Estelle Fanta Swaray (born 18 January 1980 in London, United Kingdom) commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer. In 2009, she won a Grammy Award for American Boy featuring Kanye West in the category for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration as well receiving the MOBO for 'Best Newcomer' and received three consecutive 'Best Female Artist' trophies from the UK Hip-Hop Awards.
She’s an innovative music maker, a style-forging pioneer: since the 80s, Grammy-winning multi-talented Jody Watley has led the way as an entrepreneur working in the independent music world as one of the few already-established female best-selling artists to produce, create and own her recordings. With an amazing 32 Top Ten Singles and 13 No. 1 Singles in the R&B, pop and dance music genres over the past three decades – including such classics as “Looking For A New Love...
Kindred the Family Soul, also referred to as Kindred, is an American R&B/neo soul duo comprised of Fatin Dantzler and his wife, Aja Graydon. Signed to Hidden Beach Records, Kindred emerged from the Philadelphia neo-soul movement that also includes Jill Scott, who discovered them. After two years of work on the CD, Hidden Beach issued their debut album "Surrender to Love" which included, among others, the songs "Stars" and "Far Away."
Meshell Ndegeocello (b. August 29, 1968) is a singer, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. She was born Michelle Johnson to Army lieutenant (and saxophonist) father Jacques Johnson and her mother, Helen in Berlin, Germany. Raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Suihailia Bashir Shakur (as she became known) adopted the surname Ndegeocello, which means "free like a bird", while still in her teens. She has been hailed in the music press as a redeemer of soul music.
Sheila Escovedo is the daughter of percussionist Pete Escovedo, with whom she frequently performs. Sheila E's uncle is Alejandro Escovedo, formerly with Delphine Neid's first-wave punk rock group The Nuns, Rank and File and The True Believers, followed by a solo career. The late Tito Puente was Escovedo's godfather. She is also niece to Javier Escovedo, founder of seminal San Diego punk act, The Zeros. Another uncle, Mario Escovedo, fronted long-running indie rockers, The Dragons. Escovedo is of Mexican, African American, and Creole heritage. Coke Escovedo was also her uncle.
Mint Condition is an R&B band from the Twin Cities. Formed in the late 1980s, its members are lead singer (and in-studio drummer/percussionist) Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen. The group is well known for its highly diverse musical style (able to play anything from traditional jazz stylings to mainstream R&B and rock-based music to funk grooves and even latin and jamaican-based rhythms) and also its captivating live performances.
Nneka Egbuna was born in a small town called Warri in Nigeria in 1981 and used to sing in her school’s and church choir in Nigeria. She says "In my life the only places I really felt secure were and still are in the Music and in the Lord“. After relocating to Germany she’s been singing “professionally“ for 5 years now. Her influences reflect her younger days in Nigeria as well as her time in the western world as she names famous compatriot Fela Kuti and legend Bob Marley as well as contemporary rappers Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep and Lauryn Hill.
Developing their own sound and twist on modern hip-hop, psychedelic and soul, the music of EWH reaches forward while referencing key points of music's past. Thick drums and percussion layered with synth lines, hints of the Fender Rhodes and nylon stringed guitars have your neck snapping while your ears crane to its soulful vocals. While the EWH moniker is a relatively fresh name (formed in 2006) on the scene, this production trio is no stranger to the music game. Members Myele Manzanza, Taay Ninh, Mara TK are all familiar faces in the music scene in Wellington, New Zealand.
Medallist's FREE live ep is available via their myspace. Coming together in and around the Bristol area in late 2006, electro rock band Medallist exist as a glorious anomaly in a musical era dominated by run of the mill 'indie bands' and fly by night 'next big things'. Haunting the Bristol scene for a couple of years now these five hipsters give artpop a positively Bristol flavour. Driving beats and synth-laden dance rhythms are overlayed with snarling guitars and vocals, complete with sleazy sneer and sweet falsettos.