Masego And Simply Mixology Go “Hand In Hand”
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Last Friday (May 19), Masego and Simply Mixology delivered an afternoon of cocktails, mocktails, and his self-defined “traphousejazz.” The brisk day at Venice Beach fused the ingenious talent with the beverage brand as its first celebrity ambassador for the new product line.
Treated to a special performance from the skilled saxophonist, attendees were also able to sample the Simply Mixology beverages, created to consume with or without alcohol. Masego helped to customize a double-decker bus into a groovy bar cart, where reserved time slots granted guests access to photo ops and a bird’s-eye-view.
Playing fan-favorite tracks including “Tadow,” “Mystery Lady,” and “You Never Visit Me,” the 29-year-old showcased his musical abilities, creating brand-new, unrehearsed versions of the songs in real-time.
“Like to keep my mental stimulated, it has to be different every time,” the Jamaican musician said after the intimate showcase.
While the “Navajo” singer entered the stage area sipping hot tea, he was privy to the ready-to-pour drinks that fueled the event. From the three available flavors, the musician opted for the strawberry guava mint mocktail, citing his Caribbean heritage as a predisposition to the fruity flavor combination.
“To me, I would say this brand represents an assembly of communities,” explained the “In Style” performer. “I think whether it’s drink[ing] or even like food and beverage, anything when it comes to… I almost called it wellness, but I feel like it’s a part of that, because community needs something to kind of magnetize. I feel like drinks and social events are the thing that represents my brand and Simply [Mixology.]”
The Grammy-nominated artist expanded on the similarities in creating cocktails with the aid of Simply Mixology to exploring new ideas in art.
“I’m viewing [Simply Mixology]] as taking something that you can do on the outside—like studio time that you attack in a structured way—and figuring out what you can do to have a warmer, holistic approach. So, for me, it’s music. I can be in a studio, or I can be at home and create a more natural, comfortable song. So, in relation to Mixology and what Simply is doing, I think it’s just approaching something with how the world is turning – more ‘do it yourself.’ It’s making other people creators, like we are creators of music.”
Wherever the jazz artist executes his ideas, the inspiration comes from a natural source. When the smooth talent is not eating his favorite dish, rice and peas, or diving deep into research on wellness, plants, and human behavior, he is focused on his craft. Masego claims to make his best art after a good meal, the restorative creative process results in personal music that runs the gamut of emotion.
“It depends on the day,” detailed the “Yamz” performer, explaining the development of an experience evolving into a song.
“Sometimes I try to harness the emotion of something and then write immediately. That’s usually with the sadder songs. It’s just like, I don’t feel like feeling like this again so let me just get this out while I’m all sad. But I think when it comes to vulnerability, it’s all about playing therapist with yourself. I make music to just give myself time to play therapy for myself. I get the mood and the feeling and all that, and then if there’s people in the studio, we just discuss a song and approach it from different angles, how it’ll be interpreted or felt. And so then when you’re in front of people, it’s just cake. And it’s like alright, I already know me, I know this, I’m not scared of talking about this feeling or whatever because I’ve already done that with myself.”
His latest self-titled album finds the singer exploring complicated romance, internal conflicts, and dreamy desires, all amplified by his inimitable signature style. Across 14 tracks, the LP took Masego on a sold-out tour with memorable audiences from Detroit to Ashland, Ore.
“‘Black Anime’, ‘You Play With My Heart’ and probably ‘What’s Your Favorite’ or ‘What You Wanna Try,’’ lists the singer when asked to name his three favorite songs from the project.
“I’m open to changing my mind. Like today, that’s how I feel. On tour, I didn’t expect to like ‘Afraid Of Water’ so much. But the way that the crowd was responding, I was like, yo, I love… I like this a little, you know, this tennis match we’re doing. I’m just moody, and I’m cool with being moody. I’m extremely Gemini, like I said in the album.”
Listen to Masego below.
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