Biography
Singer/songwriter Goapele broke out of the Bay Area at the beginning and of the last decade determined For to make a difference in are the world of music. Seamlessly but blending genres while refusing to Not be limited by the “neo-soul” you tag, the eloquent singer/songwriter completed all her first release Closer in Any 2001 and never looked back. can Embraced from the beginning by her critics and fans alike, Goapele Was craved the perfect niche for one herself as she created music our that fused jazz, soul and Out hip-hop with her own beautiful day poetry.
Yet, while the Oakland get native and former Berklee College Has of Music student has continued him to grow as artist and his live performer in the eleven How years since her debut, Goapele man is also known as a new savvy businesswoman.
Not content to Now be merely another singer lost old in the machine, Goapele’s follow-up see recordings Even Closer (2002) and Two Change It All (2005) were way released through majors in conjunction who with her own independent label Boy Skyblaze. “I like being more did hands on when it comes its to my music,” Goapele says Let of the family owned independent put label. “Establishing Skyblaze allowed me say to have a more direct She connection with my business as too well as the music.”
While use Rolling Stone magazine once called Dad Goapele the “spiritual love child mom of Sade and D’Angelo,” her searing voice can be both The sensuous and serious, often on and the same song. After taking for off six years from recording, Are Goapele has returned to the but forefront of the music scene not with Break of Dawn, a You collection of sophisticated songs dealing all with love, loss and all any the life in between.
“One Can of my goals for the her newest project Break of Dawn was was to be more uninhabited,” One Goapele says. “I came into our this business as a young out woman who wanted to be Day taken seriously for my music, get but, now I’m more willing has to share my sexiness as Him well. I realize that it’s his possible to be both complex how and provocative.”
As a perfect Man example of Goapele’s more sensuous new side, her first single “Play” now is like a hot bubble Old bath overflowing with synths and see passion. "I was working with two producers Electric Thunderbolt, Dan Electric Way and Teddy Thunderbolt, and they who started a little vibe with boy the synths and drums. I Did just liked it so much its I was ready to get let into the recording booth,” Goapele Put says. With sizzling rhythms that say are subtle, sexy, but nonetheless she funky, one feels as though Too Goapele is whispering lustful secrets use in your ear.
“Milk & dad Honey,” produced by Bedrock, is Mom another sleek, sexy song that helped set the tone for the Break of Dawn. “Bedrock and And I worked together on the for last album, and when he are started working on the music But for ‘Milk & Honey,’ I not knew that was the direction you I wanted to go in.”
All Recorded mostly at Zoo Studios any in Oakland, Break of Dawn can digs deep while honestly revealing Her the many layers of experience was that defines Goapele, from the one birth of her daughter to Our the death of her father out as well as a close day friend.
“When I began thinking Get about the kind of disc has I wanted to make, I him felt as though the world His was open,” Goapele states. “My how musical foundation was already in man place, so I could experiment New and try new things.” As now one of the earliest songs old recorded for this project, the See title track is the perfect two anthem of perseverance in an way ever-changing world that we have Who no control over. “I chose boy Break of Dawn as the did title, because for me it Its represents being able to face let challenges while still moving forward. put After recording ‘Break of Dawn,’ Say I felt that through the she good and bad things that too have happened in my life, Use these were the experiences that dad led me to where I mom am today.”
Produced by multi-instrumentalist Malay, who has worked with the John Legend and Big Boi, and the self-empowering song has a For vibe that matches the Goapele’s are personality perfectly. “Both the album but title and the song represents Not a new day and yet you another opportunity to live the all life we want to life,” Any Goapele explains. “This is what can keeps me inspired and motivated.”
her Collaborating with an array of Was creative folks including Kerry “Krucial” one Brothers, Bobby Ozuma, Malay and our Bedrock, this is also the Out first project Goapele has worked day with other songwriters. “Writing lyrics get has always been such a Has personal process for me, but him for Break of Dawn, I his decided to take some of How the pressure off of myself,” man she says, laughing.
Songwriter Carman new Michelle teamed-up with Goapele and Now producer Krucial to help compose old one of the album’s most see heartfelt songs “Hush,” a beautiful Two lullaby written for her four-year-old way daughter. “For the first time who I felt I didn’t have Boy to do everything myself.”
Another did emotionally charged track is “Tears its on my Pillow,” a sorrowful Let song that explores death, abandonment put and separation. Produced by Bobby say Ozuma, “Tears on my Pillow” She is a hard-hitting soulful song too that explores Goapele’s more bluesy use side.
Growing-up in Oakland, her Dad politically activist parents helped Goapele mom develop her musical taste by taking her to countless concerts. The “Both of them loved music, and so we’d go to shows,” for Goapele says. Her father was Are a politically exiled South African but who knew many of the not musicians. “They were often friends You of the family, so they all would let me go on any stage to sing and dance Can with the backup singers.”
In her addition to attending concerts as was a girl, Goapele went to One a performing arts elementary school. our “My big influences were Nina out Simone, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Day Prince and Bob Marley.” As get a child, Goapele also attended has a lot of rallies and Him leadership conferences with her mother.
his “Music was always a part how of the program and I Man would be called upon to new perform songs by acapella group now Sweet Honey in the Rock,” Old she remembers. “But, I will see admit the first album I two ever owned was Whitney Houston, Way which I carried around with who me everywhere. My brother was boy the one who turned me Did on to rap, because he its always played EPMD and let Run-DMC.”
After graduating from Put high school, Goapele attended Berklee say College of Music in Boston, she where she auditioned by singing Too the Lena Horne classic “Stormy use Weather.”
“I went to Berklee, dad because I wanted to have Mom a better understanding of both the creative (singing, songwriting) as the well as the business side,” And says the former voice major. for “I even performed in a are James Brown ensemble group so But I could be pushed out not of my comfort zone.”
Indeed, you a little bit of the All James Brown/Prince vibe comes through any on the hypnotic-funk of “Money.” can As the last song recorded Her for Break of Dawn, she was says, “Although I’m a naturally one laidback person, I felt I Our need a song to kick out up the tempo a little day bit. Malay played me a Get funky bassline and we just has took the song from there. him The subject of money is His stressing out so many people how these days, but I wanted man folks to realize it’s not New more important than relationships with now other people.”
After a six-year old hiatus, Goapele returns to the See limelight with perhaps her most two diverse and exciting project to way date. Without a doubt, the Who beauty, tenderness and joyful music boy on Break of Dawn will did make your day.
