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Cheyna had the chance to catch up with Hangout member Ti-Ness to ask him a few questions about the band and its members. Hangout has been the subject of much conversation, with plenty of rumors and speculation swirling around. Cheyna thought it best to get to the bottom of it by “hanging out” with Ti-Ness and getting the story from a journalistic point of view. First and foremost, Hangout must be congratulated on what turned out to be a hot and much-anticipated party this past Friday.
Cheyna: Hello, Ti-Ness. Name all the members of the band and their positions.
Ti-Ness: The members are:
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Pipo – Lead Vocals
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Georgy – Lead Vocals
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Cleona – Background Vocals
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Clarke – Keyboard
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Junior – Keyboard
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Ronald – Guitar
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Wilson – Drums
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Fred – Conga
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Ti-Eddy – Percussion
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And myself, as you already know, I’m the bass player.
Cheyna: When you were picking the members, what did you base your decision on?
Ti-Ness: Before the idea to create Hangout came about, I was part of D-Zine. Things weren’t going too well because we had just lost our guitarist, Laporte Gabriel, and there were other issues the band was facing. Suddenly we found an investor by the name of Rommel who was interested in the band. He came to us with a good offer and decided to recruit a few other talented artists and musicians to complete the lineup. That’s how Hangout was created.
Cheyna: Do you think a lot of bands were sacrificed to build Hangout?
Ti-Ness: I guess so, but Rommel had the money. He basically made them a good offer, and they accepted.
Cheyna: Since he was the backbone of the band, how has Rommel’s death affected the group?
Ti-Ness: The band did suffer at first because he was the one supporting us financially. But we had a choice, and since everyone in the band supported each other and we became a family, we decided to continue with the project.
Cheyna: How is the investigation into Rommel’s murder case going?
Ti-Ness: I honestly don’t know. His family doesn’t keep us posted on the investigation, so I can’t answer that question for you.
Cheyna: What’s Ti-Eddy’s musical background?
Ti-Ness: He’s related to one of the band’s administrators. We were looking for a percussion player, and he was brought in. We liked him immediately because he was talented and a fast learner.
Cheyna: Did Cleo’s pregnancy affect the band in any way?
Ti-Ness: It didn’t. We’re a family and we support each other. She’s a member, and she will remain on payroll during her entire pregnancy.
Cheyna: What’s the percentage of her return to the band?
Ti-Ness: One hundred percent.
Cheyna: How far along is she?
Ti-Ness: She’s five and a half months.
Cheyna: For how long will she be gone?
Ti-Ness: She’ll return a month after giving birth.
Cheyna: Do you have a replacement while she’s out on maternity leave?
Ti-Ness: Yes, we do. Her name is Belinda.
Cheyna: What’s her musical background?
Ti-Ness: She doesn’t have an HMI background. She mostly worked in the gospel circuit.
Cheyna: Why weren’t Cleo’s songs added to the album?
Ti-Ness: We thought it was best to hold them for the next album since she wouldn’t be able to sing them now.
Cheyna: Over the last few months, Hangout has been making a lot of news, both good and bad. One issue revolves around Cleo’s pregnancy and the alleged father, Ritchie. Do you think this has affected the band’s reputation?
Ti-Ness: No, not at all. Cleo is family and Ritchie is a good friend of the band. We all go through drama at some point. It didn’t affect us as a band.
Cheyna: A lot of fans are apparently concerned about Georgy’s weight. Is she working toward improving it?
Ti-Ness: Georgy is very concerned about her weight right now. She’s under a doctor’s care, and part of her therapy is to stay off her feet. Georgy has been dancing since her days with Zin, and it’s taken a toll on her. But she’s very aware of it and is working on improving her health.
Cheyna: Is Georgy looking forward to the face-off with Zin?
Ti-Ness: We all are looking forward to the event.
Cheyna: Will she be singing “911”?
Ti-Ness: It’s a great song. It’s playing all over the radio, so I don’t see why not. The song is based on an incident that took place a while ago, but she changed the event around a little. It’s not the actual event, but it’s based on it.
Cheyna: How’s your relationship with System Band these days?
Ti-Ness: We have a great relationship. They called me a while back to play on their upcoming album, and I ended up playing on five songs. If it weren’t for System, I wouldn’t be an icon today. System will always be my band no matter what.
Cheyna: Would you like to play with System in the near future?
Ti-Ness: Of course. When their album is released, I wouldn’t mind at all. I even see pairing them up with Hangout.
Cheyna: Where do you see Hangout in two years?
Ti-Ness: I see us going very far in the industry. I’d like us to be one of the number one bands. We have a lot to offer both older and younger generations. We’re very disciplined. We practice every week even if we don’t have shows. With consistency and determination, I don’t see why not.
Cheyna: Any final words to your fans?
Ti-Ness: I want to tell the Haitian community to support the band. Make sure when you’re buying the CD that you see the Galamix logo on it. Support the band so we
