Ledisi
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| Ledisi | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana  |
| Genre(s) | R&B, Soul |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Label(s) | Verve Forecast LeSun Records |
| Website | Ledisi.com |
Ledisi Anibade Young (pronounced /ˈlɛdɨsiː/) is a Grammy-nominated R&B singer from New Orleans. Her first name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Ledisi grew up in a musical family; her mother sang in a Louisiana R&B band, and Ledisi first began performing at age eight with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. She moved to Oakland, California, where she was nominated for a Shellie award in 1990 for her performance in a production of The Wiz and performed in an extended run with the San Francisco cabaret troupe, Beach Blanket Babylon.[1] She studied opera and piano for five years at University of California Berkeley in their Young Musicians Program.
In the 1990s, she formed a group called Anibade, alongside Sundra Manning (keyboards, songwriting), Cedrickke Dennis (guitar), Nelson Braxton (bass), Wayne Braxton (sax), and Tommy Bradford (drums), playing a jazz and hip-hop influenced kind of soul.[1] The group won acclaim in the Bay Area, and recorded a demo which scored airplay on local stations. Ledisi tried to get the group signed to a major label, but had no luck, and the group released its first album, Soulsinger, independently in January of 2000.[1]
Her second album, Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue, was also released independently in 2002, and is now a collector's item. During this time she also recorded commercials for the SCI FI Channel. In 2007, she signed with Verve, and her major-label debut, Lost & Found, was released on August 28, 2007. A single from this album, "Alright", has hit #65 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart.[2]
Ledisi is known for her jazz influenced vocals. She is often compared to Ella Fitzgerald and is known for her scat style of singing.
In December 2007 she received a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist.[3] Ledisi is slated to appear in the film Leatherheads opening April 4, 2008. She appeared on Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns soundtrack.
[edit] Awards/Nominations
- BET Awards
- 2008, BET J Cool Like Dat Award (Nominated)
- Grammy Awards
- 2008, Best New Artist (Nominated)
- 2008, Best R&B Album: Lost & Found (Nominated)
[edit] Discography
- Soulsinger ([LeSun Records], 2000)
- Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue (LeSun, 2002)
- Lost & Found (Verve Forecast, 2007)
[edit] Other Appearances
| Year | Song | Artist | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Alright" | Ledisi | Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns | Atlantic |
| 2008 | "Waters of March" | Sergio Mendez featuring Ledisi | Encanto | Concord Records |
| 2007 | "Blues in the Night" | Ledisi | We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song | Verve Music Group |
| 2007 | "Devotion" | Ledisi | Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind, & Fire |
Concord Music Group |
| 2007 | "To Love Again" | Gordon Chambers featuring Ledisi | Love Stories | Chamber Music |
| 2006 | "I Can't Let You Go" | Steve Hartsman Harvey featuring Ledisi | Everyday People Project | Expansion UK |
| 2005 | "The Rain" | Ledisi & various artists | Def Jazz | GRP Records |
| 2005 | "My Sensitivity" (f/Boney James) | Ledisi & various artists | Forever, For Always, For Luther | GRP / Verve |
| 2005 | "White Boys" | Ledisi/Brandi Chavonne Massey/Shayna Steele | Hair - Actor's Fund of America Benefit Recording | Ghostlight |
| 2005 | "World of Vibrations" | Ledisi | The Craft - Blackalicious | Anti Records |
| 2004 | "Thinkin' 'Bout Me" | Boney James featuring Ledisi | Pure | Warner Bros. Records |
| 2004 | "Scat World" | Maysa featuring Ledisi | Smooth Sailing | Encoded Music |
| 2004 | "So Right" | Ledisi | Soul Satisfaction: A collection of Nu-Soul Gems | Shanachie Records |
| 2004 | "NST" | Robby Young featuring Ledisi | The Love of Love | Artist One-Stop |
| 2004 | "Don't Stop" | Maroons by Lateef and the Chief featuring Ledisi | Maroons: Ambush | Quantum Projects |
| 2003 | "Different Times" | Raphael Saadiq featuring Ledisi | Live: All Hits at the House of Blues | Pookie Entertainment |
| 2003 | I Want'cha Babe" | Ledisi | New Sirens of Song-Sultry Singer | Sugo Music |
| 2003 | Whatcha Gonna Do" | Frank McComb | The Truth | Expansion UK |
| 2002 | "Better Than Nothing" | Braxton Brothers featuring Ledisi | Both Sides | Peak Records |
| 2001 | "Going Back to New Orleans" | Pancho Sanchez featuring Ledisi | Latin Spirits | Concord Records |
| 2001 | "I've Got It, & Good Lovin" | Ledisi | Organic Soul | Soul Brother Records |
| 2000 | "Negros" | Omar Sosa featuring Ledisi | Bembon | Ota Records |
| 2000 | "NST" | David Alvarado featuring Ledisi | Soundscapes: Live from London | Phatt Funk Records |
| 1999 | "NST" | Third Eye Blind | Blue | Elektra |
| 1999 | Breaking it Down (Jay's Naked Music) | Miguel Migs | Nude Dimensions:Naked Music Vol.1-The Petal Pusher Session | Astralwerks |
| 1995 | "NST" | Xiame featuring Ledisi | Canto D'Alma | Valley Media |
