….well, not actually but two-time Grammy Award® nominated artist KEM  has completed his first holiday album, WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS, set for an October 16th release, which will highlight a duet with Verve recording artist Ledisi, on “Be Mine For Christmas” co-written by KEM and new collaborator Melanie Rutherford.  The album will also include orchestra arrangements by Motown “Funk Brother”, Paul Reiser.

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS is a 10-song album that will weave new original Christmas compositions with traditional holiday classics.

“Writing and recording a Christmas album is something that I’ve wanted to do for some time,” said KEM. “Half of the album consists of covers of my favorite holiday songs, and half are original compositions. I’d classify it as a classic Christmas album with a romantic spin, that’s thoughtful, warm and sensuous. My hope is that people will be playing it for years to come.”

So be sure to stay tuned for the upcoming single release!!!

Ledisi is nominated for an outstanding three Grammys this year; Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for the single “Pieces Of Me”, and Best R&B Album for the album Pieces Of Me.

And to think that at one time she seriously considered leaving the music industry because she was unsure of where she fit in.  

It’s a good thing she didn’t leave because in 2007 she joined the Verve music label and released her third album Lost & Found. The album earned Ledisi her first two Grammy nominations and she’s been getting the Grammy nod ever since. Ledisi’s 2009 album Turn Me Loose earned her two more Grammy nominations. So, combined with this year’s nominations, Ledisi has a total of seven Grammy nominations under her belt.

Look at what happens when you just hang on and “do you”. To find out if Ledisi wins, tune in to the Grammy Awards on February 12 at 8/7c on CBS.

Ledisi will perform in the MLK Day concert at the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. The museum opens its doors and offers free admission to the public on January 16. Cleveland residents and visitors will have a chance to witness in person a special acoustic show and experience her soulful, yet commanding voice and her non-stop, incredible show. Ledisi along with pop singer Kelly Clarkson will pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. with a special performance on their Main Stage for museum-goers. For more information please visit: http://rockhall.com/event/mlk-day-2012/

Source: Press Release

Connect with Ledisi

www.ledisi.com

“…even the man who has everything, would be so happy if you would bring; Him love on Christmas Day. No greater gift is there than love”

Best rendition EVER! ( Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!!!! It’s Ledisi FOR THE WIN!

MERRY CHRISTMAS GFM FAMILY, VIEWERS AND FANS.
Have a blessed, safe, joyous holiday and a very merry New Year!

“My Sensitivity” is one of those songs that is so catchy that you may just find yourself randomly humming it in the grocery store. “My Sensitivity” is another gem from “The Night I Fell in Love” album. This time Mr. Vandross gets covered as Ledisi and Boney James remade this song for volume 1 of the “Forever, For Always, For Luther” series.

“The Night I Fell in Love” is available at Amazon.com and the mp3 for “My Sensitivity” is also available.

Ledisi and Boney James’ version:

It was very apparent when I was interviewing Tracy Cruz that she is an artist concerned with the purpose of music as a healing force to unite humanity. She is grounded, humble and quite simply: talented. At the end of our interview please check out the video for “Love’s Galaxy”. Also, Tracy’s latest project Universoul Symphony is out now and I encourage you to pick up a copy here. And without any further adieu…

GFM: I wanted to start by asking you to take us back to the beginning when you started taking voice lessons… and specifically your experience with participating in vocal competitions, I wanted to hear from you your thoughts on getting a solid musical foundation and how does the experience of competing from a young age impact you today?

TC: My mom really encouraged me to take vocal lessons, my mom and my grandma both loved to sing and they really encouraged me to pursue my passion for singing. I had met with a vocal coach Greg Farbizio at Darrell Leffler’s Academy of Music who I met when I was 12 and from there on he taught me the basics of singing and helped me to develop my style. I told him that I always loved R&B/Soul music so, he taught me a little bit of classical music and musical theater but then we really focused on R&B/Soul because he knew I really loved it.

My mom and my vocal coach encouraged me to go outside the studio and they really allowed to express myself in a different way, a way that I could interact with people. That interaction helped me to build a lot of sensitivity to musical expression. I was really able to dig into the essence of the songs that I was singing and tap into that really sensitive core and take that with me when I perform and share that on stage. I use that to try to interact with people, inspire people, move people and make them cry. I think taking vocal lessons and being in vocal competitions allowed me to have a better foundation. It allowed me to believe in my self more, I was very shy. (more…)

Ledisi – Alright
Conya Doss – Celebrate
Ledisi – Coffee
Conya Doss – Turn It Up
Ledisi – The One
Conya Doss – What I’d Do
Ledisi – In The Morning
Conya Doss – Smile Again
Ledisi – Pieces Of Me
Conya Doss – Meantime
Ledisi – Goin’ Thru Changes
Conya Doss – That’s Not Love
Ledisi – I Need Love

Listen to the podcast here

What is Grown Folks Music M EP 13 Conya Doss vs Ledisi by GrownFolksMusic

Get at me to hear more
DJ 1derful Home Page
DJ 1derful on Facebook
DJ 1derful on Twitter

Peace and Blessings

1

Kem At The Fox Theatre in Atlanta

Tailor made with a tilted fedora, a debonair panache and a grin that made women swoon at The Fox Theatre, it is safe to say Kem’s Intimacy Tour probably increased the Atlanta population by a few thousand Friday night! If you didn’t have an opportunity to catch the 2 sold out shows featuring Musiq Soulchild and Ledisi, you really missed a “GROWN” affair dripping with sophistication. However, to give you a taste of what you missed or what’s in store for your city, catch our backstage and show pics from Friday night’s show. Also, be sure to bookmark Kem’s website to see upcoming shows in your town!! (more…)