Today we’d like to introduce you to Chakrah.
So, before we jump into specific questions about your music, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am Cameron Dixon, as known as Chakrah, and I was born in Jacksonville, FL but raised in Atlanta for the majority of my life. I grew up in a musically inclined family, yet I didn’t know at the time how much this would contribute to me being the person I am. My brother learned the drums early in his life but was very gifted in athletics. My father played saxophone during his college years at Florida A&M University and would go on to meet my mom, who was a singer, while he was there. When attending my brother’s high school football games at Stephenson High School, I always gravitated towards the band but I never thought about joining band until my mom and dad encouraged me to do so. I even thought the saxophone was the xylophone at first. Could you imagine? I didn’t even really like being in a band during the 6th and 7th grades. It wasn’t until the 8th-grade year that things began to click.
Being that Stephenson Middle and High School were just down the street from one another, 8th graders were able to join the High school marching band – the same band I saw play great music everytime I went to a football game. Just within that first year of being in the marching band, I experienced a lot of growth as a person and musician. As the years of high school went by, I still had no sense of what I wanted to do in life. I passed classes, did well in a band, and was getting to travel a lot and see historically black colleges perform along with other great high school bands. I even began to make some great friends along the way but, I was still unsure of my purpose until my senior year. That year, our assistant band director at the time puts together a Jazz Band and we go on to perform at the Atlanta Jazz Festival. I was the lead soloist during that performance and that’s when I saw my purpose. I improvised so well, I had a great ear for music and I had good skill sets.
After graduation, I ended up auditioning for a scholarship to go to Florida A&M University, and that’s where I go on to learn about what jazz truely is as an art form along with becoming a member of the World Famous Marching 100. Being that the musical background of my family was even within my relatives like my granddad, who played guitar, it was great for them to see me looking to get a degree in Jazz Studies. Playing saxophone just like my dad did, and attending the same university, he did really helped bond us together. Some of the most important life lessons took place while I was in college, in the form of relationships, music, African American history, and so forth. After finishing college, I went back home with a few ideas in mind about CJD Music. The plan was to actually make my music and also look towards teaching at the collegiate level. I went on to create the Logo for the brand myself, which was later refined by my good friend Xavier Faust.
I started with creating covers, then eventually, my brother showed me how to make my own beats. I then went on to just make music day in and day out. I made visuals for them to be shown on Instagram and YouTube and really did as much as I could to make the vision as vivid as possible. I knew I was creating something special when my friends started to take notice. I had only a year of producing under my belt when I finally made my first EP in 2019 entitled, “Indigo.” Shortly after, I created an album of mostly beats titled “Kaleidoscope.” By the end of 2019, I was able to put it all together in the form of an album where each song included saxophone and had influences of some of my favorite artists to date. The name “Chakrah” comes from my growth as a person. I have never felt more at peace than when I was making music and taking myself to these different realms of imagination.
So, Chakrah is not only a culmination of all the different parts of my personality coming together as one, but it’s also my most peaceful state. In my latest album, “Thank You For Your Patience,” I reflect on different romantic interactions I’ve had within the last year or so. Why? Because, prior to then, I had my relationships but I never was seen as attractive by so many women like I am now. That’s a brand new thing to me, honestly. And in my next album, I’ll finally focus in on the deepest relationship I ever had. The one that contributed the most to me becoming who I am now. Coming into 2020, I have now grown as a producer well enough to where artists have decided to use my beats for songs. The most successful collaboration so far is a song I produced for UK R&B Artist Etta Bond, entitled “On A Beach.” She chose to reflect on the times we’re living in now by stating that this pandemic has kept her from seeing the one she loves. So much has happened in order for me to create the name Chakrah and the business CJD Music, and it’s only the beginning of things to come.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not at all. The struggles I had to deal with included some mishaps as far as administrative issues while I was in college. Although I was studying Jazz, the curriculum they had me under didn’t reflect that for some time, and that ended up being a bigger issue than expected. A lot of my struggles beyond that were internal for most of my life. Insecurities, lack of self-confidence, and not being sure of myself in most situations. If I could blend into a crowd and not be noticed, I would. But, God had other plans for me and he said that I wasn’t meant to be hidden. The moment I realized that was the moment things started to become better for me.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
My business is the music label CJD Music. This company is the platform in which all of my own individual projects and musical ventures are placed under. Basically, whenever you see a single or an album under the name Chakrah, the label that makes it happen is CJD Music. As founder and owner of this company, I specialize in music and video production solely, and any visuals presented by me on Instagram or YouTube were made through my company. As of right now, it is a two-man operation, including myself and Mahlik Sealey, who actively take on the role as manager for any transactions between me and other artists. What I am most proud of as a company is consistent growth. I have learned a great deal of things involving making videos to match my music, improving my level of creativity with how I make music, and my ability to record saxophone for any and every song that is provided.
So far, I have worked with various people from around the world, including producers and artists from Brazil, Denver, UK, Atlanta, Miami and many more. I believe the thing that sets me apart from others is the attention to detail I put in my music and making it flow as naturally as possible. Voisey is a great indicator of that, as I have submitted beats to be used on that app and even played saxophone in some videos. Some of the most common things said about my beats and my performance on the saxophone are that the music is smooth, it grooves well, and it inspires people. It never gets old hearing that from those who listen to what I make, because that’s exactly what I strive for everytime. I can’t be satisfied with making something that just sounds good. It has to make you want to join me in this pursuit of happiness and inner peace. By doing so, it only inspires me to be even better.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t refer to it as luck a lot of the time. However, I do refer to it as God’s will. And I believe that God’s grace and mercy over my life has contributed to everything that I am today. If there’s anything that I have adapted since I started producing, it would be the phrase “Love Shall Conquer All.” I believe that God one day presented that phrase to me as a reminder that if I put love at the center of all things that I do, then I be able to whether through the bad times in order to experience the good. I try my best not to do wrong by others, and if certain problems came up in my life, I would try my best to make sure they were handled with care so that no misunderstanding would come about.
Does it always work out that way? No. But, in understanding that life will go on, I continue to just let God guide me along whatever path works for me. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I’m content to know that I’m at least moving towards it each day. Considering the times that we live in now, “Love Shall Conquer All” means much more to me that just being something for myself. I see it as the thing that will bring us all together as human beings in the end. Love will be the only thing left in our hearts, once we’re done spewing out the hatred we have against each other. That’s honestly why I believe that even with the pandemic, the protests, the outrage, and the overall tumoil in the world, we’ll manage to be able to overcome it. But, we have to care and love for one another first before any of that can take place. God has managed to do that for me in my life, and the same can apply for anyone else, regardless of what it is you believe in.
Pricing:
- Non-Exclusive Beat Rights – $80.00
- Exclusive Beat Rights – $200.00
- Premium Beat Lease – $600.00
Contact Info:
- Phone: 4045475230
- Email: cjdmusictm@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chakrah_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CJD-Music-171806236768406/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Cameron Dixon, Xavier Faust, Ariana Montgomery
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