMF. I met the love of my life there and was caught kissing behind a trailer, got kicked out of a hotel room for smoking ganja one year, and interviewed many music legends there, including two who passed during the pandemic--Frederick “Toots” Hibbert and Daddy U-Roy. 

Warren Smith & Luciano SNWMF

    In 2017, I suffered from severe anxiety, and years before the Coronavirus hit, I developed a dreadful fear of being in large crowds at outdoor music festivals. Also, as a 13-year member of the sober community, it was a challenge for me to be in the midst of revelers indulging in cannabis, booze, and every psychedelic drug you can name for three days (and nights) straight. Though I never made it back to SNWMF after 2016, Warren and Gretchen would still reach out to me and invite me to attend. I have hundreds of illuminating stories and good memories of the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. 

     Here’s a fun fact about Smith: he was also an actor; he had a cameo role as a cop in the film “Basic Instinct,” shot in San Francisco, starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas. Smith, who was also an advocate for artists’ songwriting and publishing rights, believed in the creed that is proudly displayed on the SNWMF website: https://www.snwmf.com/

          “The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival promotes "conscious" music. Conscious music is music with a message of peace, unity, and brotherhood, which transcends the divisions of race and culture.”

     

CICELY TYSON

       As I was researching my tribute to Smith, I saw that Academy Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson trending on social media. This could only mean one thing. I got a text from a friend confirming that the 96-year-old icon had died on Jan. 28. Tyson had recently published her memoir, “Just As I Am,” and interviewed Gayle King on the CBS News.

      I grew up watching Tyson’s regal presence in films such as “Sounder,” “Roots” and “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” One thing that fascinated me about Tyson was that she was the longtime muse, and later one of the wives, of jazz great Miles Davis. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that household! Before Barack and Michelle, before Beyonce and Jay-Z, Cicely and Miles were the original black power couple!

       On Jan. 29, Tyson’s godson, Lenny Kravitz, posted a loving tribute to her on Instagram:

    “With inimitable style and grace, my dear Godmother Miss Cicely Tyson made her grand exit to the heavens,” Kravitz wrote. “She lived a remarkable life up to the last moment. A true pioneer, who bared her heart and soul so we could witness the spirit of the characters she so brilliantly portrayed, which continue to move and inspire generations. 

        A Black queen who showed us how beautiful black is. The love between us was and is tremendous.  As long as I have had consciousness, I’ve known Godmother. She and my mother were kindred spirits. Sisters. And after my mother passed, Godmother's role in my life was amplified.  I constantly felt her spirit over me. She always gave me unconditional support. She came to my shows, came over for holidays, met me for dinners, stayed with me in Paris when I first moved there, and never let me too far out of her sight. Our phone calls went on sometimes for hours. We spoke just a few nights ago and talked about everything. She had just sent me her book that has been sitting on my nightstand where it will remain. She did it all, wrote the book, and then God called her. I can hear Godmother saying  ‘ok, now y’all can read about it, I’m going home.’ Rest peacefully, Godmother. You did it all exquisitely #CicelyTyson.”

      On Feb. 15, I attended Tyson’s public viewing at
This was an epic opportunity to honor one of the great ones and I would not let the pandemic keep me away. I booked a ticket to New York and braved the mandatory 10-day quarantine upon my return to San Francisco. 

       The temperature was just above 30 degrees in Harlem and there was snow on the ground, but hundreds of masked people lined up for hours for the chance to say goodbye to a legend. Black suited members of the Nation of Islam passed out copies of “The Final Call,” which featured a Cicely Tyson cover story.

Vendors hawked Cicely Tyson’s photos, buttons, and T-shirts. A small choir of masked women held up Tyson’s photos as they sang “Amazing Grace.” Inline, I met a woman named Joyce, who attended Abyssinian Baptist Church with Tyson. Joyce told me she once rode in an elevator with Tyson and remembered her as gracious as well as tiny. She said she regretted not asking for a photo with the great one that day.

    In her final resting, Tyson was beautiful in purple ruffles and orchid lipstick that matched one of the floral arrangements near her casket. 

MARY WILSON

     Soon after the passing of Cicely Tyson, another great one, Mary Wilson, co-founder of one of pop music’s most successful groups, the Supremes, died on Feb. 8 at age 76. Wilson had just paid tribute to Tyson on her YouTube channel.

     I first met the Motown legend in 2005, when she was headlining at the Plush Room in SF. I was a staff member of the San Francisco Chronicle, and my podcasting team convinced Wilson to come to the Chronicle headquarters on Mission Street for the interview. https://blog.sfgate.com/chroncast/2005/12/02/mary-wilson-supremes-singer-finds-her-voice-in-solo-career/?fbclid=IwAR0kXELO_sg2jP1MS9OLD0ieIoheobwmAxSWgO1KawwGqsvRHuBPmvqFZqA

     To say that Wilson lit up the entire building that day would be an understatement. She was on a solo tour performing up close and personal material and her repertoire included Sting’s “Fields of Gold,” Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” and “Don’t Know Why” by Nora Jones.

     “I think that song is exquisite,” said Wilson. “I don’t know what the lyrics mean, ‘Don’t Know Why I Didn’t Come,’ but I won’t get into that!” (Drop smiling emoji here).

     Wilson was regal, down-to-earth, and funny as she talked about her solo career, her relationship with her musical sister, Diana Ross, and her work to support legislation to stop the spread of digital piracy. She also shared tips on staying youthful and sane in the volatile and chaotic entertainment industry. 

     “In the group, I was always in the middle,” said Wilson. “I found out in life why I’m always in the middle; I’m really just a middle person. I guess I’ve got a lot of Libra in me or something and I’m very balanced. My mom couldn’t read, nor write. But I’ve been all around the world and met all kinds of people from all walks of life. I’ve done Royal Command Performances, I met Prince Charles back in the sixties and the Queen Mother. I know the sister of the king of Sweden; we hung out.  Sammy Davis, Bob Hope, we did things at the White House. I worked with Bill Clinton on the Millenium event and we partied until 4:30 a.m. But no one has ever topped my mom. She was illiterate in terms of education, but as a human being, she was number one. So I grew up with an angel, a person who had such a level, the human spirit. That’s all I know. That’s all I can be. People say, diva, but I’m really just little Mae Mae from Detroit, basically.”

Les Femmes Fatales: Award Winning Vocal Duo Delivers Message of Hope for the Holidays

By Shelah Moody

“Unfortunately, in the time of a recession or a pandemic, arts and entertainment are usually the first to go and the last to come back. However, during those times, it’s the arts and entertainment that keep us going. We fall back to those records we love; we fall back to the artists we love and the books we love to read. We start writing in our journals and we get very creative.” Kevin “Darkside” Smith, producer

Sakai Smith and Nikita Germaine are two renowned industry vocalists known as Les Femmes Fatales. For eight years, they toured and recorded with the Grammy-winning rock band, Train, most famous for the melodic track “Hey Soul Sister.”

When the COVID-19 crisis hit this spring and all tour dates stopped, the dynamic vocal duo sprung into action. They joined forces with acclaimed San Francisco based producer Kevin “Darkside” Smith (who is also Sakai’s husband) to create a unifying and healing anthem in the tradition of epic collaborations such as “We Are the World,” and “That’s What Friends Are For.” They linked up virtually with some music industry heavyweights including Train, Santana, Narada Michael Walden, Larry Batiste and more.

The melodic single “Is That Enough?” https://youtu.be/AwI9XJ-y9pc recently earned Les Femmes Fatales two National Black Music Awards for Best Song and Best Video. A portion of the proceeds from “Is That Enough?“ will go to COVID-19 relief efforts and to those in need.

The three creators recently sat down with Streetwise Radio for an in-depth discussion.

Streetwise Radio: Congratulations on your new single, “Is That Enough?” Tell us how the track came about.

Nikita Germaine: Well, I was home one night during the height of the pandemic and I I was watching CNN; I was really glued to the news. I was a little frustrated with the stuff I was seeing. I was a little pissed, actually because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—people not wearing masks and the leader of our country acting crazy and saying crazy stuff, and people in the hospital dying. I remembered getting up and going towards the back room and I just stopped in my tracks because of this melody. Words just started flowing out of my mouth. I kept singing it over and over, “It’s not enough to live, it’s not enough to cry…” that melody! I went back to the couch to sit down and got my phone. I started singing into my recorder and more words came. I started writing and before I knew it, I had a song. I got excited and I called Sakai because I wanted her to finish writing it with me. I sang what I had to her and to make a long story short, we finished the song. We let Darkside hear it and he liked it, so the three of us made some tweaks and changes and came up with the song, “Is That Enough?”

Sakai Smith: Nikita called me and said, Sakai, I’m on to something here, we’ve got to finish this song together. Of course, it was melodic and the message that she started and with lyrics was powerful. As a songwriter, I was excited to be a part of the song and to help finish the song with Nikita. The way the song came about was so effortless, the way it came through her. We are so connected with our creator. As songwriters, those are really precious moments, when you’re not really looking for anything, but something will touch you, either what’s going on in the world, or being in love, or different things will happen in the lives that inspire us. When something powerful comes to us, we know that it’s through our creator. The song was so timely, especially with everything going on.

There was more to come in terms of development and this grand idea of how we were going to get the song out to the world and have people from the music community become a part of it. Kevin was in the studio for six months putting this project together. He produced the video and the song. We are blessed to have this platform. We are so grateful that we’ve been listening and moving forward and trusting and letting go.

Nikita: Yes, because at the beginning, it was just going to be Sakai and I singing the song. We collectively decided to bring in some friends.

Streetwise Radio: Tell us who is singing with you on the track.

Nikita: We have about 60 plus people including Narada Michael Walden, Pat Monahan, the lead singer of Train, Jeanie Tracy, Larry Batiste, Ashling Cole, Dale Anthony from Faith Out Loud, Tony Lindsay, , Claytoven Richardson, and more!

Streetwise Radio: Kevin, what was it like producing this song?

Kevin Smith: I had the pleasure of pulling all this together and taking their inspiration and molding it into something that we could all feel and get into.

Streetwise Radio: Sakai and Nikita, before the pandemic hit, you were touring with Train. What’s it like touring with a top music act?

Sakai: It’s amazing being band members of Train. We joined the band during a summer tour in 2012. In 2013, they asked us to become official band members. We’ve been touring and traveling around the world. Literally, up until COVID, we were touring non-stop. With that kind of schedule, my husband and I actually reversed roles. Someone had to give our kids a situation that was grounded, and a home that felt like it was normal. I am so grateful for my husband supporting me as he has throughout my career. When I started touring witch Train, our twins were four going on five. Now they are 14!

Nikita: Being with Train has been a fabulous whirlwind. I remember, Sakai and I and another friend made a dream board, where we listed places where we wanted to go. I can literally say that I’ve checked off a lot of those places. Malaysia. Dubai. Singapore. Australia. I wish I could say Africa, but we haven’t gotten there yet (laughs). It’s been really exciting and a lot of fun. Sometimes I want to pinch myself, because I’m with my girl who was instrumental in bringing me in to Train. They were recording “Save Me, San Francisco” and Sakai and I sang backing vocals in the studio. Sakai reminded Pat Monahan who I was when they needed another background singer. Being with my girl Sakai is the cherry on top that makes touring with Train so fabulous. Our musical journey together has been wonderful.

Streetwise Radio: Kevin, what does it mean to you as a producer to receive a National Black Music Award for this project?

Kevin: It is a testament to understanding the pulse of what’s going on. The song is so timely, so getting it out and having it resonate; It just feels like we’re on the right path. It is really rewarding when the work you do is well received, and when you have a great song that touches people. We have our own studio, It’s called the Foundation. Because of the pandemic, only one person, Sakai, recorded the song in the studio. Everyone else recorded on various mediums and in various studios, so that was the challenge of this project.

Streetwise Radio: What’s the thing you are going to do when the pandemic ends?

Nikita: I want to look at my phone and my calendar and see the email that says ladies, we have some tour dates!

Sakai: Likewise. I’m also looking forward to enjoying some public family time out in nature, where we can go out and feel comfortable. The pandemic has given me a new perspective on creation. Recently, we were able to have a visit to Santa Cruz. We hit the beach for a whole day, it was so much fun. My family is my biggest supporter, so I'm looking forward to them coming to my shows.

Kevin: That is a loaded question that makes you reflect, but I would say, connect. I realize that we take that for granted. Connecting with family, going to a movie, going to a restaurant, connecting with people in my studio, connecting with the public. We just assumed that this part of life would always be there and when it was abruptly taken away like this; it was a real shock to the system. It makes you realize what you have and what you want. Our kids just started high school on Zoom and they are not able to connect with their friends, with their community. The ladies like performing; it’s their passion and their job, and they are so fortunate. The silver lining is that we have a strong family, both musical and personal and we are able to connect that way. There are some families who have struggled more so during the pandemic because they don’t get along.

Streetwise Radio: Tell us how we can support you, and other musicians during the pandemic.

Sakai: As music creators, we were greatly affected by the pandemic. It’s been such a blessing to find new ways to create during this time, as we did by bringing 60 people together on this song. We’re building this from the ground up. A lot of people are doing concerts at home. As creators, we need your support in various ways, whether it be concerts, supporting our music, going to our YouTube channel subscribing to our pages and supporting us on all of the music streaming platforms, and downloading and buying our songs. A lot of the money is supporting us during these times because our jobs came to a halt. This interview supports us. Some artists are doing concerts and asking for small donations. Any support that will help us get the word out is vital during this time,

Nikita: I’m piggybacking on what Sakai said about supporting us on social media, even when things get better. I’m hopeful that things will get better even though they may not be the same. Social media will be the new normal for real, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. It has been tough for everybody. We started this group, Femmes Fatales, a while ago but we are bringing it back to the forefront. We will continue with Train, too; they are two different genres. We want people to get to know us even more. We want to be in people’s faces; we want to be in your living room. We want to be on television. We would love to be interviewed.

Kevin: Unfortunately in the time of a recession or a pandemic, arts and entertainment are usually the first to go and the last to come back. However, during those times, it’s the arts and entertainment that keep us going. We fall back to those records we love; we fall back to the artists we love and the books we love to read. We start writing in our journals and we get very creative. We saw during the pandemic, as Nikita was saying, that social media and the Internet became the norm. You saw people like DJ D-Nice in New York doing shows every weekend and he had 100,000 people online at one point. Questlove was doing shows virtually. We hope that once this changes, while the Internet is still there, that people continue to support the arts in all the new ways, not just the shows or the CDs but in all aspects. As artists, we often have a hard time saying “support us financially,” but that’s our job. There’s a lot of strength in the arts and it’s really what keeps us grounded in tough times.

Listen to Les Femmes Fatales new single, “Is That Enough?” now on Streetwise Radio.