Meet the 2022 SCALE Fellows

2022 SCALE Fellow Group Photo

2022 SCALE Fellows:

Watch the 2022 SCALE Fellowship Showcase | 2022 SCALE Showcase Team

Chantal Joseph

Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Chantal has always had a love for music since she was a little girl. She has worked on the foundation of her craft for a long time and now she can proudly say that she is a singer, songwriter, and performer. Chantal has sung with the Boston Pops Orchestra as well as acclaimed musicians both locally and nationally. She was recently voted 2021 Pittsburgh City Paper’s best R&B performer and got the opportunity to sing the national anthem for Mayor Ed Gainey’s 2022 Inauguration ceremony. Chantal started teaching voice and piano to young kids at The Afro American Music Institute (AAMI) in Homewood, PA. Although she has been consistently performing locally, Chantal’s goal is to reintroduce herself to the public as the true artist that she is and not just a singer. Chantal wants to develop a music project with visual components and share her songwriting skills along with her creativity.

Genre(s): R&B, Soul, Pop, Jazz

Follow Chantal: Facebook // Instagram | Listen on YouTube // Visit Website

Casaundra

Casaundra is a singer, songwriter and composer from Pittsburgh, PA. She attended high school at the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) magnet school, where she currently works. She continued her musical studies at HBCU Norfolk State University, focusing on Music Media with an emphasis on Vocal Performance. Casaundra likes to call her music “Motivation Music,” as it is very intentional in its goal and describes her sound as more R&B/Soul. She believes this style is more relatable and speaks to issues of self-care, awareness and healing. Casaundra has performed at the Oaks Theater with the likes of Etta Cox for “Ladies of Jazz” in 2018. She has also shared the stage with phenomenal Pittsburgh singers, Anita Levels (2023 SCALE Fellow) and Tereasa Hawthorne, for the “Pittsburgh’s Divine Divas” event. Casaundra currently has two albums out, “What Kind of Love” (2010) and “Love Lessons” (2015). Her short-term goals include putting out singles and curating music-related events for Pittsburgh’s immediate neighborhoods and surrounding communities.

Genre(s): R&B, Soul, Motivational

Follow Casaundra: Twitter | Listen on YouTube // Visit Website

Lola Cole

Lola Cole based in Studio City, CA, combines her Mississippi Blues roots with her Native Atlanta Soul to give voice to God and Freedom. She has been considered a hybrid artist; singing and writing with a conscious/activist mindset from a spiritual viewpoint. Lola recently captivated audiences at Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta Pride Festival, SXSW 2016 for the ChooseATL Takeover and returned to the stage at SXSW 2018. From sharing stages with artists like Prisca, LeCrae, Khari Simmons, The Shadowboxers, Cleveland P. Jones, All Cows Eat Grass, and more, Lola’s fierce, hymnal, yet sultry sound is sure to mesmerize. With a deep appreciation for jazz and the history of music culture, Lola calls her sound cultural art. It is a blend of her ingenious, black, southern, music roots. Lola explains to SCALE, “My goal is to expand the joy, education, appreciation, and pride for our ancestors and the freedom we gained because of their sacrifices. Of course, I’m human, so there will be projects simply about life. I wish to have film, television, and sports placements, cultural impact while building my brand to be one of the most influential in the cross culture of Afro-Indigenous people.”

Genre(s): Cultural Arts

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Rieko Safiyya

Rieko is a Philly-based singer/songwriter, model, visual artist, and elementary school teacher. She grew up in Pittsburgh where she studied music from a young age. During her time at UArts she became lead singer of a band called Tsuagaido, performing around the city monthly. It was a very pivotal time for Rieko as it helped her come into her sound as well as meet many amazing musicians around the city. She left the group in 2018 after deciding to be a solo artist. During that time Rieko was able to open up for Rico Nasty in Pittsburgh and Oshun in Philadelphia. She has performed at venues including Underground Arts, Silk City, and Pubb Webb. All throughout college she also took wedding gigs, singing for receptions and ceremonies. Rieko took a professional break from music when she moved to New York shortly after graduating, in order to run a company that specializes in natural hair products and to model full time. In 2020, she began traveling back and forth from New York to Philly in order to collaborate with producers, Cherelle Champagne and Beau Jackson, in order to get back into her goal of becoming a recording artist.

Genre(s): R&B, Pop

Follow Rieko: Instagram | Listen on Spotify // Visit Website

DJ FEMI

A DJ born and raised on the East Side of Pittsburgh, but has lived in just about every neighborhood in the city. Femi’s DJ career started nine years ago when she attended CAPA, a local performing arts school. One of FEMI’s goals as a DJ has always been to represent for all of the women in the music/entertainment industry as well as women worldwide. She always strives to be a beacon of light in the night life and a prime example that women can be great DJs, business women, and entrepreneurs too. In recent years, FEMI has been set up with some amazing opportunities, like performing with the legendary Sheila E. at Stage AE and opening up for Pi’erre Bourne at The Roxian Theatre. Some of her favorite moments also include, but aren’t limited to, djing for Chandra Rhyme (2021 SCALE Fellow) at Stage AE for the big scale showcase, in Las Vegas for the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight and some private events in Washington, D.C. where she opened up for Shoreline Mafia, UNIIQU3, Rico Nasty and Dai Burger, as well as many more artists.

Genre(s): Afrobeat, Dancehall, Hip-Hop, Trap

Follow FEMI: Twitter // Instagram | Listen on SoundCloud // Visit Website

Anita Levels

While living in West Germany, Anita began singing at the age of three. Being a preacher’s kid and a member of a musical family from New Orleans, the legacy of singing from a place bigger than herself was something she not only watched others do, but learned to do herself. Anita considers herself a powerhouse, soulful singer with lark-like vocals. She has performed before national and international audiences. Anita has been to London, England, and toured the country of Holland with world renowned ethnomusicologist, Dr. Portia Maultsby. Anita was featured in the NFL’s Super Bowl 50th commemorative commercial and performed in the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, with The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra. Anita’s current goals are to evolve her talents into becoming a voice influencer and becoming more prolific in her song writing. Being a Lover of Communication and Thought, Anita believes that music is one of the highest and purest forms of communication that has been divinely bestowed upon mankind. She’s thrilled to be a small part of the master plan.

Genre(s): Soul, Jazz, Gospel

Follow Anita: Facebook // Instagram | Listen on YouTube // Visit Website

Zuly Inirio

As an artist, Zuly has always created from the lens of an Afro-Latinx woman, and that is present in everything she does. In her artistic practice, Zuly seeks to see herself in what she sings, which is why she started the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project. Zuly is a soprano that has appeared as a soloist throughout the U.S. and Europe. She actively pursues bringing awareness to Afro-Latinidad in classical music with the “Afro-Latinx Song and Opera Project.” Zuly’s solo work includes soprano soloist Verdi’s Requiem in Munich, Germany, and the role of the High Priestess and covered the title role in Verdi’s Aida in Sicily, Italy. Zuly has sang with the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra in Pittsburgh, PA, had a recital with Austin Opera and the Mexican Consulate in Austin, TX, and a world premiere for a commissioned work for the Afro-Latinx Song and Opera Project in collaborating with the organization Hearing in Color in Chicago, IL.

Genre(s): Opera, Classical

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Lailonny Yvonne

Lailonny has been singing since the age of three. Currently, Lailonny is a registered nurse and has been putting music on the back burner. But, music is her passion. She has studied at LaGuardia High School in New York and she is classically trained in Italian, German, and French. Lailonny’s preferred styles are R&B and gospel. She sings as part of the Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh’s worship team. Lailonny was the headlining performer at the open mic night event at the Spirit Lodge. It is her goal to produce an EP and to perform at least three times a year in the city of Pittsburgh. Lailonny also wants to continue to grow as an artist and make an impact with her art while broadening her knowledge, networking with other artists of various backgrounds, styles, and talents.