Community Corner

Stratfordite Named to CT Mag's '40 Under 40'

Former residents also nominated.

Stratford resident Arika Kane is among Connecticut Magazine’s “best and brightest,” as catalogued in a piece called “40 Under 40: Class of 2014.”

Kane, 28, is an R&B singer and the voice on a VH1 show called “Hollywood Exes,” according to a short bio by Connecticut Magazine.

The bio reads, “From growing up in a musical family in Killingly to being a singer-songwriter whose ‘Make It’ is the theme song of VH1’s ‘Hollywood Exes,’ with songs featured on ‘What Chilli Wants,’ ‘Basketball Wives’ and ‘Single Ladies,’ Arika Kane is an artist whose brand of budding success is built on two big I’s: independence and integrity.

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“Kane is aligned with the Connecticut-based independent label BSE Recordings, and while her VH1 affiliations may not seem deep and philosophical, talking to Kane and listening to her lyrics reveals that she’s all about empowering women and succeeding with substance, rather than flirting with the passing fancy of fame.”

Former Stratford residents nominated

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Also among the chosen are former Stratford residents Javier Colon, Daymon “Daym” Patterson, and Jason Hammell and Kori Gardner of the indie pop band Mates of State.

Colon, a 1995 graduate of Bunnell High School, burst onto the music scene after winning NBC's "The Voice" in 2011.

Patterson is a charismatic food critic whose reviews on YouTube have millions of hits. Here’s one for Five Guys, which has more than 4.6 million views.

Mates of State do pretty well for themselves on YouTube as well. Here’s a link to one of their songs, “Get Better.”


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