An Evening with Ché
By: Ccep J. Dew
dews_ccep@yahoo.com
When Ché sings it just does something to my soul. And with the blandness of today’s mainstream R&B, it’s hard to believe that such a soulful voice belongs to a man of this era.
In November of 2007, I visited Eden’s Lounge in Baltimore. Though two artists featured at the open mic that night, the highlight was Ché’s performance. He stepped on stage wearing a white tee and red pants with a cup in his hand. The band began to play as he sat down the cup. After getting into the groove of things, he began to croon, “Must be the way she… looks at me…” and I knew at that moment that I had flown coast to coast and driven an hour back and forth to pick up my friend FyrE just to hear him sing “Blessed”.
A glance around the room revealed that everyone was feeling Ché. Members of the audience swayed from side to side or simply stared in amazement as fingers snapped, hands clapped, and feet stomped. Towards the end of the song, he dropped to his knees and stated, “Usually, I don’t do this, but…please, baby. Baby, please…” and the crowd erupted with laughter. Ché makes music that feels good, so much so that when he asked the band to switch to Reggae, then proceeded to revamp “Blessed” to that beat, the sways turned into “chair dancing” and smiles adorned happy faces.
I must admit that though his performance ran long, when he
stopped and said, “Thank you. This is my therapy,” I was disappointed.
The feelings of euphoria waned as the rest of the night dulled in comparison. On
his way by us, FyrE stopped him and asked about his Sum of Soul CD,
opting to purchase one for herself as well as for me. He told us about his
MySpace page and how his CD is available online, but is more affordable
purchased directly from him and I’m still awed by the fact that Ché is as real
and humble offstage as he is dynamic onstage.
Since that night, I’ve been playing Sum of Soul nonstop. I cannot in word or action describe my excitement when I was told I would be interviewing Ché. Ask and ye shall receive indeed! After weeks of anticipation the day came. That morning I sat in my car, and put my cellular on speakerphone while Ché finished up some type of construction he was working on.
They say never to ask a woman’s age, but I guess you can’t ask a man either.
Ccep: Alright. First of all, how old are you?
Ché: Wrong question.
Ccep: Wrong question? (laughs) Okay. Should I skip that question?
Ché: The age question? Yup, that’s out the window.
Ccep: Okay. Umm… How long have you been interested in music and singing?
Ché: Umm… I would say 22 years.
Ccep: 22 years. Okay.
Ché: Yup.
Ccep: And of all the things you could be doing, why be an artist?
Ché: Well… Actually, I just participate in the hobby. Everybody else calls me an artist.
Ccep: Okay. How would you describe your sound?
Ché: My sound is… I would say “Funk”. It’s “Funky… Soul.” If I had to put it in a box, “Funky Soul.”
Ccep: Okay. And who are your influences as far as your performance and the music you make?
Ché: Ummm… It would have to be… As far as performances and singing: Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, D’Angelo, Maxwell… There’s probably some others. I don’t remember whose names. There’s probably a good few more. But, as far as performances, I would say… I’d say Marvin Gaye only because he really… He didn’t do any too much dancing around or anything spectacular performing, but he just looked like he was having a hell of a time doing it.
Ccep: Okay.
Ché: I’d pick him.
“Actually, I just participate in the hobby. Everybody else calls me an artist.”
Ccep: What type of music do you enjoy listening to?
Ché: It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really matter. There’s no specific genre of music or anything like that. I can listen to rock… I can listen to… It doesn’t matter… country. It really doesn’t matter as long as it’s inspirational. As long as it’s about something, it’s pretty good.
Ccep: Okay. When you perform there’s this passion that just exudes from you.
Where does that come from?
Ché: I don’t want them n----- to start booing. (laughs)
Ccep: (laughs)
Ché: Naw, I mean, it’s just… I don’t know. It’s probably just me loving what I’m doing to be honest with you. I don’t know if I pay as much attention to, you know, the audience as I do the performance. I just… I really gotta… It’s like you’re trying to paint a picture and you have to get that point across, so… It’s basically trying to let the people see what you’re feeling while you’re on the stage and it’s not very easy to do that.
Ccep: Right... Alright, now every time I’ve seen you perform you always, or it seems to me like you close out your performance by saying, “Thank you. This is my therapy.” Why is that?
Ché : That’s just what it is. I usually do the singing because it
just makes me feel good. You know what I mean? Everybody’s got something they
do. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t do any of that… This is one of my
exits. You know? It’s singing. Whenever I’m feeling down, happy, anxious… any
emotion, I can usually express it through my music.
Ccep: Alright.
Ché : It’s like getting everything out.
Ccep: So, what is your mission? You know, like when you write, when you make a CD, when you perform… what do you hope personally to get out of it?
Ché : Just good music. That’s all. I just want people to enjoy it like I enjoy it. First of all, when I’m writing it’s based on my own life experiences or experiences that other people have shared with me about their lives. And those that move me, I try to put that into music enough to move other people.
Ccep: Okay. What is your latest project?
Ché : The latest project… Like the name?
Ccep: Yeah.
Ché : Well, the latest project is a sexy album. It’s gonna be called Put You On and this one here has a little more live instrumentation as opposed to the first album having a lot more soul instrumentation.
Ccep: Okay.
Ché : So… Yeah, this one is a little slower. A little more, I don’t think “grown and sexy”. I just think it’s just a sexy album.
Ccep: Alright. And when can we expect it?
Ché : Shhhhhhhhooo…
Ccep: (laughs)
Ché : Well… This album’s almost done. It’s basically done. The thing with the album is summing it up and getting a package and things and that’s all got to do with money… This year they can definitely expect it.
“It’s probably just me loving what I’m doing to be honest with you. I don’t know if I pay as much attention to, you know, the audience as I do the performance.”
Ccep: Okay. And other than “the sexy album” what else can we expect from you?
Ché : Umm… Timeless music. I’m hoping I keep on making just good music. It’s gonna have something to do with current life. It’s gonna have something to do with the future, relationships, good stuff, bad stuff… I mean, just what happens, I’m gonna put into my interpretation. So… just good music.
Ccep: Alright… Other from you directly and from your MySpace page, where can we purchase your music?
Ché : Umm… I don’t know. I guess if it’s good enough it’ll come out and you’ll see people bootlegging it. Maybe it’ll be on the street.
Ccep: (laughs)
Ché : For right now, there’s no major distributor set up. You know what I mean?
Ccep: Yeah.
Ché : …To make my CD that accessible, but people will have to see me or they can go online. The world is turning into a computer, so online might end up being the best place to get it. Unless I get a [recording] deal, you know?
Ccep: Well, yeah, and you should.
Ché : Yeah. Once you get a deal you get distributed.
Ccep: So, if we wanted to see you where could we catch one of your performances? Like, where are you most likely to be?
Ché : I’m most likely to be in Maryland… most likely right now. I mean, I’ve recently gone to Orlando, Florida and I want to start doing a few things in DC/Virginia and I would love to say Atlanta over top of doing something in Philly [Philadelphia]. But, one of those four areas: DC, Virginia, Philly, or Atlanta.
Ccep: Okay. How was your show that you did on the 14th [of December]?
Ché : The show on the 14th?
Ccep: Yeah, ‘cause I missed it.
Ché : Horrible.
Ccep: It was horrible?!
Ché : Yeah, the sound was ridiculous. It wasn’t a very good venue. The opening act didn’t really pull off a good act. They’re capable of it, but that day wasn’t a good act. I think people walked away with some complaints more so than it was a great show. So, when that happens I call it horrible.
Ccep: Okay. Is there anything else that you’d like our readers to know?
Ché : Umm… (makes thinking sounds) I can’t really think of anything. You know what I mean? It’s hard to say about myself what they might want to know. Most of the stuff they’ll just figure out if they get the album. That’s what’s most important: just the music. About me personally, well… If I get famous most things will come out anyway.
Ccep: Right… Do you have any upcoming shows?
Ché : Yeah. On Valentine’s Day I’m gonna be doing a show called
“Love Is Sexy” and it’s gonna be featuring my new album.
Ccep: Okay. And where is that being held?
Ché : Eden’s Lounge [in Baltimore].
Ccep: At Eden’s? Okay.
Ché : Yeah.
Ccep: So, I think that is pretty much it. I think that is it for the interview.
Ché : Alright. I appreciate it. Thanks.
Ccep: Thank you.
***For more on Ché, visit www.myspace.com/chemusak and check out his CD review in the article “Ché’s Sum of Soul”.