Ran Devyn
Next Stop...Soul Music
By: Mut Asheru

History has seen the rise and fall of many different locomotives. Some powered by coal, some by steam, lately electricity. But there is one kind of train, no matter what technology throws at it, that remains fueled by the same power source as it was since its inception.and that's the Soul Train. Randevyn's debut album, aptly titled SolTrain is a locomotive of pure soulful energy riding the tracks of love and life to that blissful destination known as soul music.

Randevyn (ran-devin) is a PK (preacher's kid) and military brat who like many of his soul predecessors got his musical start in that illustrious training ground.the church. He would play piano and sing throughout his younger years until his desire to sing took over. The quality of Randevyn's richly timbered baritone is enforced by his ability to mean what he sings. The man is no slouch when it comes to vocal arrangements and songwriting.

It's in the words man! That is where you'll find the key to this artist, because at the time he crafted the SolTrain album he hadn't learned his most valuable lesson as an artist, but more on that later.

Have you heard of Randevyn before this moment? If you're deep in the 'Neo-Soul' game and are serious bout you're soul music, then the answer is probably yes. But for those who rely on radio and TV to serve them their entertainment the answer is most likely a big fat no. SolTrain , while an impressive debut, has had to struggle with getting airplay. The lyrics are respectful and his voice strong and run-friendly. So what's the problem?

"Just being real, I have had problems with radio play.I was plunged into that whole Neo Soul concept," shares Randevyn. "The music I did on SolTrain was soul music and soul music has just had a hard life." Thankfully he is receiving XM, college and internet radio plays.

He has worked with artists ranging from India Arie to Floetry. Randevyn's gruff baritone voice is perfectly bedded with his mature and candid songwriting style that blends well with this albums rich production which is thick with gospel, blues and jazz influences. The track "DearFarah", which garnered him a lot of praise and attention, is about a lost love that he can't get out his mind. This song is R&B gold. Another piece of sonic sunshine is "Y-O-Y" that delivers a steady thumping bass line and wonderful lyrics given a sense of urgency by Randevyn's passionate vocal delivery.

Does the lack of major support for the truly talented put pressure on an artist to conform so that their art can hopefully see the light of day? While Randevyn does admittedly feel the pressure to do something different, he says he can be counted on to continue delivering good music.but he says that one of the most valuable lessons he has learned as an artist is that now he realizes that he may have to reach a compromise.

"It's most important to find, says Randevyn.happy medium between what you like musically as an artist, versus what the public is looking for versus what music business is looking for. You have to find a place in the middle. So that you can share yourself with the world"

He says, "It's funny because I think that people think that I'm conforming. I'm not really conforming. I'm not changing just so that I can be more marketable and more commercially accepted. A lot of it is an artist metamorphosis for me."

Randevyn and his production team are hard at work on the next album. He says he's excited about the new work and has big plans for the next project which he hopes will reflect his growth as a man and an artist. Although things might sound a tad bit different than on the first album, Randevyn says that he will stay true to himself. The differences he says will come more from the production side.

He promises not to have any naked women sliding down poles in his songs or videos.so perhaps it'll be okay.

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