Today there is a story attached to the video but it doesn't belong to me. I want to share something with you. I admire this performer, respect her for her talent and dignity and wish her well. And that is why I wish to present her to you.
The artist I am talking about is Janita. To give you some back-up information, Janita was born in Helsinki, Finland (1978). She started her career as a teenager and had several national hits under her belt in no time. She has recorded four albums in Finnish and they are (in order) Oma planeetta (1992), Sävyjä (1994), Tunteita (2001) sekä Kokoelma (2005).
Janita's "taking on the world" started well in the late 90s. She signed a deal with a record label giant Sony in the United States. She was to record - and she did record one album "Janita" - under the same category than the likes of Mariah Carey - so she was ranked very high. But then misfortune followed: due to changes within the record label (owner changed or something similar) she was suddenly dropped out because the new chiefs did not believe in her.
Janita did not return to Finland nor hide in a cave or leave the business though. She stayed in New York, kept writing and producing music and pursuing her dreams. She still hasn't made it really big though she is making it well in comparison to many of the likes - she is at least living with her music, which in the end should be the most important thing. At the moment she is recording her next album.
I think what has caused her slow entry to stardom are the values of today. She has all the potential in the world to become a great star but as we all know, the radio and the television is full of commercial hip hop these days - to the point of boredom. I know there are those who dig that and that's fine with me. But it is an inevitable fact that we've lost a lot of that soul which makes music personal, earth shattering, meaningful and heart warming. That, my friends, we do not hear so much these days! Today it's all about the bling, the perfect abs, the hips, the cars, the fashion - and we must not forget 'shaking this and hitting that'. Lyrics have gotten nastier and nastier, more degrading (not just towards women or towards men but towards the human race as a whole). What used to touch people's hearts is now touching something all together different, if it's touching anything at all. Music has become like a cheeseburger in the fast food diner, it is there just for the one greasy ride and then we move to the next one. A lot of empty satisfaction that doesn't make us feel good in the long run. So, from my perspective the music of today is pretty much pointless noise - and less silence and thought.
Janita represents silence, thought and soulfulness. She is a smooth jazz/r&b/soul singer. Yes, she is white too and that darlings is also part of the package of why she has not made it big. Yes, the colour of skin - at this day of age! It's ridicilous and repulsive at the same time.
Janita has a beautiful voice and it should be heard by everyone! It is a real shame she is not known worldwide. Maybe she was born in the wrong decade - or maybe she was born in just the right time to give this rotten, careless world an ounce of hope and soul it needs to breath? We need more artists like her. Many more.
Janita has released four English albums so far (in addition to the Finnish ones). In the order of appearance they are: "Believer", "Janita", "I'll Be Fine" (a English version of "Tunteita" album). Her newest album was released in the United States and Japan in 2006 and it's called "Seasons of Life". This became a sales speech, did it? Well, anyways... To learn more about Janita and to buy her album, please visit: http://www.janita.com/
Here are the lyrics to "I Miss You":
The artist I am talking about is Janita. To give you some back-up information, Janita was born in Helsinki, Finland (1978). She started her career as a teenager and had several national hits under her belt in no time. She has recorded four albums in Finnish and they are (in order) Oma planeetta (1992), Sävyjä (1994), Tunteita (2001) sekä Kokoelma (2005).
Janita's "taking on the world" started well in the late 90s. She signed a deal with a record label giant Sony in the United States. She was to record - and she did record one album "Janita" - under the same category than the likes of Mariah Carey - so she was ranked very high. But then misfortune followed: due to changes within the record label (owner changed or something similar) she was suddenly dropped out because the new chiefs did not believe in her.
Janita did not return to Finland nor hide in a cave or leave the business though. She stayed in New York, kept writing and producing music and pursuing her dreams. She still hasn't made it really big though she is making it well in comparison to many of the likes - she is at least living with her music, which in the end should be the most important thing. At the moment she is recording her next album.
I think what has caused her slow entry to stardom are the values of today. She has all the potential in the world to become a great star but as we all know, the radio and the television is full of commercial hip hop these days - to the point of boredom. I know there are those who dig that and that's fine with me. But it is an inevitable fact that we've lost a lot of that soul which makes music personal, earth shattering, meaningful and heart warming. That, my friends, we do not hear so much these days! Today it's all about the bling, the perfect abs, the hips, the cars, the fashion - and we must not forget 'shaking this and hitting that'. Lyrics have gotten nastier and nastier, more degrading (not just towards women or towards men but towards the human race as a whole). What used to touch people's hearts is now touching something all together different, if it's touching anything at all. Music has become like a cheeseburger in the fast food diner, it is there just for the one greasy ride and then we move to the next one. A lot of empty satisfaction that doesn't make us feel good in the long run. So, from my perspective the music of today is pretty much pointless noise - and less silence and thought.
Janita represents silence, thought and soulfulness. She is a smooth jazz/r&b/soul singer. Yes, she is white too and that darlings is also part of the package of why she has not made it big. Yes, the colour of skin - at this day of age! It's ridicilous and repulsive at the same time.
Janita has a beautiful voice and it should be heard by everyone! It is a real shame she is not known worldwide. Maybe she was born in the wrong decade - or maybe she was born in just the right time to give this rotten, careless world an ounce of hope and soul it needs to breath? We need more artists like her. Many more.
Janita has released four English albums so far (in addition to the Finnish ones). In the order of appearance they are: "Believer", "Janita", "I'll Be Fine" (a English version of "Tunteita" album). Her newest album was released in the United States and Japan in 2006 and it's called "Seasons of Life". This became a sales speech, did it? Well, anyways... To learn more about Janita and to buy her album, please visit: http://www.janita.com/
Here are the lyrics to "I Miss You":
I’ve been wondering how you’ve been / It's been too long since I last heard you voice
Has your life changed? / Do you still look the same?
I miss you / So many things I didn’t tell you / So many things you should have known
If you ask me why I kept it in / I swear I don’t know / I don’t know / Now I miss you
I regret some things I do / But I would never regret loving you / I believe that some things aren’t meant to be
I miss you / So many things I didn’t tell you / So many things you should have known
If you ask me why I kept it in / I swear I don’t know / I don’t know / Now I miss you
I miss you
I still think of you each day / Though it may seem like I run away / What to tell you / I couldn’t face the truth / And now I miss you / Ohh…
So many things I didn’t tell you / So many things you should have known
If you ask me why I kept it in / I swear I don’t know / Not a day passes by without you on my mind / So now you know / I miss you
So now you know
Here's some flashbacks! Some past performances by Janita (songs from her Finnish albums "Oma planeetta" and "Sävyjä"):
Janita, performing "Maistan Maailmaa" (I'm gonna taste the world) in 1994, when she was a rough diamond. At the time of this performance she was only 14 years old.
Performing "Enkeli" (Angel). If her dancing wasn't so flowing in 1994, one year later her hips moved to a different tune.
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