Fortunes abound with a very smart and talented group of young women who sing and dance as Devi and the Devastators under their new label Fortune Entertainment. I had the pleasure of meeting some of these fabulous young people at their studio, Southern Sound Recordings. As I sat down with them, Devi, the CEO and lead singer of the group, as well as a dancer, smiles, "This is the room where all the creativity happens. I like this room."
Speaking of creativity, Fortune Entertainment is actually their own acronym—Forceful, Originated, Respectful, Trustworthy, Unlimited, Numerous and Everlasting. With so many other local artists coming about with their own "record labels," the girls discussed why they opted for a business as an "entertainment company" instead.
"Fortune Entertainment is something that we all decided on. I went to different clubs and events scoping out dancers and a lot of them were referred to me by other people," Devi says. "We all got together and realized it was so much more than a group of dancers and singers. We got poets, lawyers, hairstylists, even rappers. Our photographer raps and produces. We knew we had a lot of talent and thought we should start our own entertainment company that would involve lots of different areas of entertainment."
With several networking and promotional plans underway, the group says it is trying to communicate with other agencies to get its name out. But talking isn't the only way they're being heard; their dancing speaks for itself. Just weeks ago, the group got a chance to dance in Memphis, Tenn., with the artists of the Ruff Ryders camp. "One of the presidents came to our rehearsal, and he was so excited. He asked if we were available for the weekend, and we jumped on it." Devi says.
Sabrina Thompson, 15, who also sings and dances with Devi and the Devastators, tells how it felt to be a part of such an opportunity: "I was nervous, but it was exciting even though the people were crowding us. But you could tell they were into it, and it was kind of fun."
Practicing for these shows requires a lot of time and dedication for the young people, even though they hold full-time jobs or are full-time students. But, they believe that dedication and communication are the keys to working together. It also allows them to dispel the myth that women cannot bond or work together.
"I really truly feel it's diva and ego clashes," says Vallie Smith, 21, a dancer with the group, of other women in the business. "They feel that one person's bigger than the other, and it's not like that with us—we're equal. We don't look over each other as if 'Hey she's better than me' or 'She's a better dancer.' We look at each other equally."
Jamaica Magun, a 19-year-old dancer, adds: "I think that we all work our problems out, we talk so if we have any problems it shouldn't escalate into something more. I think we can all get along."
However, there is hard work and outside support to be had with everyone who is working toward the success of Fortune Entertainment. Devi and the Devastators is only a piece of the whole puzzle. They are all serious about being a gateway of opportunity for others trying to break into the entertainment industry.
"We're hoping that this will grow into one of the biggest companies in the industry," Devi says.
Other members within the group include dancer Catherine Davis, 21, and vice presidents of the company Love Cooper, 24, Aaron Walker, 21, and Tiffany Scott, 23. Also, at the end of the year, Devi will release her solo debut album entitled "In My Nature."
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