LADYDIVA LIVE RADIO

In an online interview from afar in the U.S., my guest will be calling from London, keyboardist Oli Silk is the UK’s Smooth Jazz Ambassador! He began writing and recording music as part of the jazz-funk duo ‘Sugar and Silk’ in the late 1990s. The pair released 2 albums to much European acclaim and this grabbed the attention of Trippin’N’Rhythm Records to whom Oli has been signed ever since. He has produced 6 hit albums, Oli’s songs have enjoyed huge success on radio in the USA over the last 15 years. Oli remains one of the most dynamic and energetic keyboardists in the genre and his unique mix of jazzy instrumentals, funky vocal cuts, and downright old skool keytar and vocoder give his live shows that real wow factor and have earned him a loyal and dedicated fanbase! Oli has toured his music extensively across the globe, from Mozambique to Australia, Spain to Dubai, Lithuania to LA. You can also regularly find Oli as a featured artist on the prestigious Dave Koz Cruise. Oli’s skills as a sideman keys player have made him the UK go-to guy for some of the genre’s biggest artists including Gerald Albright, Chuck Loeb, Brian Culbertson, Boney James, and Dave Koz, Pieces of a Dream, Euge Groove, Paul Brown and Peter White. His credentials as a musical director are also far-reaching, most notably for 4 years at the Dubai International Jazz Festival - overseeing some 30+ artists on the Jazz Garden Stage. When offstage Oli is also a sought-after smooth jazz producer, his most recent achievements include two Billboard top 30 hits for guitarist Roberto Restuccia in 2021 and a Billboard #1 for saxophonist Michael J Thomas in 2018. Oli has also composed music for TV (Oprah Winfrey, MTV, Miami Ink) and has produced the audio for more than 100 smartphone gaming apps for Zynga Games and others. The new album Oli Silk 6 will be presented on this episode with music from new album.

Cornell “CC” Carter who was born in Berkeley California, and raised in San Francisco, has been recording and performing as a Professional Singer and songwriter for many years. He has shared the stage as an opening act with the Legendary James Brown, Ray Charles, Sly, and the Family Stone, and many more. He has also had the honor of recording and performing with Grammy Award Winning Producer and close friend Narada Michael Walden as well as the legendary Carlos Santana to name a few. His soulful sound comes from a gifted vocal range that goes from Baritone to the First tenor! In 2016 his album IN THE MOMENT introduced him to a new international audience and in 2017 a collection of cover songs which includes songs by Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and others titled VINDICATED SOUL, was a tremendous showcase of his versatility. In 2018 his big release ONE LOVE which contains the hit Single THAT FEELING and the follow-up THAT'S MY BABY garnered several awards internationally.



In 2019 his album ABSOLUTELY became an instant hit with UK Soul Chart #1. And the album was in the consideration stage for a Grammy nomination for best R&B performance and Album of the Year! In 2020 during the unfortunate lockdown period of our lives, Cornell and his production team started the production of his 5th album in six years…NEXT LIFE! In his words “ I have always been intrigued and fascinated with the Egyptian (Kemet) aspect of spirituality and what a Golden Age of Art. I am inspired by All of the great artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and so many others that I have listened to and learned from. CC loves to share his talents with aspiring artists which allowed him and his team to create CDC Productions, his own production company geared toward assisting these artists to achieve their dreams. This interview with CC will be covering his new album NEXT LIFE.

As a young child, Mariama was immersed in music and performance--studying voice, acting, piano, and violin. It was clear to her early on that singing, acting and writing would be integral parts of her life, and has since become a great performer and profound songwriter. Born to a Jamaican father and an African-American mother, Mariama absorbed the sounds of soul, pop, jazz, rock, hip-hop, Broadway musicals, gospel, and reggae. Self-described as a "quiet fire and a fearless flame," Mariama's vocal range is wide with a unique style to match. Mariama possesses a broad lyrical and songwriting scope. CEO of her company, Earth to Mars Entertainment, Mariama is a 2020 recipient of The Room in the House Artist Residency with Karamu House and 2019 recipient of a Verge Fellowship by Cleveland Arts Prize, Mariama has played leading roles in the Broadway National tours of Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple and Disney's The Lion King.  She has opened for national and international artists such as Stephanie Mills, Lisa Fischer, and Rahsaan Patterson. Mariama is excited to release her new single, This is a Gift that will be included on her full-length album, Hey You It's Me.  She showcases her unique lyrical style along with playful and powerful vocals throughout to deliver a timeless message of love. With this release, she continues in the tradition of delivering uplifting, clever, and heartfelt songs evident in her previous releases such as We Be One, I Need You, and This Mother's Life. She is excited to release her new uplifting single, This is a Gift from her upcoming full-length album, Hey You It's Me.

Ashley Scott is a talented vocalist from Philadelphia, PA. He began singing and discovering music at the tender age of 3 from listening and watching is aunt Helen Scott of The Three Degrees and The Delfonics. Known for internationally known singles like the lush ballad “Words,” the infectious “Dance The Night Away” and his international anthem “Don’t Throw Our Love Away,” Ashley continues to release music across the Soul, Jazz, and Dance genres globally.

The biggest part of Ashley’s life and musical path came when he attended Howard University where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music. At Howard University Ashley studied jazz voice under legendary jazz drummer and vocalist Grady Tate, Kehembe Eichelberger, and the late Webster Lewis. Ashley also joined the Howard University Gospel Choir, which has produced R&B artist Angela Winbush, Tawatha Agee of Mtume, Pure Soul, and Gospel great Richard Smallwood. The choir was also privileged to perform for President Bill Clinton at The Department of Agriculture for the unveiling portrait of former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. He has shared the stage with  Bilal, Marcus Johnson, and Grammy Award Winners Take 6. Ashley is the Founder of The Soulful Sounds Series that is an R&B Educational Program. He co-founded a non-profit The Artists United with his partner Lox Knox that educates youth on the entertainment industry through its I.C.A.R.E Academy program.

Alston became a member of Taxi which is an A&R synchronization licensing company. After a year and a half of diligence, I've reached a total of over a million plays and views on NumberOneMusic.com. Alston has worked with individuals who were contestants on American Idol and Sunday Best as well as producing projects for independent artists and musicians for over 30 years. Lee Alston understands clearly the science of music and how utilizing music theory along with logarithms, exponents, and intervals are paramount in creating "musical motifs". Lee Alston is a Multi-Instrumentalist Musician, Internationally Known, Songwriter/Composer. Lee Alston and Gullahsoul Muzik are ready to collaborate and/or network with other musicians, artists, music producers, movie and TV producers, and businesses that may require his services. His genres feature a variety of Soul, Jazz, Gospel, Spiritual, Funk, R&B, Instrumental, Spoken Word, Love Ballads, Hip-Hop, Latin, Country, Classical, Rock, Zydeco and Holistic (Feel Good) songs and Collabs. New music singles will be played on-air.

This radio interview with Maysa will be my 5th showcase with her. Maysa is the kind of singer who takes hold of a song and enraptures her audience in the palm of her hands, as she delivers lyrics, phrases, melodies, and harmonies in a way that only she can. Blessed with an instantly identifiable honey-toned mezzo-soprano and an undeniably brilliant and magnetic stage presence, Maysa’s alluring vocals, candor, honesty, humor, and purity as an artist make her a rarity in this business. Having collaborated with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Incognito, Angela Bofill, Will Downing and Jonathan Butler, Phil Perry, and more...Maysa can hang with the best. It is no wonder she was the recipient of many awards for her work, including Soul Train’s first Centric Award in 2009. In 2018, Maysa became the owner/founder of her own record label, BLUE VELVET SOUL RECORDS. 

The company has released 4 singles, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, IT’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT, LOVIN’ YOU IS EASY, and SOFT WORDS. 

To celebrate her first record printing, MAYSA designed a commemorative blue velvet box set with those 4 singles as an EP called THE FAB FIRST FOUR, in January of 2021. Maysa will release her 14th solo studio album entitled, MUSIC FOR YOUR SOUL in the first quarter of 2022.

Myrix Media Group CEO and music producer Reginald L. Myricks aka Regi Myrix have always had a love for music. His father played the guitar in the household and at age 14, he took up the guitar where he played local gigs in New Jersey. He had the opportunity to play in backing bands for bigger artists, one band being the real voice behind the group formerly known as Milli Vanilli.  In 1992, Myricks returned to the U.S., this time as a civilian and still playing the occasional gig. As a starving musician, he decided to enroll in Lincoln Tech Institute where he got into a software engineering career. In 2006, Myricks got back into music as a producer, starting the label Infinity Worldwide Music with his brothers. The company allowed him to create music for artists he signed, some opening for large acts such as Beenie Man.  After two years, in 2008, the company’s focus shifted to only music production where he would sell and lease his music online. In 2017, Myricks and his brother Art Myrix launched an offshoot of Infinity Worldwide Music called Myrix Media Group (MMG), expanding into acting and modeling coaching services. In the summer of 2018, MMG launched its interactive website which sells/leases instrumentals to clients worldwide. Regi Myrix’s production ranges in various genres such as rock, R&B/soul, and pop, there’s something for every artist's tastes, ranging from 70s soul to the 90s New Jack swing sound. 2021 has been a very busy and productive year so far with 2 singles released earlier this year, Step Into Love by Noel Gourdin, Remain Friends by NexxUp,   and the new album BlakButtahVOL2. Regi Myrix and Hil St. Soul have had a history of success with an earlier hit record, “No Worries” Then more recently with the SMASH HIT Single “One Life” and now In My Groove” is sure to have the same success and delight, R&B lovers, across the globe!!

Castella is a soul singer… she sings music that reaches your soul!  Castella is all of that!! Jazz, R&B, and Gospel rolled up into one. Many of her influences were powerful singers like Phyllis Hyman, Sarah Vaughn, Daryl Coley, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and, many more while others like Luther Vandross, Natalie Cole, Karen Carpenter, and Minnie Riperton spoke to that sensitive, smooth side of influence. She tries to embody all of her influences to be unique, Castella. Her voice makes people stop and listen. Fans say of her voice and style, “she’s smooth, captivating, passionate with complex lyrics that give a unique way to interpret them, a special artistry not always present today” While others love to listen to her because of the “clarity and melodic tone” of her voice. Castella is a singer for the grown & sexy … and anyone who simply wants soothing - young or old!

Castella is spreading her wings and is currently working with a number of producers to begin writing for others as well as creating new music. Her newest Ep will be played on the show. Castella teamed up with producers Jeff Canady and Darryl Swann to complete her anticipated project “Let Me Love You – the EP.”  When Castella released the single “Let Me Love You,” she put into the Universe, that a “Let Me Love You EP” would soon follow.   Included on the EP are Castella’s smooth jazz and soul charting songs “Let Me Love You” and “So Glad I Met You” rounded out with two remakes of songs that Castella loves.  Showing us her love for straight-ahead jazz with a smooth twist on the classic “My Funny Valentine” and her equal love for 70’s classic rock bands with the remake of “So Into You” by the Atlanta Rhythm Section.

Trombonist Hank Bilal was born in Winnsboro, South Carolina into a musical family where his uncles on his mother’s side all played instruments and his father played drums professionally. Hank Bilal started in church, in the youth choir. And at home, there was always the music of gospel greats being heard like The Canton Spirituals, Mississippi Mass Choir, John Pee Kee, and The Winans to name a few! Hank's formal music education began in middle school. Later Hank went on the earn his Bachelor of Arts in music performance. Before turning in the direction of more contemporary jazz Hank spent many years listening to classic jazz where he was exposed to the giants of the jazz style. Hank Bilal has shared a performance platform with many great artists, from performing on the Grammys with Aretha Franklin to Gerald Albright, Chaka Khan, Christopher William, and The Clark Sisters! Beyond being a veteran trombonist, Hank is also fluent in other performing areas as a pianists, singer, and other brass instruments! You can also add music producer as Hank Bilal has produced multiple albums; to include, including The Black Aquarius, Brassential Elements, A Bona Fide Christmas, and is currently riding the success of his new single, Don’t Stop Believin, originally by Journey. Full EP coming soon!!

Ben “Bjἁmin” Tate is a gifted musician, talented Song Writer, vocalist and a slamming D.J. He is a native Memphian, that Graduated from Yo! Memphis Academy and has intense involvement in the Memphis Music Scene including performances at K-3 Café, Handy Club on Beale, Onix Restaurant. He has shared the stage with Gedeon “Luke” McKinney and the People. He was an oening Act for Erykah Bardu with Gedeon McKinney and the People, collaborated with Evvie McKinney, accompanied Tramaine Hawkins, Shared the stage with Stokely and the R&B Group Tony! Toni! Tone! He has sound engineer for Larry Dodson and the Barkays and has performed in front of notable audience members include Former President Bill Clinton and Bill Cosby.



His goal as a musical artist is to record and perform in all genres of music, and progress along this life journey as he was influenced by numerous artists and performers such as Bird Williams, Jerome Chism, Charles Streeter, Usher, Maxwell, David Ruffin, Dietrick Haddon to name a few. In 2019, He started the "WeBJamin band and placed a house band gig on Beale Street, Chuckles Comedy Club and performed on my different popular venues.  Performing has been a part of his life and invigorates and moves him to a place of peace and tranquility.



In 2021, BJámin signed with South Camp Records and released his freshman project, "Smooth Booty." Since then, he has performed in different cities building the Bjamin Band. On February 10th, 2022, he released his latest single, "This Feeling" which has a different sound. He is now recording and getting ready for many more releases to the world