India.Arie
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India.Arie, born India Arie Simpson on October 3, 1975, in Denver, Colorado.
She absorbed musical skill early in life, encouraged by both parents: her mother, Joyce, herself a former singer, and now India Arie’s stylist; and her father, former ABA and NBA basketball player Ralph Simpson (not former NBA star player Ralph Sampson, as has been mistakenly reported in some media). She had taken up a succession of musical instruments throughout her schooling in Denver, Colorado, but her interest in the guitar while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design led to a personal revelation about songwriting and performing. “When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs,” she said at the press release of her debut album, Acoustic Soul.
Co-founding the Atlanta-based independent music collective GroovmentEarthseed (Groovement was the collective artists’ name and Earthshare was their independent label name), her one-song turn on a locally released compilation led to a second-stage gig at the Lilith Fair. Their Universal Records/Motown music scout spotted her and made an introduction to Motown CEO Kedar Massenburg. Sidestepping all the devices of flavor-of-the-month record-making, Acoustic Soul acquainted listeners with a brave and eloquent new voice, drawing an uncommonly broad swath of listeners from hip-hop, the so called neo-soul, blues, folk, and classic troubadour-style singer/songwriting, all at once. The album, released in 2001, debuted at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and number three on the R&B album chart. Within months, without the concentrated radio play that typically powers pop and rap albums, Acoustic Soul was certified double-platinum.
She absorbed musical skill early in life, encouraged by both parents: her mother, Joyce, herself a former singer, and now India Arie’s stylist; and her father, former ABA and NBA basketball player Ralph Simpson (not former NBA star player Ralph Sampson, as has been mistakenly reported in some media). She had taken up a succession of musical instruments throughout her schooling in Denver, Colorado, but her interest in the guitar while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design led to a personal revelation about songwriting and performing. “When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs,” she said at the press release of her debut album, Acoustic Soul.
Co-founding the Atlanta-based independent music collective GroovmentEarthseed (Groovement was the collective artists’ name and Earthshare was their independent label name), her one-song turn on a locally released compilation led to a second-stage gig at the Lilith Fair. Their Universal Records/Motown music scout spotted her and made an introduction to Motown CEO Kedar Massenburg. Sidestepping all the devices of flavor-of-the-month record-making, Acoustic Soul acquainted listeners with a brave and eloquent new voice, drawing an uncommonly broad swath of listeners from hip-hop, the so called neo-soul, blues, folk, and classic troubadour-style singer/songwriting, all at once. The album, released in 2001, debuted at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and number three on the R&B album chart. Within months, without the concentrated radio play that typically powers pop and rap albums, Acoustic Soul was certified double-platinum.
Shouts:
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Top Albums
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Beautiful Flower
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Therapy
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Acoustic Soul
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Voyage To India
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Shoutbox
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marrythenight- wrote:
~ I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter because the flesh will get weak and the ashes will scatter...So I'm thinkin' about forgiveness,forgiveness...Even if you don't love me anymore...♥
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howboutufrank wrote:
This woman is AMAZING. Music for the soul.
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top20fanatico wrote:
A truly Soul Diva! <3
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Igore2010 wrote:
I cant wait for the new album!
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TonyaTheBullet wrote:
Im your fan
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Ghost24fr wrote:
READY FOR LOVE check the same song by EDYTA GORNIAK !
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lovnlife wrote:
really feel a connection to Voyage to India and Acoustic Soul....beautiful!
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HenriqueMontan wrote:
perfect voice
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mrsean20 wrote:
love you
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soul-and-more wrote:
from 265 artists, 10 are characteristic for Soul last.fm groups, and ... India.Arie is also in the list, see others at: http://www.last.fm/user/soul-and-more/journal
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Rafa-Music wrote:
<3
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i_love_mangos wrote:
her talent is the truth
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DonMavis wrote:
INDIA, WE NEED A NEW ALBUM ♥ [6]
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Arcadius13 wrote:
Wszystkich fanów Soulu i Jazzu zapraszam na polskie forum poświęcone tej właśnie tematyce. Naprawdę warto dołączyć, im nas więcej tym weselej. Poza tym poszukujemy redaktorów i moderatorów tak więc jeśli ktoś zainteresowany, zapraszam na forum. ;) www.soulhouse.fora.pl
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OnUrb_88 wrote:
Happy birthday, India!
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Whiskerss wrote:
http://www.lastfm.pl/group/The+Idan+Raichel+Project
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beanscout wrote:
Just started listening. I am in <3
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Ulalala16 wrote:
Her music, voice, lyrics make me smile. ;)
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Arcadius13 wrote:
Definitely the BEST artist ever! My number one! I love you India!
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lucashaughton wrote:
INDIA, WE NEED A NEW ALBUM ♥ [5]
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Recent Activity
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iamnigeljones, sugar316, Surreal81 and 67 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. 27 minutes ago
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BPS-HexRx tagged India.Arie with ‘female vocalists’. Saturday evening
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catchup2u, carolynt1, caro2011 and 12 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. Saturday evening
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pickelspritzer tagged India.Arie with ‘soul’. Friday evening
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pickelspritzer, Paulette1955, turner013 and 10 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. Friday evening
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oraweeinthasut created the wiki page for Ultimate R&B Love 2010. February 2011
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jeffreeh wrote about India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 1 Life & Relationship in a deleted journal. November 2010
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jeffreeh wrote about India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 1 Life & Relationship in Top Albums: 15-21 September. September 2010
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jeffreeh wrote about India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 1 Life & Relationship in Top Albums: 20-27 July. July 2010
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PatientiaTonks wrote about Jem – Sex And The City: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack in Albums Week 28.03 - 03.04. April 2010
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Groups (83)
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Musiq
28 members
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The Association Of Anti-Dilution Of RnB/Soul
26 members
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India.Arie
43 members
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NewSoul&B
79 members
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Networking for the Nu-Soul
878 members
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