Sound Voyage takes music lovers on a journey

Erik L. Jones turned his love of music into a live music production company, The Blue Sapphire Experience, and uses Sound Voyage as a way to introduce other music lovers to sounds foreign and familiar. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ERIK L. JONES
Erik L. Jones turned his love of music into a live music production company, The Blue Sapphire Experience, and uses Sound Voyage as a way to introduce other music lovers to sounds foreign and familiar. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ERIK L. JONES

Sound Voyage takes music lovers on a journey

By Tia Carol Jones
Erik L. Jones grew up in a household with a love for music. He became an avid jazz fan. He has a deep love of music that is more global but also knows the importance of highlighting local artists, which he does through his work with Kusanya Café and The Blue Sapphire Experience.

Jones started The Blue Sapphire Experience, a live music production and specialty booking company. Sound Voyage is part of the Blue Sapphire Experience and his way to showcase global music and artists. In 2017, he started working at Kusanya Café, a non-profit coffee shop in Englewood, doing live performances. It led him to work with local artists from the Chicagoland area.

Sound Voyage’s motto is amplifying sounds, foreign and familiar. Jones’ passion is to bring the ability to hear different formats of music to people as a way to expand their musical experience. Along the way, Jones began to advocate for Black musicians locally and across the African Diaspora. Jones uses the Instagram page, @mysoundvoyage, to highlight Black artists.

Due to COVID-19, Kusanya Café and Jones’ ventures had to stop hosting live music events. Kusanya Café did have to close in the midst of the pandemic because it makes money from people patronizing the business. It is open now for patrons to get coffee, breakfast and sandwiches.

Jones used social media to give music lovers their fix. Posting on Instagram and using footage from videos of past performances. There were also artists’ testimonials about how they felt about working with Sound Voyage. It was a great way for the artists to get exposure and for Sound Voyage to cross promote.

Jones has seen an increase in accessibility to local artists through citywide festivals and events. He wants to be able to connect residents to these artists on a smaller scale,  and to neighborhoods. He,  is doing that through My Sound Voyage and The Blue Sapphire Experience.

“Someone might not always be able to get to Millenium Park or to other well-known venues, but they’re right next to their park that’s on the South Side, or they’re right next to their park that’s on the West side or the East side,” he said.

Speaking specifically about seniors, Jones believes access to music can help them reminisce and have memories come back, or discover something new. He loves to see the aha moment, when he sees someone’s face when they remember a song. Or, when people want to know what something means in a song performed in another language.

Jones works a lot with local artists Tiaybe, Gabriel Austin and Sam Trump. He was recently introduced to a rapper who is an amazing storyteller. There are also artists he hasn’t worked with that he admires.

“There are some amazing people in Chicago and I think more of that needs to get out to be a part of Chicago showcases and possibly even more  tours of the Midwest of what Chicagoans are doing.

Stellar people from Ernest Dawkins and his young artists that he works with, all the way to young hip hop artists that have strong emotions about what’s happening in the world,” he said.

Jones finds the artists either through social media, referrals or just him being a fan. He meets people and keeps in contact with them.
Sound Voyage also is expanding to do podcasts and music interviews, with artists, sound engineers, publishers and producers.

 Jones wants people to be aware that there is more to music than what you hear on the radio. There are a lot of players and intricate parts. There also are plans to have a Record Fair, starting in Englewood in the summer, to help the resurgence of vinyl.

For more information about Sound Voyage, visit www.sound-voyage.com.

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