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India.Arie
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Listening now: Koryu-chan, hudhudhud, lstanton2006
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.
Top Albums
Top Tracks
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Video
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The Heart Of The Matter
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Brown Skin
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Promises
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Back to the Middle
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Beautiful
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Simple
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I See God in You
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Outro
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Part of My Life
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The Truth
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Get It Together
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Can I Walk With You
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There's Hope
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Shoutbox
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Scratchproof wrote:
What a voice ! <3
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teesquared_ wrote:
....luv the profile pic!!!
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Funkadelicer wrote:
i love her voice!
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ticklemeangel wrote:
...But I learned to love myself unconditionally, because I am a queen.
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GHELIX wrote:
high5 everyone :) enjoy the music
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D-lilah wrote:
http://www.lastfm.pl/group/India.Arie
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Mojim wrote:
I <33333333333333333333333 "Acoustic Soul"!!
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Prittyricky wrote:
sexy young lady someone I would marry \
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krawrys wrote:
"forgiveness, even if you don't love me anymore" (':
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countersam37 wrote:
she just sings o ur soul......great musician
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Chingy314 wrote:
Ready For Love <3
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HazyDawn wrote:
Such a great singer. Love this girl! India.Arie<3
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love2groov wrote:
India Arie has a twin I believe http://tinyurl.com/djh3s6
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aliekha wrote:
Her voice is sooo beautiful, n I like her collabo wit Beady Belle. Have somebody heard it?ya should check that out
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Kamadada wrote:
mercercy - I envy you :)
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Kamadada wrote:
she has great voice and amazing songs with a lof of guitar.
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blackcony wrote:
yo! what,s up my man!sister bother! is blackcony(sexyR&B nusoul 2-step) in china! take here--- http://blackcony0220.blog.163.com/edit/
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sluglovesugly wrote:
Her music is amazing, so fluent and melodic, I love it :]
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blackambition wrote:
WHY isn't her most recent album not on her top albums????
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mercercy wrote:
Saw her last night. It was awesome. :)
Videos
See more
Events
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Jul
15
John Legend with India.Arie
Charlottesville Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA, United States
Add shout
| 1 attendee
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Jul
18
Mile High Music Festival
Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Denver, United States
31 shouts
| 85 attendees
- Jul 28 John Legend with India Arie Murat Theatre at the Murat Centre, Indianapolis, United States
Listeners
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Koryu-chan
Listening now
to Summer (Feat. Rascal… -
wiggendahlen
Listening now
to Ghetto -
H0R0BI
Top Listener
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sandra_regina_
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milrbs5
Top Listener
Recent Activity
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enigmatico_j, RenaldFM, D_Stephick and 9 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. yesterday evening
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raul_martman95 connected India.Arie to the group Soul Not Dead. Saturday evening
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perpetualdreamw, afrodelight, SilverGirlSails and 7 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. Saturday evening
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OneLuvGurl added India.Arie to the lineup of John Legend with Special Guest India.Arie at Hard Rock Live. Friday morning
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bakerw82, talyferraz, Hanzz6 and 11 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. Thursday evening
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kreslava tagged India.Arie with singer-songwriter, rnb, neo-soul and 2 other tags. Wednesday evening
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kreslava, 83christine, ermngldzgn and 9 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. Wednesday evening
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osculatio tagged India.Arie with ‘neo-soul’. Wednesday morning
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paininmylife365, ArduinaC, Zabrinikah and 5 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. Wednesday morning
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Seebemol, shirin861230, ssulawesi and 8 other people added India.Arie to their libraries. Tuesday evening
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