Fabiola Pierre - Co-Producer + Guest Relations Manager, RnBae
This year marks the 5 year anniversary of RnBae , a collective known for its live shows and experiences that center Black women R&B artists and the new music they create.
Co-Producer and Guest Relations Manager Fabiola Pierre met RnBae founder Cristina Jerome when they were interns — the women connected over their shared Haitian heritage. In the first year of RnBae’s existence, Fabiola co-produced shows with Cris at Gramps in her native Miami, FL. The theatre room at Gramps made for an intimate listening experience, allowing artists to connect with music lovers during what quickly became a monthly showcase. R&B music didn’t really have a platform in Miami, and the showcases that Fabiola helped to co-produced filled a void in the Miami music scene. Many women who were creating and singing R&B music didn’t come across the same opportunities that were readily available to artists who were performing and creating rap music, and the showcase was the only one in Miami to be strictly R&B. In its second year an open mic called Pillow Talk was added, and the RnBae brand continued to expand and gain traction not only in Miami, but across the U.S. In year three, in addition to the showcases and open mic, RnBae was featured at III Points Music Festival.
RnBae proved to be the perfect outlet for Fabiola to express her creativity and love of B&B music. Fabiola grew up listening to R&B music and fell in love with it from a young age, noting that “without R&B there wouldn’t be a lot of rap songs.”
R & B Is Not Dead
As long as there is music there will be R&B music. While some may argue that R&B is a genre that is dying — Fabiola made it a point to express that the genre still remains influential — even in the moments where it isn’t at the forefront of popular, mainstream music consumption. Throughout the pandemic and as of late, she has been watching a number of music documentaries, and one common thread that she has noticed in the ones that she has watched is that women have always been a part of many successful men’s careers.
As the RnBae platform continues to grow and expand, Fabiola sees it eventually becoming the a platform that represents Black women as the face of the R&B genre. Currently, R&Bae is working on building a database of R&B artists, hoping to create a place where R&B artists can easily be found by those looking to collaborate.
Like so many, RnBae has pivioted from live events to building out a community online during the pandemic. This was done through a number of ways, including expanding into merch, creation of an Instagram Live series, Behind The Bae, and creation of the education series called Baesicks. Each of these respective steps were carefully thought out to ensure that they were in line with the RnBae brand and mission. The merch, which includes a candle, t-shirt, and other items that Fabiola and Cris themselves liked, fits in perfectly with curating a mood — even if RnBae isn’t able to curate in person gatherings at the moment.
The most recent Baesicks was a webinar that taught artists how to do an album or project roll out and other topics have included “How To Get Booked At A Festival.”
Fabiola on the future of Black women in music..
Fabiola sees the future of Black women in music as a future that is thriving and continuing to grow. A lot of women have stepped up and received support and there are a lot of women that are continuing to support each other.
“What do you need help with?” “How can I lend my hand to you?” There’s nothing that’s going to stop a woman who wants to thrive in this business and show what they’re able to do. They’re taking more of the risks during the pandemic than anybody else.
