“For the last 10 years the singer, whose name means “to bring forth” in the Nigerian Yoruba language, has been bringing a sizzling gumbo of lovelorn R&B, juke joint funk and straight ahead jazz to music lovers from the Bay Area and beyond. A New Orleans native, Ledisi had gained a loyal following, including kudos from heavyweights like Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Rachelle Farrell, and released two critically acclaimed independent CDs (2000’s “Soul Singer” and 2002’s “Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue”), but says she was getting fed up with the daily grind and the constant pressures to fit into an industry that favors image over talent. “I was trying to listen to everyone else — ‘lose this amount of weight and do this with your hair and you can be the next this’ and I was like ‘Ewww,’” she says.”
So an article I wrote on Oakland jazz and soul singer Ledisi went live a couple of days ago. She’s been grinding for years, pushing CD’s and gigging in back rooms and Jazz clubs around the country, but ever since getting a couple of Grammy nods last year sis has been mad busy trekking the globe and getting all famous. After a long road it’s good to see her getting her due.
After trying to get a hold of each other for damned near a year, we finally chopped it up for a couple of hours on one of her few off days. All I can say is that it was worth the wait. Sis is hands down one of the most down to earth, humble and determined people I’ve come across in or out of my professional life. I was impressed by how at ease she was and she talked this during the interview, saying how she was glad she was getting the attention now that she was ready for it, rather then a few years back when she was still figuring things out-her self. her sound, the world. Y’know.
Check the interview on the here.
And if you haven’t got a listen to her new album yet I suggest you put it high on your too buy list. Some funky gut bucket jazz for that ass.
KwanDammit
Boothism
Boothism
