GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

DECEMBER 19, 1997

Evenings Out

A self-made lesbian dance diva

Joi Cardwell shows minority kids

that black and Latina lesbians do exist

by Jeffrey L. Newman

Subdued, relaxed and soft-spoken, sitting in a small café in one of New York's leading gay and lesbian bookstores, Joi Cardwell is a stark contrast from the high-energy, powerhouse diva that four nights earlier ignited the predominately gay crowd at Vinyl, one of Manhattan's hottest Sunday night dance clubs.

A strong and savvy performer who is gaining a stronghold in a male-dominated industry, the 30-year-old Cardwell is a mixture of many things musical-jazz, R&B, dance, pop.

Nothing proves this more than her new self-titled recording—a delicious collection of upbeat, mid-tempo and sultry tunes. Her new single “Soul To Bare" recently jumped over Madonna's latest dance song on Billboard's top dance singles chart. And her third album in five years is earning Cardwell the best critical attention of her career. "I'm very pleased and excited about the new album because it's really all about me," Cardwell said. “It's all about my vision and my production.”

Cardwell said the album started out as two albums-one dance, one R&B—but she and eight producers combined it into one. They ended up keeping all of the dance songs, and one R&B ballad.

As with her varying music styles. Cardwell is equally comfortable with her sexuality. She makes no bones about being gay, something she's never tried to hide or disguise. Out since she was 21, Cardwell says she's never thought about compromising her personal self-worth to achieve commercial success. To her, being a lesbian is just part of her make-up, along with being African American and Latino.

“I don't go around telling everybody I'm gay, but if someone asks, I am more than happy to tell them. I'm very proud of being gay,” she said.

In fact, one of her new album's best tracks, “Found Love," is about her girlfriend of three years. "It's never been a factor. It's who I am. There's no reason for me not to be out. If I'm going to be discriminated against, it's going to happen whether it's because I'm black, gay, Latin or a woman," she says. "I've never thought about not being out."

Part of the reason Cardwell feels strongly about being out is to show the younger generation that it's okay to be who you are.

"Children never see people who are out in this industry. I think it's important to show diversity and individuality, especially to minority children, who say, 'What about me? Who's like me?' There is no one else out there to represent them. I think it's important to show that not every lesbian singer is a white folk singer.”

"For many of these kids, they think that black and Latino [gays and lesbians] don't exist in the industry, and obviously they do."

Born and raised in New York City, Cardwell first realized her musical calling at age five, when her school class performed a segment of "The Three Blind Mice" at Carnegie Hall. "It wasn't like I decided to do this,” she recalls.

But it wasn't until her late teens that she took it seriously. While she was a student at NYU, Cardwell was coaxed into entering amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Singing "For Your Eyes Only," the Sheena Easton ditty, Cardwell went on to win the competition five times. Soon after, she joined singer Ben E. King ("Stand By Me”) on his Black America tour.

In 1989, soon after graduating NYU, she was selected by R&B producer Kashif as part of the all-female singing act The Promise. After two years of turmoil, disappointment and the recording of an album that never saw the light of day, Cardwell quit the group and headed solo.

In 1992, she achieved success as the faceless voice on the dance rompers "Club Lonely" and "Saved My Life." She followed that with background singing for recording

DOREEN CUDNIK

Joi Cardwell performed last month at the 10th anniversary of Milwaukee's Wisconsin Light lesbian-gay newspaper.

artists L.L. Cool

J., Jermaine Jackson and the

Pointer Sisters. She also bounced

around from label to label, churning out single track after single track.

While clearly headed toward a fate of forgotten diva-wannabe, Cardwell did what few in her field do, she took matters into her own hands. By 1994, she negotiated a contract with New York indie Eightball Records and recorded, produced

and wrote her first full-length album, The World

to lest

is Full of Trouble. Her debut spawned the club hit “Trouble.”

Three years later, Cardwell has paid her dues and earned the title of diva.

No longer a faceless voice lost in the crowd, the multi-talented performer is now a force to be reckoned with. She coproduced and wrote all the tracks on her new album.

She attributes her longevity and ability to get around the roadblocks and curve balls to her strong determination and belief in her talent.

"I've always been an individual. I've never wanted to be one of the flock. My grandmother always said there was a strength in me, that I walked my own path,” she said.

"Ultimately, your life is in your hands and you have to be in control of it. And I want to make a difference in this world. I want to be known, ultimately, as a great songwriter and vocalist. My goal is never to be faceless."

Jeffrey L. Newman is a New York music writer. He can be reached at editorjeff@aol.com.