I’m still on a music kick which means that today’s Friday Freestyle features a musician. She is a lady who I first heard about on Honeysoul.com. You can also hear her music played on Sugatreats each Monday night from 8 p.m. to midnight on 90.3 FM or online at Sugatreats.com. You can also hear a small sampling of her music on her myspace.com page.
Bio:
Joy Denalane was born in Berlin-Schoeneberg as the third of six children to a German Mother and a South African Father. At the age of six the family moved on to Berlin-Kreuzberg, a more racially diverse part of the city, where Joy entered school and spent the greater part of her adolescence. At sixteen, she left home and began focusing on music.
The name Denalane is South African and means shining star (in Pedi); it is as if the young teen had no other choice but to muster the courage and follow her predestined path to eventual celebrity. Equipped with a mixture of political awareness, nurtured by an upbringing heavy on education, and self-acquired street smarts, the ambitious teen hit the Berlin music scene, playing with local soul and reggae bands.
This newest work, “Born&Raised”, although musically more focused than its predecessor, manages to preserve the multiplicity and dynamism Joy Denalane fans have grown used to. Teaming up with husband/producer Max Herre as well as songwriter Sékou Neblett, a long time friend and colleague, Joy has crafted a true masterpiece. “Born&Raised” is a timeless mélange of late sixties soul, contemporary Hip Hop/R&B, Gospel, and heart felt ballads.
The songs were recorded in Philadelphia’s famous “The Studio” and engineered by the internationally renowned Axel Niehaus. Vocal guest-features include the legendary Raekwon of the Wu Tang Clan, to be heard on Joy’s remake of his classic “Heaven or Hell” and Jay-Z’s newest prodigy, Lupe Fiasco, on the socially critical “Change”. Musical contributions were made by keyboarder, James Poyser (Hammond B3); bassist and producer, Anthony Tidd; acclaimed horn players, Matt Cappy (tp) along with Jeff “Bone Deep” Bradshaw (tb); and the internationally celebrated arranger/composer, Larry Gold and a slew of the best musicians from New York and Philadelphia including guitar player Chris Sholar (Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder), drummer Steve Mckie (Bilal), bassist Josh David, vocalist Erika Hicks and keyboarder Junius Bervine (Musiq, D´Angelo, Antony Hamilton).
It was producer Max Herre’s vision to record all of the musical tracks with live instruments, while preserving the simplicity and grit of sample based music. Through this approach instrumentals that had originally consisted of samples, such as contributions made by Kanye’s mentor No ID or Jake One (De La Soul, G Unit), BAB Garde ( Frankfurt / Main ) could be arranged and altered at will. This progressive production concept, which further sets “Born&Raised” apart, was, by Max’s own account, tedious but well worth it.
In the end “Born&Raised” is one of those rare works of art that is both tantalizing and familiar, an instant classic that one listens to over and over again, revealing a new side of its self each time. [Source]
Buy your copy of Born & Raised now!
anon
March 9, 2007
Wow. I’m stunned. I just went over to Amazon & spent $20 on getting a CD. This is the best female R&B Vocalist I’ve heard since Jaguar Wright and to think it’s her first English joint is amazing because she sells total gritty “soul” on tracks like One In A Million.
The production is diverse and tight, mix perfect, arrangement fabulous. That Organ and Acoustic Guitar is as down home soulful as classic Al Green. I used to be in the business and I look at this critical, for weak points, I see none (other than the business network around her that’s necessary for her to get radio rotation and distribution and shelf space all the bullshit that comes with the business).
It’s all tight though as a product, top to bottom. Thanks Uptown Flavor for tipping me off, damn I’ve been sleeping on this for a while.