“Come a Little Closer” from our Hotel Cafe show.
Bryan Velasco on keys + Andre De Sant’anna on bass + Leo Costa on drums
= my musical hearts.
Andrée Belle
music love inspiration
Tag Archives: erykah badu
STRATOSPHERIC SOULFULNESS… Andrée Belle @ Angel’s 5/20
laughternoons, is there such a thing as true originality?, and you being you….
i have this theory that whenever we have an idea it goes out into the cosmos and others either through our divine connection, collective unconscious, or just random occurrence can tap into these ideas…. for example, i had the idea of having ballet dancers en pointe perform to my non-classical music in a beautiful artistic way… i had never seen a pop artist have ballet dancers incorporated in their live show/video/tv performances….and then somewhat later, i notice kanye bringing this idea to the masses…. my “original” idea! damn! lol! also, yesterday i was inspired to have a fun afternoon with my PNC laughing…i thought how wonderful an afternoon of laughing would be and what if we called this celebratory gathering a laughternoon!!!! i was so super excited thinking that i “invented” the word laughternoon!!!!! this word is amazing!!!! i have to put in urban dictionary! only to find out, to my dismay, i’m late, laughternoon already exists within the urban dictionary… it’s kind of beautiful though, how were all connected… but it also makes me feel that perhaps there is no true originality, perhaps even on an unconscious or subconscious level we are influenced… i mean before we had the internet and crazy forms of technology, there were people on opposite sides of the planet coming up with the same ideas (carl jung talks about this with the collective unconscious)…..
is there such a thing as true originality? for example, take fashion, someone might start rocking a style first (though they may have been inspired by that style from another era) and then a few people copy it and some may even call the copiers “original” simply because the “new” style hasn’t become main stream and reached the masses yet…… so because it’s not at your local target or walmart yet-(trust it will be sooner than later, those fuckers always find a way to monetize the trends) then is it still considered original, because it’s not mainstream?? some people think taking other ideas but combining them together in a new and unique way to make them your own? a lot of folks are doing that in music (a little michael jackson with a dash of lauryn hill)… but doesn’t the work of art need to be authentic to be considered original? how is authenticity and originality related??? does true originality exist or are we just regurgitating our influences?? who was mozart influenced by? and where does influence end and originality begin????? maybe bjork is truly original (i don’t know if she sounds like anyone)…
on the spiritual tip, my very wise boyfriend just said he heard that if you channel something divine from your soul it can be original, yet if you are creating from your mind (regurgitated thoughts) then it is not original. i love that!
i used to tell people that i wanted to be like a “Puerto Rican Erykah Badu” or a “Boricua Jill Scott” …. now i’m understanding so so so clearly that as an artist, writer, and performer how important it is to just be me……. andree belle, the original! 
that’s when i’m connected, in the zone of elevation! it’s authentic and delicious originality.
LOVE, besos, and dreams coming true for u!
Bella
INFOtainment at it’s finest… BADUUUUU will move u…
of the 4xs i’ve seen ms. erykah badu- this was the finest performance yet! i’m so INSPIRED!!!! she sings truth. she is powerful. loving. authentic. silly. a genuine artist. she provided INFOtainment at it’s finest! and her style…tonight she wore giant gold wing earrings, yellow frumpy sweatpants with a t-shirt, warrior bracelets, and a top hat which she took off to reveal blond massive hair. she was stunning. she is elegant and crass. genius yet colloquial. powerful and grounded. a goddess yet one of the common folk. i adore her. i feel so fortunate my soul sister of song, aneesah williams, hooked up section a, 8th row seats! incredible! we experienced completely, erykah’s depth and beautiful essence. she did every song i wanted hear from baduism on. her band was TIGHT. she inspired me to really take control, bring the band down, and let my voice and lyrics be heard as they are meant to be heard. she creates this magnificent space for the message to reach ur core without u realizing it reached u. ooooh and she was my muse for a new song as well! she closed with a rendition of “Believe” from the wiz -mmm and i’m feeling her message-i believe that me headlining @ the greek isn’t so far away
Be fearless, be humble, give LOVE in all you do!!! My interview! :)
After doing the interviews with the band for the album release show week, Dre had the brilliant idea of me answering my own interview questions…
-what’s your 1st musical memory?
Singing and dancing to Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga.” I thought I was Gloria in my living room!
-what’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened while you are on stage?
I haven’t really done that many shows… I guess the craziest thing was our album release show! The energy was crazy! There was so much love in the room. It was a good crazy!
-what’s your ultimate dream in music?
My musical intention on my site sums it up beautifully: to inspire adventure, creativity, and the inner artist- to give praise, to heal, to manifest love, to allow you to feel your own truth and power through my voice, to make music that evokes emotion, thought, mood, and passion, to connect with others on levels they didn’t even know existed within themselves, or simply to create something that you can shake your ass to…
-if you weren’t doing music what would you be doing?
I would be the next Oprah! Lol! Seriously I’d do the things I already do but in a grander way- dance, write poetry, inspire others to live their dreams….
-songs that changed your life…
Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” it’s soulful AND conscious… Donny Hathaway’s version of “A Song for You…” Ella Fitzgerald singing live “Mack the Knife”-I’ve never heard another singer use her voice as an instrument the way she does… Oh there’s too many…
-most influential artists to you and why?
Prince (his music is beyond sexy), Erykah Badu and Jill Scott-soulful/poetic/conscious writers and singers- I adore them!, Nina Simone/Billie Holiday/Ella- their unique interpretation of the lyric, their tone, their phrasing…. Bjork-she’s innovative, takes risks, she’s her own entity…Chaka Khan is fierce… Stevie Wonder-such an incredible song writer… I love Yerba Buena- how they fuse so many genres with Latin music. James Brown- I saw him live-puts on such incredibly electric performances, so funky. I could go on and on and on….
-what makes an amazing song?
A song that makes you feel deeply…
-what’s your theme song?
I wish it was Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” lol! But at the moment I’m more Gnarls Barkley “Crazy!” lol! I don’t know. It changes. You tell me!
-do you have musical nickname?
Not a musical one, but my nickname is Bella.
-what song were you most likely conceived to?
My parents were into jazz… hmm… but then again I was conceived in the Caribbean… so…
-first concert you ever went to?
New Kids on the Block… but I’ve redeemed myself by going to incredible shows ever since I promise!!!
-first album u ever bought?
I would just borrow from my parents they had a great collection.. the first single I bought was TLC’s “Ain’t too Proud to Beg!”
-how can we revolutionize music?
By creating music that is true to who we are. By exposing ourselves to music that is not just mainstream.
-indie or major (what’s the way to go?)
After interning at 2 major labels in college, I really don’t think that most labels do very much. They have the connections that CAN catapult an artist to stardom but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will. An artist can get their album shelved even if they are signed…or if the album is released they might not get the funding/attention/marketing to get it to the masses… I’d love to be free of all that… autonomous like Prince. He’s revolutionary as a music business man as well… But if I was offered an amazing deal I would be open to the possibilities…
-what inspires you musically?
Reading something inspiring, exposing myself to new things, having adventures, my community of amazing musicians, artists with something unique to express, love, passion, dancing, altered states (occasionally), spirit, growth…
-what can an artist do (that you’re backing) to make your job easy and fun?
Well I’ve done backing vocals… and usually back ground singers are the least respected in the band it seems. So just showing respect. As a singer- don’t be afraid to let your back ground singers shine and be who they are – there’s enough room for everyone. I’ve been lucky with the performers I’ve worked with.
-what’s your favorite song from the album?
“Moments” or “Te Necesito” are probably my favorites. They are poetic and intimate and sensual. I love what “Variety Pack” is about- it’s a sexy female empowerment song! “Discombobulator” is so out and funky…. and I love the vibe of “Overflow.” But for some reason my bond is strongest with “Moments” and “Te Necesito.”
-advice for up and coming players?
Be fearless! Be humble! Give love in all you do!
-what do you hope for the show?
I wanted to elevate the room with LOVE and inspiration! And we succeeded! It was a beautiful first show!!!
Andrée’s favorite things (like Oprah’s but better) part 2
actually, i truly, deeply, madly adore Oprah so this is just me walking in her already glorious footsteps!
*Kombucha-it’s like crack but good for you… i’m addicted… i mean really addicted… it’s SOOOOO revitalizing, refreshing, invigorating, delicious, flavorful, and has everything your body desires… “Kombucha (pronounced kom-BOO-cha) is a handmade Chinese tea that is delicately cultured for 30 days. During this time, essential nutrients form like, including active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants, and polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.” and it’s said to help with cancer… get it at whole pay! (i mean whole foods market)
*papayalicious-the most beautiful, artistic cards and journals. they make me happy! i love to give and receive papayalicious! http://www.papayaart.com/
*Daily OM-The DailyOM will send you inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. And you can sign up to receive these inspirational emails for free! Also, they can send you great spiritual horoscopes… http://www.dailyom.com/
*You Can Heal Your Life-by Louise L. Hay… you can look up any ailment/illness in this incredible book and discover what energetically/emotionally caused this illness. IT IS AMAZING! the book even gives you affirmations to change your perspective to help you overcome the illness.
*Duchess-A motivational and inspirational blog for women written by my dear friend Jill Brown. Not only is Jill a phenomenal writer but she’s also an incredible life coach. http://www.theduchessguide.com/
*hula hooping- let’s bring it back!!! i remember the days timing myself in elementary school after school trying to beat my previous hooping time. i made it to 45 minutes without stopping!!! there’s an incredible movement already happening in CA… hula hoop classes and hula hoop parties! Bushwalla loves hula hooping… he even does it at shows! and who’s Bushwalla you ask?! well if you aren’t autodidactical about brilliantly unique artists enough to know read on my friend……
*BUSHWALLA’s music- truly one of the most unique and authentic artists in music today. he’s acoustic, he’s hip-hop, he’s funk, he can be so beautifully in your face then suddenly retract into this musically intimate place and you follow him there…of the 1000s of shows i’ve had the pleasure of seeing (and i’ve seen Prince, James Brown, Aretha, Mariah Carey, BB King, Erkyah Badu, Jill Scott, The Roots,Carlos Santana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sade, Janet…etc. etc. and sooo many up and coming LA artists) i can honestly say i’ve NEVER seen a show like his… he juggles, hula hoops, balances a guitar on his chin, strips (out of a onesy) while wearing a chicken head costume, he pumps the funk… he improvises, he jokes, he has ridiculously lovely dance moves, he raps, he beat boxes, but best of all he sings honestly, he sings truth (a rare thing)… check out this conscious artist at: http://www.myspace.com/bushwallamusic
ps-the most brilliant producer EVER- Andre De Sant’anna (who produced M.U.S.I.C.) also produced Bushwalla’s album and EP! You will LOVE them! commUNITY!
Erykah Badu, Pangea Collective, music with a message…
Yesterday’s performance at the UCLA Jazz Reggae Festival was so much fun! I love festivals- being outside in the sun, the energy, the people, the food, the cute little artists’ booths, the music… OOOhhhhhhh the music! I loved singing and dancing on stage with The Pangea Collective! Check them out- they fuse afro-beat and jazz together beautifully. I really dig “Right Brain Test” – such a hot song! I felt so at home on stage! I also got to stay on stage while ERYKAH BADU was performing, which was unreal for me. She was wearing typical Erykah attire- fabulously eccentric… She had tight black vinyl pants, crazy high patent leather shoes, a gray Public Enemy hoodie and top hat! I wish I could pull of some craziness like that so effortlessly! More importantly though I experienced her essence/energy/message up close. I love how she directed her band- they follow her at the drop of a dime and she kept bringing them out to where it would just be vocals – her solo or with the back-up singers so that the people could really hear/understand/take in what she’s saying. Her lyrics are profound and inspirational… I’m still understanding her lyrics in new ways. It’s interesting how our perception of art changes as we grow… We can listen to an album or see a film or read a poem and get more out of it the more life we live…. I love that! I just recently got more out of her song “On and On” which was out in the late 90s, her lyrics understanding her perception of God…. I live for music with a message….I looked out into the sea of people she was reaching and moving and inspiring! Ahhh I can’t wait to do that in such a meaningful and grand way! Powerful!
Jazz Reggae Festival at UCLA!!!!
I’m really excited to be performing with The Pangea Collective at the JazzReggae Festival this Sunday! It’s going to be an amazing day- my idol Erykah Badu is headlining along with De La Soul! I’m honored to be a part of this celebration of music, art, culture, and diversity!
