Art & Life with JaVonté

Today we’d like to introduce you to JaVonté.

JaVonté, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I started singing when I was four years old, in the church choir in Northern California. My parents exposed me to gospel and jazz music, but I also gravitated to soul and hip-hop. I began writing music when I was 16 years old. After high school, I relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. Since living in Los Angeles, I’ve worked with, written for, and have been featured on many songs and albums from artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Gladys Knight, TGT (Tank, Ginuwine, and Tyrese), Snoop Lion, and Syd (from the “Internet”) to name a few.

For the past four years, I’ve also been blessed to travel with Gladys Knight as her protégé and supporting vocalist. Within the last year, I’ve also become a self-taught photographer, mainly focusing on portraits involving minimalistic backgrounds and scenery.

Aside from working with other artists, I’ve also released my own three bodies of music (two EPs and one album) which can be found on all popular music streaming platforms. I am currently finishing a 4th body of music which will be released in 2019.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a singer/ songwriter who also takes photos. I create stories through songs and pictures to help people revisit moments that made them feel good, that help them to get through difficult life situations, and that will inspire and hopefully encourage them in some way.

My music touches on many different subjects, from life struggles to the complexities of love to just feeling good. To me, those are the songs that make people feel some emotion the most. And being able to write about my experiences and knowing that others have had the same experiences allows me and the people who listen to know that we’re not alone. Music is truly the universal language.

Photography for me is another way to express myself when I’m unable to express myself through song. For me, it’s about capturing a moment or a concept that I can revisit later on, to reconnect with the feeling I had when it was captured.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I think the biggest challenge is keeping up with the consumer’s constant need for new material. We live in a time where people get bored easily and we want everything instantly. But great art takes time.

I also believe another challenge artists face is that everything is oversaturated because of accessibility. Recording equipment wasn’t so easy to obtain 15 years ago. Now, you can purchase equipment pretty cheap online, and everyone is recording songs in their bedroom and throwing it online. This creates a lot of competition and sifting through a lot of music to find great music. The same with photography as well. Everyone can be a photographer now by simply using our phones.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My music is available on all streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud, under the name “JaVonte.”

My photography work can be found on my social media pages @jav0nte and @vonteview.

Contact Info:

• Email: vonteview@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/jav0nte
• Facebook: Facebook.com/jav0nte
• Twitter: Twitter.com/jav0nte

Image Credit:
All photos taken by JaVonté.

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