John Skweird to launch new single at Kafe Blue

Musician John Francis left Trinidad and Tobago for New York to escape music, but it was an effort in futility, as the many years he worked in the industry was something he could not easily push aside.

After having attempted his big escape about three years ago, Francis will release his new single, Beautiful Dream, at a show at Kafe Blue, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, on May 23.

Beautiful Dream was written by Francis and produced by Haitian-born US producer Beuys Dorminvil.

"We were talking about the kind of music I wanted to make. He (Dorminvil) sent me the beat, I just got a vibe and started to write.

"It’s a topic I’ve written about before – about love being the beautiful dream. I recorded a demo vocal and sent to friends, and everyone liked it. The plan was to work on another EP or album, but I believe in the song and I was coming home, so I decided to release it then and put it on album later."

The song was mastered by his UTT professor Martin Raymond.

"I truly enjoy performing it and the response to it here in New York has been great so far."

Francis said he was in TT last year and attended Jazz Artists on the Greens in St Joseph.

"And I felt like I needed to perform in TT. I missed the stage and home. It's why I decided to call the show Home.

"I was coming back to perform for North Coast Jazz, but it got cancelled. I decided to pivot, called Carl Jacobs about the Kafe Blue venue, and it's official; I'll be coming home to perform at Kafe Blue."

Francis said when he left TT, he did not like the direction in which the music business was heading, as it was becoming so difficult for members.

Before migrating he said he had a "grand" plan to be a performing artiste in TT, travelling back and forth to do shows.

"But then covid happened and it wasn’t sustainable. We’re (musicians) are not essential services as we thought. I realised I needed something stable to pay the bills.

"It’s not different anywhere else. In New York you may have more spaces, but you’re competing with more people. It was easier for me home, because I’ve built a relationship there. Here I would have had to start from scratch. I would have had to prove myself again, so I mentally clocked out of performing."

But, he said, music had a different agenda for him. Just as in the plan he had mapped out for himself, he got a nine-to-five job that involves youth and community development and started to get settled.

"Music kinda don’t leave you, though. It’s one of those drugs that get you hooked. You may get a different vehicle for it, but you can't escape...I had to get over some hurdles, but decided to put myself out there again to see what happens."

Francis has been working in the music industry since 2007. Apart from vocals, he does producing and also accompanies himself on the keyboard when he has to.

Before graduating from the University of TT in 2016 with a first degree in sound engineering, he had no formal training in music, but he knew basic theory and enough to get around.

"I had applied to do the music programme at UTT and didn’t make the audition. Engineering was the next best bet, and now I see it was the better choice. The music programme is much more classical-oriented and not perfectly aligned with what I do."

Francis said he has been a constant performer in the jazz space for some time, but before that he was doing more R&B and hip hop.

"I’ve always put on my own events at venues such as the then Kaiso Blues cafe and Black Box. I did a series in 2013 and 2014 called Word and Jazz, where I invited artistes to come and perform, and I performed one song with the guest band."

He was a Tobago Jazz co-headliner in 2015 with Jamaican artiste Busy Signal, performed with Organic Music Movement's Dayo Bejide, jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles, jazz ensemble Elan Parle, and opened for vocalist Vaugnette Bigford.

"I gained a whole new audience opening for her (Bigford).

"I signed to Highway Record in 2009 and my first live show brought me to the space where I was linking with musicians, and what fit most was jazz. My first album released under the label was Cita Grandson, which was the stage name I went by before John John."

Now, he goes by the name John Skweird.

"You have to claim your name in streaming industry because you want to be searchable. The music I started producing was not run-of-the-mill; it was weird, so instead of using John twice I just decided on a play on the words.

"Everyone should be unique and weird in their own way."

For more information visit
Johnskweird.com
or follow John Francis @Johnskweird on IG and @johnskweird on X