I had a Zoom call this summer with Easton resident, composer and musician, Khaleel Mandel, about his unique and innovative music. Since then, Khaleel has received his first iTunes top 100 number one record. The lead single, “Chaser and Attracter,” is from his upcoming sixth solo studio album, “Connecticut Chronicles.” His single has been number one in the UK for multiple days. Khaleel is the first independent Connecticut artist to achieve this status.
Here is a recent interview I conducted with Khaleel to celebrate his music:
What got you started on your musical journey that you can recall from some of your earliest memories?
I have a few different early sections. Jaco Pastorious had an album called ‘The Birthday Concert” with live songs after he left Weather Report. The intro called “Soul Intro/The Chicken” was a song whose melodies I memorized by three years old or so. There’s footage of me singing it with some instrument in my old living room. By like, six or seven, I’d reenact Prince concerts in my room with stuffed animals as my band members. Created a whole set up, with toy guitars and whatever I could find as fake drum sets. My VHS tapes would act as imaginary synthesizers and keyboards. For those I would use a toy red guitar that was supposed to be Prince’s Hohner Telecaster.
I was in a choir with a bunch of kids in my age group and took piano lessons with the accompanist for us. This was all in Bridgeport. My fascination with album credits wasn’t solely spawned from my cd collection though. More from going to studio sessions with my father and seeing who’s responsible for the specific task up close. Getting to see what brands of instruments musicians felt most comfortable with. From there I was able to get a better understanding of why something like a Music Man StingRay Bass resonated with handfuls of bassists throughout time periods. When I started picking up instruments on my own, those sessions I sat in helped for across the board frames of references.
To dwindle it down I’d say my senior year of high school in 2013 opened the gate. That was the year I became dedicated to crafting my catalog. I just wasn’t seeing my standpoint anywhere in music, and there were so many styles I wanted to make that I wasn’t hearing anywhere. Instead of complaining about what I felt was absent, 2013 was my chance to find my lightning in a bottle. I was seeing great musicianship live when I was in elementary school. too. though. The likes of Regina Carter, Angélique Kidjo, Ivan Neville. I saw the Prince Musicology Tour live too. That moment sealed it for me. I would wear the T-Shirt from that tour to school on casual Fridays.
Who are some of your musical influences now?
Faces by Earth Wind & Fire. Everything by Dawn Richard of course. I’ve been relistening to a lot of the Stax Records catalog. I went to the Stax museum in Memphis when I was about nine back in 2004. Stax albums brought more clarity to me when a reference of their memorabilia is involved. I really wish Ludacris would drop a new album because his discography is a cornerstone in my life soundtracks. A few solo tracks here and there. Talk’N That by Killer Mike. Shine from {Cleo Sol}.
I will say, my influences go past just the music component. People whose opinions I have high regard for I normally have in the middle of my mind whenever I’m making something new. It keeps me in check, because then at some point I normally picture them reacting to whatever my final idea at the time is. Normally when I play it for them whenever it’s finished their lit up reactions are close enough to how I envisioned them to be. The consistency of that scenario plays a huge influential part in what I bring to music’s family tree.
Your music seems very eclectic. Is that intentional and why? Are you influenced by more than one genre?
It’s all in the music family tree. Sacred music, work songs, rural spiritual, choir/quartet and syncopated dance music are the roots of every genre you hear. I’m just sticking to the roots of it all. Different forms of expression is what musicianship stems from. From country western to delta blues, then comes rock, and funk. The core of everything is the soul though. As long as my soul is in any form of expression throughout my music I know I’m leading with my intentions and capabilities. Classical roots can be better explained at a place like MIM in Phoenix. They have instruments dating pre baroque periods. Places such as these promote what true essence is. Pictures I saw from some of their exhibits is what made me dive into French-Caribbean musician Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
Have you seen the movie that just dropped about him?
I still have to, but I love how there’s more awareness being brought to his name in ways after I mentioned him on [fourth album, Philharmonic]. At the end of the day I’m staying on board with more presentations particularly of black musicians who are responsible for the music family tree’s roots. I hope those of grade, middle, and high school ages get hip to people like Saint-Georges. That’s what required reading can be at this point, for anyone who was curious about my suggestions for modern day curriculums.
What’s the importance of young musicians being mindful of different musical cultural traditions of African and Black American cultural traditions?
For one, you develop true respect for the art forms. Enjoying records based on feeling solely will never go away and is a part of growth. When the respect levels are added on top of that, a lot can start to connect. There are many misconceptions with who the innovators are. The greatest solution to avoid something like that is to just keep doing thorough research. Labels like Red Robin Records, Fortune Records set a stage for continuums. We need more statues for Vee-Jay Records since we would’ve never heard The Beatles if it weren’t for them. Young musicians can add to the droves able to push for this kind of variety. Research just makes the music better too. Research brings context and my favorite albums are contextual. Traveling is important too. Even if it’s to the next state over. Getting to see different types of appreciation for musicians is community. Part of why I love Jazz Festivals.
How do you see yourself as an innovator in the music field?
Music is spirit, and I’m the only person on earth who has my spirit. So I just take it from there. Whatever I haven’t seen being made, I just make it myself instead of complaining about not seeing it.
I’m no Frederick M. Jones but even he had to start somewhere. On my albums, anything you’ve heard me say, I said first. Anything you’ve heard me compose, I composed it first. Any artwork from me is the first of its kind.
I’m a proponent of something being done first and the right way. Sometimes I’ll treat new melodies I write like sampling myself on some records. So sort of like how a producer in hip hop will take a vocal stem from a soul artist from the ’60s or ’70s, chop it, speed it up. I did that on a song I produced called “Alfredo” and some more unreleased material where I really hone in on that technique. In order to be what’s considered an innovator, you just have to put solid action behind new stuff you want to see. In other words, innovators don’t overthink, they think wisely.
The music industry can be known for affecting artists’ mental health. How do you find yourself navigating through that side of the field ?
It’s about where you come home to. I look at someone like Chappelle who’s gotten all sorts of monkey wrenches thrown his way to rock his balance, but he’s still so centered. He lives in Ohio, not a busy area like NYC or something like that. Being based in Connecticut has helped me focus and come back to earth whenever I needed it. We just have our own world over here. Maybe it’s because this is my home state and I feel the most like myself here. Connecticut surroundings have contributed to me staying on task all these years. So even if I travel to a cluttered state when it’s work related, remembering I have something to come home to, alleviates mental heaviness. The music business can feel a lot like real life Hogwarts at times. Pure wizards against Dark Arts Wizards. Boundary less practices have been embedded in the music industry since decades before we both were even alive.
Enclaves of the entertainment structure haven’t been able to shake off their predatory natures for some reason. Fortunately I’ve built a life where I can be as far removed from these types of environments as possible. A lot of that is out of my control, but what I can control is who/what I allow around me. It’s still pretty [tough] to. Something that’s helped me, is remembering it’s okay to take a few weeks to unplug. I think a lot of us are in a similar spot where it’s constant go and decompression isn’t always encouraged. I like to take weeks off from making any music too. That helps me with staying present. I started going to the movie theaters again a little more than I was over the past few years which has been nice. I’m probably gonna start attending more ballets too. Great memories are a part of the recipe for a healing process.
You brought up Chevalier, didn’t he motivate you to compose your Classical Concerto from 2021?
Yes. Before I wrote that I developed this obsession with being able to say I can compose a knocking hip hop track that some of our own most efficient MCs can rap on, then I can turn around to compose something I can perform with an orchestra I’m conducting. I hadn’t seen that anywhere and thought that could be a way to honor Chevalier somehow. I have more concertos to put out and I can’t wait to conduct a full piece orchestra for a chamber hall performance.
You have a heavy background in theater. Do you see yourself ever writing your own musical for Broadway ?
Ideally. I have about two musical premises. It’s just a matter of who’d be willing to join the first one. Theater is a different animal. The workshop, testing in local theaters nationally. The waiting game for if you’re even considered for a theater on Broadway. A lot of that process is watching paint dry. I provided the score for a Massachusetts stage adaptation of Othello. It was on September 29 and 30 at Massasoit. My first time scoring a stage play. Very happy about that one. You all will know once a musical from me is a priority though.
There’s a special announcement you wanted to make. Are you ready to tell us what it is?
Yep. My sixth studio album, “Connecticut Chronicles,” is a Country-Funk LP and an ode to the state that is the core of my foundation. It’s entirely composed and produced by myself, and it comes out in 2024.
