Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to CienTell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, CienTell thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Performing and entertaining others has always been a passion of mines ever since I was 17 years old. After graduating from Oak Park High School in 2003, I went on to college to study dance and traveled to New York to study at various dance studios. I pursued a professional dance career at 22 working with ArtLabJ Dance Company, based out of Detroit, Mi and with artists such as Aretha Franklin, as well as a touring dancer for Tunde Olaniran. My passion for music developed working with other musicians and that give me the motivation to become a singer and songwriter. I remember telling my grandmother before she passed away that I wanted to pursue music. From that day forth, I collaborated with different producers and started working in the studio, releasing (2) mixtapes and various singles.

CienTell, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is CienTell and I’m an independent singer, songwriter and music producer. I’ve been in the industry for 17 years and have released numerous singles and EPs. My genre is R&B/Soul. When people hear my music for the 1st time, I always hear how compassionate and motivating my music sounds. I’m all about love, peace and joy when I release music for the world. What sets me apart from others is my determination to motivate others to spread love, enjoy life and to stay on a righteous path that will lead others to do the same. I love to collaborate with other artists for songwriting and producing. All of my discography can be found on CienTell.Bandcamp.com.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In August 2022, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer and I had to slow down the process of working for a few months. It is tough having to be on bed rest and chemotherapy treatments but I’m thankful that I’m still surviving through this trying time. On the upside, I’m still able to release new music this year and in 2023.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

What society can do to support artists as a whole is to unlearn the mental stigmas that has blocked artists from thriving more abundantly. One of these stigmas is racism and “white supremacy”. These were created to keep people of color, especially women of color, from getting more opportunities. In my eyes, there is only one race – the human race. No one should be deprived of reaching a level of success, based on the color of their skin.

Contact Info:

• Website: CienTell.Bandcamp.com
• Instagram: @cientell
• Youtube: YouTube.com/CienTellMusic
• Other: You can support my journey through surviving breast cancer by donating to : https://gofund.me/de4d6778