City of My Mind album launch party

City of My Mind album launch party at Roadtrip & the Workshop 243 Old Street Shoreditch London

City of My Mind album launch party @miss_jewelia #music pic.twitter.com/KO3S6jXIWC

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 8, 2018

City of My Mind album launch party @miss_jewelia #music pic.twitter.com/AQNF6nsLC7

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 8, 2018

City of My Mind album launch party @miss_jewelia #music pic.twitter.com/kJKXiF2SM8

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 8, 2018

City of My Mind album launch party @miss_jewelia #music pic.twitter.com/uTKbRfsBKi

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 9, 2018

City of My Mind album launch party @miss_jewelia #music pic.twitter.com/ZmETqeosZF

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 9, 2018

City of My Mind album launch party @miss_jewelia #music pic.twitter.com/oyMM9Y2odO

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 9, 2018

City of My Mind album launch party @miss_jewelia #music pic.twitter.com/9QFwI15Q26

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) December 9, 2018

I head to Old Street. Find what I am looking for, where Jewelia is holding a launch party for City of My Mind, her debut album.

A queue to get in, bouncers on the door. I walk to the front of the queue, show I am invited, they usher me in. Through a bar, down into an airless basement.

Jewelia welcomes me.

I was not going to stay late, maybe leave at latest by nine, in time to get to Lower Marsh and eat at Maria’s Cafe. But, I have arrived late, Jewelia does not play until late. I decide to stay. I will leave at 10-30 very latest.

She does not finish playing until gone 10-30pm.

A brief chat, I feel guilty leaving, but do not know when last train.

Visions of Gideon

Visions of Gideon, very moving song by Jewelia, from original song of same name by Sufjan Stevens.

Very French.

Footage from short films by Joseph Cornell: Gnir Rednow (1955), Nymphlight (1957) and Angel (1957).

City of My Mind

City of My Mind, title track of forthcoming album of same name by Jewelia.

If familiar with her earlier work, this is very different.

Earlier work was like the young Kate Bush.  City of My Mind radically different, more mature, polished and complex. An Alice in Wonderland surreal quality, reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane, the video what would expect and come to expect from Imogen Heap.

The album is being crowdfunded on kickstarter.

Funds needed have been raised. Any additional funding raised will go to adding a couple of extra tracks.

Monsters  début  from Jewelia, released mid-August 2014.

I Would Never Tell

I Would Never Tell written and performed by singer-songwriter Jewelia, plus orchestra.

I Would Never Tell will be on her new album, possible release September 2016.

Sends shivers down the spine.

The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot

The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot, performed by Jewelia, originally sung by Vera Lynn.

Jewelia:

When I was young, one year was particularly tough for my family. My mum was ill, my dad had problems with his job. That year Santa sent me a letter apologising for misplacing my gift and promised to make up for it the following year. I was sad, of course, might even have cried a bit – I can’t remember that well – but I believed Santa and forgave him.

I had a home, a loving family and food of my table. My biggest problem was that I didn’t get what I wanted for Christmas. Now, there are many people who don’t have any of this. There are people who lost their homes, their families, people who have homes but are not safe in them, people who are spending their holidays in hospitals. There’s so much more than our ‘stressful’ Christmas shopping and cooking and petty day to day problems which might not even be as big as we think.

My point? Be grateful for what you have and cherish it. Wish and aim for more – always aim for more! – but don’t forget to appreciate and be thankful for what you have. Who knows, it might help make you happier. In fact, I’m sure it will. It’s just that it’s so easy to forget..

Heat me with your Breath

Written by Jewelia when she was only fourteen years old.

Recorded at Royal College of Music in London.

A year ago, Jewelia released Monsters.  She hopes to have a new album out in September.

Beyond the Glass Sky – Jewelia (released 21 September 2015)

The Tower

The Tower

A flight of ravens flew over my frozen desert in the morning
Such a view I won’t forget
I saw their wings of smokey darkness covering the moon
they took away within their claws my sleep and with it
the most beautiful dream I’ve ever dreamed.

The lover of my dreams, he’s lost his powers
since they took him away and locked him in the tower
and through the bars, he sees the stars
he’s too close to the sky now
he calls my name, but what a shame
the wind blows his words away

And there, beneath the stars, the empty tower lies hidden by the fog
not even ravens fly so high to reach it
up there even the wind forgets to blow
down here on Earth there was a storm, but life goes further
and I am looking now for a real lover

Iubitul din turn

Un stol de corbi a trecut in zbor
Peste pustiurile mele inghetate au zburat
Au luat cu ei in gheare somnul si cu el
Ultimul vis pe care l-am visat.

Iubitul meu din turn a trist acum, e singur
L-au luat cu el si l-au inchis in turn, singur
Printre zabrele se uita la stele, e mult prea aproape de cer
Ma striga pe nume, l-aude o lume, d-ar crede ca-i vantul stingher

Acolo sus, in turnul suspendat, nici corbii nu mai vin
Acolo sus nu-i aer si nici vant
Iar eu imi caut azi un alt iubit
De-aici de pe pamant..

Last year Jewelia released Monsters.

Aquarium soundtrack for 13 Shades of Romanian

13 Shades of Romanian

Aquarium by Jewelia is the soundtrack for 13 Shades of Romanian.

13 Shades of Romanian is a  documentary that questions the popular misconceptions of Romanians living in Britain, as seen through the eyes of thirteen Romanians.

13 Shades of Romanian is funded through crowdfunding, the target was met last week.

They may have been wiser to have chosen StartJoin or FairCoin, as both support community and art projects.

The funding raised so far, will cover filming.

There are still post-production costs to be covered.

FairCoin and Robin Hood Hedge Fund are looking for suitable projects to fund that expand the commons.

Last year Jewelia released Monsters.

Dance with the Enemy

Dance with the Enemy

Beautiful haunting music from singer-songwriter Jewelia.

Video is poor quality, not the usual high standard can usually expect from Jewelia.

The song  ‘Dance with the Enemy’ was inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal  about a medieval knight who plays chess with Death, for his life.

lyrics

On an empty beach, where the sand is never asleep
The waves wrote and erased so many yesterdays
Barefoot and without a hat, for decades the Knight has been sat
Under a silent sky, with a Queen so salty and dry

Cradle me, oh restless sea
Dance with me the dance of the enemy

The pawns won’t be sacrificed, but one good deed won’t suffice
Rejoice the old memories, fresh milk and strawberries
He chased what has never been; he called someone whom he’s never seen
In this game of chess White can never win

Cradle me, oh restless sea
Dance with me the dance of the enemy

Dance with me, oh restless sea
Cradle me to sleep in the arms of the enemy

Lotus Flower

Lotus Flower by Jewelia, featuring David Denyer on violin.

A beautiful, haunting song from talented singer-songwriter Jewelia.

Expecting too much from the wounded
And blaming too much on the dead
Maybe I’m putting my faith in the weaklings
When instead of attacking I choose to defend
And maybe we’re moving too slowly
And maybe we’re all going down
But everyone knows from the stories,
You need to be lost to be found

And maybe I cheer for the losers
But someone needs to cheer for them
And maybe I root for the victims
And maybe I’ll lose all my bets
But we’re all condemned in the end
It’s just in the way that we’re made
And maybe the guardians don’t know
The power that lies in despair

Father,
Tell me I’m a lotus flower
I don’t think I ever chose to drink
This cup, it’s sour
Why’d you have to make it harder?

Father of the damned don’t joke around
My life’s at stake; please make amends
Not sure the saints would understand
They don’t share anything but blame
If this is fair, the world makes sense
Only because we’re all insane
We’re all the same, we share the blame
It’s easier than share the pain

I’m writing a song for the broken
The homeless, the crippled, the damned
I won’t claim I know you, I shouldn’t
Don’t want to pretend that I care

Lotus Flower released Christmas Day as a gift from Jewelia to the world.

Video editing by Andy Denyer

Music and lyrics by Jewelia.

Recorded and produced by Jewelia.

Also available as a single from bandcamp.

Jewelia released her début album Monsters in August.