Goapele brings an infusion of fresh energy and a
classic, yet new sound to R&B music with her sophomore set,
Change It All.
The Oakland, California-based songstress broke onto the Bay Area
music scene in 2001 with her ethereal EP, Closer, and the follow-up
full length album, Even Closer. Released on her family-owned record
company, Skyblaze Recordings, the album’s mix of soulful grooves
and thought-provoking lyrics introduced the world to a
multi-faceted artist and songwriter, known as much for her social
and political activism as for her lush romantic ballads.
“I grew up,” Goapele explains, “inspired by a tradition of soulful
singers like Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, and Miriam
Makeba, people who created timeless music and positive change in
the world. I’m also part of the hip hop generation, and my
influences continue to grow, so my music has become a blend of many
musical traditions.”
Critics from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Essence, Vibe, and a host of
others, hailed the songstress as an emerging artist to watch and
heralded Even Closer as an album that was ahead of its time. The
inspiring title track, “Closer,” notched 1’s on radio playlists
from San Francisco to LA to DC to Baton Rouge, and as of August,
2005, four years after its initial release, was 1 at the two
largest urban stations in Detroit.
Goapele followed up the release of her album debut by hitting the
road and taking her serene — yet inspiring — sound to the masses,
both stateside and abroad. Time and again, the singer wowed
sold-out crowds with her emotionally-powerful songs, energetic
spirit, and electrifying shows.
While Goapele garnered the support of music critics and fans, a
host of fellow musicians and celebrities–including The Roots, Talib
Kweli, Magic Johnson, Prince and Stevie Wonder–came under the spell
of her music, style and sensibility. “I’m very excited to get the
support of artists I’ve long admired,” she says.
For her new album, Goapele returned to her Bay Area roots to craft
an artistically challenging sophomore set inspired by her recent
experiences both in and out of the industry. The album was recorded
largely at her Skylight studios in Oakland with a combination of
old friends Jeff Bhasker, Mike Tiger, and Amp Live, and fresh
collaborators like the production team Sa-Ra Creative Partners
(Jill Scott, Bilal), veteran producer Linda Perry (Pink, Christina
Aguilera), Bay Area hip hop producer Bedrock (E-40, the Team) and
fellow soulster Dwele.
“It was really important to me to work with the people who helped
me with my first album,” Goapele says of her long-term and frequent
collaborators. “We know where each other is coming from, so there’s
already a strong foundation to create from. And we’ve all come
along way since we made “Even Closer”. Jeff [Bhasker], for example,
co-wrote and produced the title track of The Game’s album, ‘The
Documentary,’ last year, so I was really excited to come back
together in the studio with them and share our new skills and
experience.”
The result is a collection of love songs and politically and
socially inspired songs that remain true to Goapele’s firmly
planted soul roots while allowing her to branch out in a number of
exciting, new directions. Songs like the emotive “Darker Side Of
The Moon” and “Love Me Right,” with its electro-pop funk, show
Goapele taking aesthetic risks while staying true to her signature
sound.
“What I am happy about was that I don’t feel like any of the
collaborations were forced,” says Goapele. “They were connections
that were already there, and we were just waiting for the right
time to work together.”
Goapele collaborated with Linda Perry on “Darker Side Of The Moon,”
a ballad that reflects her ability to travel far beyond the borders
of traditional R&B while strengthening the core values of sweet
soul music.
“I met Linda at one of my shows in LA,” says Goapele of the
collaboration with Perry, “and we talked about the possibility of
working together. Although I was a fan of her music, I really
didn’t know how our styles would mesh, but I’m really proud of what
we created together. ‘Darker Side’ was inspired by Pink Floyd, who
I had recently become a fan of and had been a favorite of Linda’s
for years.”
The granddaughter of German holocaust survivors and South African
grandparents who lived through apartheid, Goapele knows the
importance of giving back time, energy and resources to the
community and the planet. “I’ve been involved in community
organization since I was 10, so it’s naturally integrated into my
music. One of the reasons I wanted to be a songwriter in the first
place was so I could sing lyrics that I believed in and that come
from my heart. I draw from my own experience and the experiences
I’ve watched others go through. I want my music to truly represent
me, instead of trying to fit stereotypes that women in this
industry are encouraged to fit into.”
The title track, “Change It All,” started with a song idea,” says
Goapele. “I was feeling disempowered and frustrated with the people
who were elected in 2000, and then re-elected, and frustrated about
the disappearing support for music and art and resources that are
being taken away from our local communities in order to fund a war
that many of us don’t believe in.”
In the spirit of Goapele’s interest in positive change, she and
Skyblaze founded an online community that shares its name with her
album. ChangeItAll.org presents Goapele’s musical message,
highlights political and social change-makers, and provides a forum
for Goapele’s fans and others to network and create ways to promote
action, creativity, courage and positive growth for people and
communities everywhere.
“In talking to the team at Skyblaze, we started thinking, ‘What if
we used this opportunity to create a tool for other people to
connect, ‘” she adds. “So, instead of looking at what’s wrong in
the world, let’s look at what changes are already happening and use
it as a way for people to organize around those things.”
For a singer whose name means ‘to move forward’ in Sitswana, a
South African language, her new album, Change It All, proves that
enlightened change can be a positive force in the world of music
and beyond. Note: Goapele is pronounced Gwa-pa-lay.
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