| Lina | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Shelina Wade |
| Born | Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul, jazz, gospel |
| Occupations | CEO, Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1998-present |
| Labels | MoodStar, Hidden Beach, Atlantic/East West |
| Website | Lina Music |
Shelina Wade (born in Denver, Colorado), commonly known as Lina, is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter.
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Lina was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in, Texas. Lina’s introduction to music started at the age of four when she began singing at church. After cultivating her gospel and jazz roots by touring with the church choir, performing with her mother and singing at social gatherings, Lina was signed to Atlantic first as a songwriter and then as a singer. Influenced by singers from Josephine Baker to Sarah Vaughan to Sade, Lina began developing a signature vocal style that could be described as a mixture of swing, r&b, and jazz meets modern day soul.[1]
In 1998, Lina got her first big break as a songwriter by penning a tune for Tyrese's self-titled debut album. Lina proved herself to also be a solid songwriter, penning "Ain't Nothing Like a Jones" for Tyrese.
Lina began her career in 2000 when she signed to Atlantic Records. Following her record deal, was the release of her first album, Stranger on Earth, which was introduced on August 21, 2001. The album sold 45,000 copies worldwide. Stranger on Earth received a strong critical response for its blend of R&B with swing and vocal jazz. The title track was a cover version of a Dinah Washington track.[2] The album featured the singles "Playa No Mo", "It's Alright", "I'm Not The Enemy", and "Don't Say Nothin'". The first single "Playa No Mo" became a minor hit, reaching #46 in UK, while the album reached #89 on the Billboard R&B and hip-hop album chart. "Stranger on Earth" was placed among the Top 10 R&B Albums of the Year by Billboard Magazine. It was named the #1 R&B Album of the Year by Tower Records' "Pulse" Magazine, and #1 album by 'cdnow.com'. Nevertheless, Lina asked to be released from her contract and Atlantic granted her release; 3 months later she was signed to Hiddenbeach recordings.
In 2003, Lina signed to Hidden Beach Records and launched her own record label, Moodstar Recordings.[3] In 2004, she began recording her second album. Her second album entitled The Inner Beauty Movement was released in June 2005 on the Hidden Beach Recordings record label.[4] The lead single Smooth received airplay but made no debut on the Billboard charts. Following the release of her second album, the song Come to Mama was released as the second single.
By 2007, Lina had returned to the studio to begin working on her third album. Lina recorded a total of 17 tracks for the album. Lina released her third album-to-date, Morning Star, by her own label, Mood Star Recordings.
Morning Star debuted on the market in February 2008.[5] Lina released three singles from the album: "Feel The Love", "I'll Stick Around", and "Good Day".
Lina continued to give her fans new music by introducing a special single titled "My Man" which can be purchased on CdBaby!
Two tracks lifted from the "Morning Star" album feature on the Independent Soul Divas series on UK label, Lola Waxx: "Feel The Love" (Volume 1 2008) and "Get It Right" (Volume 2 2009).
Many of Lina's songs are featured on Truth Hall Motion Picture soundtrack released Nov 12, 2009 on Utopia Recordings. The songs performed by Lina include 'Breathe' 'Dough' 'Illuminating' 'On My Own' and several others
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | Hot Adult Airplay | US Jazz | UK | |||
| 2001 | "Playa No Mo" | - | - | - | - | 46[8] | Stranger on Earth |
| "It's Alright" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| "I'm Not the Enemy" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2002 | "Don't Say Nothin'" | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2005 | "Smooth" | - | 107 | 27 | - | - | The Inner Beauty Movement |
| "Come to Mama" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Leaving You" | - | - | - | 28 | - | ||
| 2008 | "Feel The Love" | - | 115 | - | - | - | Morning Star |
| "I'll Stick Around" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Good Day" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2009 | "My Man" | - | - | - | - | - | |