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Kola
Moderator
Username: Kola
Post Number: 2184
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 03:38 am: | 
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NO LIE...
Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige, with a touch of Aretha Franklin all rolled up into one!
THE BEST CD...THAT I HAVE HEARD IN 2005!
Her official Web Site:
http://www.leelajames.com/
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REVIEW:
Don't let Leela James' size fool you. The diminutive woman with the high-pitched speaking voice is a dynamic, deep-voiced, old fashioned Soul singer. A former track star and business student at Cal State University, James set her sights on a professional singing career in the late 90s. She was signed by RuffNation Records but her contract was absorbed by the giant Warner label upon RuffNation's demise. Unfortunately, her project fell between the cracks at RuffNation and Warner for nearly four years.
Her personal trials as an artist in limbo led to the overall theme of the debut album she put together for Warner. Called A Change Is Gonna Come, the album was designed to capture the varied influences in James' musical life, ranging from Gospel to the Blues to classic Soul, and the lyrical theme of facing and overcoming obstacles -- a subject she came to know well during the long period working to get the project released. The album's executive producer, Commissioner Gordon (who also worked on Lauryn Hill's landmark Miseducation of Lauryn Hill disc), helped bring together an All-Star list of producers to work on the CD -- surprising for a new artist's release -- including Kanye West, Raphael Saadiq, Wyclef Jean, James Poysner, Chucky Thompson and Mtume.
A Change Is Gonna Come was released in June 2005 to favorable critical response, and with good reason. "When You Love Someone" is a deep, soulful love song that could have come from 60s Memphis, and James' deep, expressive voice wrings everything out of the cut. Equally impressive are the organ-based "Music" and the bluesy "My Joy." James' voice has been compared to Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan, but I hear a gutsier Angela Bofill. And guts are what are required to take on a cover of Sam Cooke's seminal "A Change Is Gonna Come," a song she put on the album at her mother's request. While the disc has some uneven spots, overall it is a triumph for a new artist with a great voice and surprisingly soulful expressiveness. I can't wait to hear more...
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Kola
Moderator
Username: Kola
Post Number: 2185
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 03:54 am: |
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NOTE
If you go to her web site and let your PC just "stay" there....the album will begin to PLAY.
You have to wait, though.
There are 20 songs on the CD...I don't know how many her web site plays.
My favorite cuts are "When You Love Someone", "Don't Speak" and the remake of "A Change Is Gonna Come"....and so many more.
I JUST LOVE THIS CD!!!
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Blaklioness
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 08:24 pm: |
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Kola,
Sorry to break the train of thought here, but can you make specific recommendations from the works of Mr. Sembene....I'm trying to track down some resources now and would like to be pointed in the right direction if possible. I was reading up on him on the web and noticed that he was some progressive attitudes towards African woman...so now, I'm really anxious to get my hands on something. Thanks! |
Kola_boof
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Kola_boof
Post Number: 758
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 08:35 pm: |
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Moolaade
Faat Kine
Guelwaar
Black Girl (1964)
are all classic films by Sembene.
He's the greatest BLACK filmmaker in history and he also makes the very best women's films---Faat Kine and Moolaade being perfect examples.
He is the HERO of my life.
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Renata
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Renata
Post Number: 153
Registered: 08-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 - 10:40 pm: |
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That's kind of what my hair looks like. Just not colored and a little bigger. I love that look. Maybe I'll have my eyebrows done like hers. |
Anonymous
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 07:12 pm: |
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