Check out our interview with Cheri Moon and her first-ever Grammy nomination for “Best Children’s Music Album” with the group ‘One Tribe Collective’ under her performance name ‘Snooknuk’? Additionally, the remix of her 2021 female empowerment pop anthem, “Ain’t I A Woman” that was released on International Women’s Day went #1 on the DJ Spin Charts after releasing her “House Arrest” mixes during the pandemic.
Cheri was recently a part of the inspiring, all women performer line-up at Kukuza Fest: A Salute to Black Women in Family Music which aired virtually on April 10th from Washington, DC. Cheri proudly sang ‘Aint I A Woman’ in the first ever Black Women Family Music Festival. The festival was in part a response to the controversy surrounding the latest Grammy awards (only White artists were nominated for Best Children’s Album). The goal was to not only entertain children and families alike, but to educate them to all the incredible possibilities that are in front of them.
Follow Cheri @cherimoon
Hi Cheri, please tell us a little about you?
I’m a Singer/Songwriter and I love to write all kinds of music. I write songs for adults in the Pop, Dance & commercial world, but I also write songs for children and families too.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Multifaceted, Ambitious, Intuitive
How did you get started in the business?
I was musical from a very young age. I started in a gospel choir with my family. Then when I moved to NYC I got connected to some great people in the industry like Jimmy Douglass & Timbaland and that opened up a whole world for me.
How has this changed your life?
Linking with the Timbaland crew introduced me to so many amazing artists and writers like Missy Elliott, Static Major, & more. Having the chance to work with these people inspired me to become a writer.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
Soulful, Melodic, Memorable
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
In my family so many of us could sing or play instruments. So, there was always someone singing or playing music around the house, or we would all be singing together. When we tuned in to artists, I remember us listening to Luther Vandross, Temptations, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, The Gap Band & tons of Gospel groups. But as I got older, I fell in love and was inspired by Female artists such as Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Aretha, Pat Benatar, Annie Lennox, Janet Jackson, Regina Bell, etc…They were huge influencers musically for me.
Tell us about your Grammy nomination for “Best Children’s Music Album” with the group ‘One Tribe Collective’ under your performance name ‘Snooknuk’? That’s amazing. Congrats 🙂
Under my Family music artist name, Snooknuk, I collaborated on an album with an amazing group of Family music artists from all around the country. We were inspired to create music to address topics of STEM, family, Black history, and the beauty of differences. We set out to bring global awareness of how diverse the world of Family music is. We are all Black Music Artists in this space, and we bring many genres together in this creation. When making this album we had no idea we would be Nominated for a Grammy, so this is such an honor!
Do you ever get nervous?
I used to get nervous but not so much anymore. I mean if I’m really excited about a show or performance, I may get jittery.
Tell us about your hit mixes “Ain’t I A Woman,” and “House Arrest?”
My song “Ain’t I A Woman” is my Women’s empowerment anthem that I wrote to not only motivate myself but for women and girls all around the world. We need to have constant encouragement to do the important work that we do as women in whatever roles we choose for ourselves. To embrace who we are and run with that!
My song “House Arrest” is one of my fun dance songs that are about just dancing no matter where you are. To make life a party no matter what, even if you are locked in the house for some reason, maybe a pandemic :-). Dance it out!
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part of my work as Snooknuk is the fact that moms and families could use these songs and messages to teach their kids life lessons. Literally, they are tools to teach basic hygiene that have to be taught and also mindfulness. I feel great when parents reach out to me to tell me that they love the songs, or their kids can’t stop singing them or even more that it helped them through a challenging time. That makes what I do so worth it for me.
What would say are the greatest lessons you learned so far?
Things don’t always turn out the way you want them but learn to work with what is given and if you work it right it may turn out better than you could have imagined.
What’s next for Cheri Moon in 2022?
I’m working on another Snooknuk Album and a Christmas Holiday album. “Ain’t I a Woman” Remix EP will be out soon! I also have a couple of acting projects to start production this year so that’s very exciting.
What is your favorite healthy food?
I love salads
And your favorite cheat food?
Cheese Popcorn
How would you explain your fashion style?
I love edgy styles. I mix it up between avant-garde, retro, & funky. With my Snooknuk costumes, I tend to go with Space like costumes or polka-dots and stripes.
What is your own definition of happiness?
For me happiness is being able to fully enjoy something, being in complete contentment.
Best advice ever given?
Don’t get out of line before it’s your turn. (Don’t quit before you succeed)
Do you support any charity?
I like giving and supporting multiple charity organizations. One dear to my heart is Good+ Foundation. I’ve served as a drop-off location for donations for quite a while. Collecting wonderful items such as baby items, women’s goods, essentials, etc for families in need. We also ran annual diaper drives.
Where do you see yourself and your career 5 years from now?
A few years from now I see myself creating beautiful visual media content for Television. I always had a vision of making shows and creating music for storylines. Most of my songs for children are all very specific topics and have a lesson to them.
What do you think of Social Media?
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I love it for using it as a promotional tool and sometimes even finding things for inspiration. But it is addictive and has a lot of bad content that shouldn’t even be put out into the world. I hate that people rely on it as validation of themself.
Where can we follow you?
IG: cherimoon
FB: Cherimoon
IG: Mysnooknuk
FaceBook: Snooknuk
Twitter: @mysnooknuk
Quote: “It’s best to be prepared and not have an opportunity than to have an opportunity and Not be prepared”
TV Series: Peaky Blinders
Favorite Food: Ethiopian, French
Travel Destination: Paris
