India Arie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| India Arie | ||
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 India Arie on the cover of her 2001 debut album Acoustic Soul
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | India Arie Simpson | |
| Born | October 3, 1975 | |
| Origin | Denver, Colorado, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Soul, R&B | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, guitarist | |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Flute | |
| Years active | 2001–present | |
| Website | IndiaArie.com | |
India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975) is a two time Grammy Award-winning American soul music ( so called "neo soul" ) and R&B singer, songwriter, guitarist and a flautist. She is professionally known as Indie Arie or India.Arie.
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[edit] Biography
India Arie Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado. She absorbed musical skill early in life, encouraged by both parents: her mother, Joyce, herself a former singer, and now India Arie's stylist; and her father, basketball star Ralph Simpson. She had taken up a succession of musical instruments throughout her schooling in Denver, Colorado, but her interest in the guitar while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design led to a personal revelation about songwriting and performing. "When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs," she said at the press release of her debut album, Acoustic Soul.
Co-founding the Atlanta-based independent music collective GroovmentEarthseed (Groovement was the collective artists' name and Earthseed was their independent label name), her one-song turn on a locally released compilation led to a second-stage gig at the Lilith Fair. Their Universal Records/Motown music scout spotted her and made an introduction to Motown CEO Kedar Massenburg. Sidestepping all the devices of flavor-of-the-month record-making, Acoustic Soul acquainted listeners with a brave and eloquent new voice, drawing an uncommonly broad swath of listeners from hip-hop, the so called neo-soul, blues, folk, and classic troubadour-style singer/songwriting, all at once.
The album, released in 2001, debuted at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and number three on the R&B album chart. Within months, without the concentrated radio play that typically powers pop and rap albums, Acoustic Soul was certified double-platinum. As a capstone to the album's success, India.Arie had the distinction of having the most total Grammy nominations of any single artist that year. Fans and peers alike were stunned when she was not awarded a Grammy in any of the nominated categories. Nonetheless, Arie stole the spotlight by closing the ceremony with a brave performance of her single "Video", accompanied only by herself on guitar.
India Arie is also featured on Stevie Wonder's album A Time To Love which was released on October 18, 2005. India Arie and Stevie Wonder duet on the title track "A Time To Love" that India wrote, which was nominated in the 2006 forty-eighth Grammy Awards, for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration with Vocals.
On the September 2005 premiere of The Tyra Banks Show, Arie performed "Just 4 2day" . She wrote this song especially for Tyra's show. Arie also wrote "What About the Child", a song that did not air but was made available as a $1 internet download to support child victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. [1]
India Arie followed the success of her debut in 2002 with the release of Voyage to India. Debuting at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B chart, the album eventually earned a 2003 Grammy for Best R&B Album. The single "Little Things" also won a 2003 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Soon after its release, Voyage to India was certified gold; and it was certified platinum on Friday 4 August 2006.
Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
India Arie's third studio album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, was released on June 27, 2006. [2] Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship gave India Arie her first number-one on the Billboard 200 and was her second chart-topper on the U.S. R&B album chart. This album was also the first #1 album for the Motown record label in 33 years since Diana Ross's #1 Lady Sings the Blues Its first week sales of 161,000 copies is Arie's best sales week to date and was certified gold on Friday 4 August 2006. She is expected to release Volume 2, Love and Politics, in 2007.
[edit] Grammy awards
| Category | Genre | Song | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Pop Collaboration w/ Vocals | Pop | "A Time To Love" | 2006 | Nominated |
| Best Pop Collabor ation w/ Vocals | Pop | "The Christmas Song" | 2003 | Nominated |
| Best Urban/Alternative Performance | R&B | "Little Things" | 2003 | Won |
| Best R&B Song | R&B | "Good Man" | 2003 | Nominated |
| Best R&B Album | R&B | Voyage to India | 2003 | Won |
| Best R&B Album | R&B | Acoustic Soul | 2002 | Nominated |
| Record of the Year | General | "Video" | 2002 | Nominated |
| Best R&B Song | Pop | "Video" | 2002 | Nominated |
| Album of the Year | General | Acoustic Soul | 2002 | Nominated |
| Best New Artist | General | N/A | 2002 | Nominated |
| Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | R&B | "Video" | 2002 | Nominated |
| Song of the Year | General | "Video" | 2002 | Nominated |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
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Acoustic Soul |
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Voyage to India |
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Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship |
[edit] Singles
- from Acoustic Soul:
- 2001: "Video" #45 R&B, #47 Pop
- 2001: "Brown Skin" #10 Dance, #39 R&B
- 2001: "Strength, Courage, & Wisdom" #76 R&B
- 2001: "Ready for Love" #14 R&B
- from Voyage to India:
- 2002: "Little Things" #89 US, #33 R&B
- 2003: "Can I Walk With You"
- 2003: "The Truth"
- 2003: "Get it together"
- from Diary of a Mad Black Woman soundtrack:
- 2005: "Purify Me" #53 R&B
- from Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship:
- 2006: "I Am Not My Hair" #47 R&B, #97 Hot 100, #65 UK
- 2006: "There's Hope" #38 R&B
- 2006: "The Heart of the Matter"
[edit] External links
- Official India Arie Website
- India's Music Label Site
- India Arie's MySpace
- HoneySoul audio Interview
- Celebritycafe Interview
- mp3.com Interview
- NPR Talk Of The Nation Interview & Live Performances
- India Arie Australia Performance April '6
- India Arie Review at UnRated Magazine
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Simpson, India Arie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | India.Arie |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American singer-songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 3, 1975 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Denver, Colorado |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: 1975 births | Living people | African American musicians | American female singers | American rhythm and blues guitarists | American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters | American soul musicians | Feminist artists | People from Denver | Grammy Award winners | Motown artists | Neo soul singers
