“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.”
Goapele – Change It All – Sony Urban Music – IN STORES NOW
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.
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