Kèla Nuvelle
Hello, my name is Kèla Nuvelle, and I would like to start off by saying it feels good to be back on Amused Now, documenting my growth and journey as an artist. To get a little more background on me and more information on my first EP Natural Born Kèla, please feel free to check out my initial post with this blog: https://amusednow.com/blog/kela-nuvelle-natural-born-kela/
I’m here to share with you some insight into the making of the official music video for the single Jonestown Massacre from my Natural Born Kèla EP. The song is based on the gruesome true tale of Jim Jones and The People’s Temple mass murder/suicide, which took the lives of over nine hundred people in Guyana. The initial inspiration for the song was the actual massacre, but then I began to think about how brainwashed humanity is as a whole, not just when it comes to religion.
For example, if a celebrity does something, we all do it. If it’s the cool thing to live recklessly, we all adapt the “YOLO” phrase. So with that in mind, I extended the song to incorporate a rap verse that slightly touched on not only how the people in Guyana under the control of Jim Jones were/are brainwashed, but also how we all can be brainwashed.
After watching a lot of documentaries on the tragedy, I wanted my video to reflect the seemingly good times people in Jonestown claimed to be having. Step one for me was to find a park/neighborhood that had that old country/village feel to it and pack it with lots of people living regularly and seemingly having a good time. I went location scouting and found an apartment complex that had a perfect feel for what I was going for.
The next step was ensuring there would be a good turn out. Me being a new artist, I didn’t have a lot of supporters to come out to a video shoot. I invested in a promoter who suggested that I host an open cookout/block party and invite anyone and everyone. That way, we could have footage of people in their natural elements. The flyers for the cookout made it clear that we were offering free food and drinks and that everyone in attendance would be in a music video.
I was really pleased with the turnout. Of course, a lot of my close friends and family attended the event, but we also had an equal amount of strangers, which worked to my benefit. I was able to network! I made sure to record everyone’s email address and added them to my mailing list. I also passed out my business cards and had my music playing as entertainment in the background. I gained a lot of new supporters that day, who were actually willing to play bigger roles in the video after hearing the song and concept. Here is the official music video:
Before you choose a cinematography company, view their portfolio and make sure you are not spending money on “cell phone recorded” quality videos. 3Fifths Films-Photo LLC is an established company in my city. They have a lot of experience under their belts, and they were able to lead the whole shoot, allowing me the space to focus on performing.
Like I said in my initial post, you must be prepared to invest in yourself when it comes to this music thing. The promoter and the video company were not free, but they were both necessary investments that I know will help push my music career in the right direction.
Thank you for taking the time out to read a bit about my artist development. For more information about me and my musical journey visit, visit my website (listed below) and follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The single Jonestown Massacre is available on iTunes.
Kèla Nuvelle
www.NaturalBornKela.com
@KelaNuvelle
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