Wed 11/20 @ 8PM
In the late ’90s, a whole crop of female R&B singers with a splash of jazz in their sound emerged on the music scene.
Labelled “neo-soul,” singers like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, and Canton-born Macy Gray won the hearts of critics and fans for their warmth, musicality, accessibility, and ability to push the pocket a little while remaining rooted in soul music traditions.
One of the most talented of this super-talented crew was India.Arie. Despite the annoying punctuation she added to her name, she offers an elegantly sinuous take on R&B that couples bold lyrics with smooth melodies.
The music industry has been her oyster since she released her debut, Acoustic Soul, in 2001. How much do they love her? She’s been nominated for 21 Grammys and has won four; all four of her albums have been nominated for Best R&B album. She won once, for her second album, Voyage to India, in 2003. She’ll have another shot next year when her new album SongVersation, released in June, is eligible.
That album follows a four-year break the singer took to regroup and rethink how she was approaching her music. She says the new album represents “spiritual maturation, spiritual awakening, clearing out the old and starting anew.”
She’ll be at the House of Blues. Reggae singer Gramps Morgan opens.
Tickets are $29 in advance, $39 day of show.
http://www.soulbird.com/splash