Yewande (pronounced yee-wán-day) recently released her debut album “Rebirth” on Phoenix Records. The Alternative Soul artist, whose Yoruba name means “reincarnation of mother”, was living what some may consider the star lit dream when her debut EP “Evolution” was released on Lotus Records in 2005. She became recognized as one of the most sought after independent artists in the world.
The release of that EP saw Yewande appear on BET, MTV and shortly after lead to a debut performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with tour dates with the likes of the Black Eyed Peas, Enrique Iglesias, Maroon 5 and Sean Paul. With increasing exposure, it earned Yewande endless song writing awards, headlining concerts from the college market to Europe and Africa, and walking reds carpet with the rich and famous. Back to the time when she gained that international recognition, her socially conscious lyrics and powerful, uplifting voice won a legion of fans and critics. But in the blink of an eye…she walked away from it all.
After a nearly five-year hiatus from the recording industry, she is making a welcomed return to tell us stories of her journey back on her debut album “Rebirth” (Phoenix Records/June 2012). Yewande is not only an ambitious lady but she has ignited a one-woman movement (www.yewande.com and www.youtube.com/yewandemusic). Most people across the globe have come to know Yewande as an artist to be reckoned with, but she is also an award-winning lecturer and passionate social activist. Yewande is a natural human healer through not only her musical activities but also her connection with humanity. Namely her award-winning lectures on college campuses around the world and her humanitarian organization’s (www.changerocksfoundation.com and www.youtube.com/changerocksinc) initiatives that use music to empower some of the world’s most vulnerable children from Africa to the Americas. Quite effortlessly the “First Lady of Alternative Soul”, the songs from Rebirth are unapologetic truths about issues that the majority of recording artists ignore such as poverty, war, race, love, and all of this with a voice that harkens to Tina Turner’s rock star prowess! It will surely be on repeat in your ipod touch, or itunes, whatever the hell you listen to, it will be on rotation! Want to get to know Yewande a bit more? Please see my interview with Yewande below.
Which producers did you work with on Rebirth?
Yewande – I was really lucky to be on a label that supported my vision. When Chris Elliott [President of Phoenix Records] signed me, my greatest fear was being put into the proverbial “box” (over produced beats + raunchy lyrics + pornographic choreography = MANUFACTURED ARTIST), but it was just the opposite. He told me to “just be me”…and that was music to my ears. I’m a classically trained musician [that studied classical piano and voice at Carnegie Mellon Conservatory of Music and Howard University] and have a natural affinity towards orchestration, so I knew that live music would be the driving force of “Rebirth”. I wrote and produced the first half of the album with live musicians on my own. But as any good artist knows, sometimes you need another writer to challenge you so we brought in Marc Baldwin to co-write and produce the second half of the album. Not everyone understands my sound, but I knew that Marc embraced my goal to produce music that was colorless, genreless, to write songs that would touch as many listeners that tune into a Soul radio format as fans that prefer Rock. I’m really excited about our collaboration…we made a great production team!
It’s more rewarding in a way?
Yewande – Writing and producing an album is something that most artists only dream of doing, so of course I’m proud about being a part of the creative process. But the reward goes even deeper than that. As an indie artist, I’m as involved in writing the music and conceptualizing video shoots as I am in directing the artwork design and scheduling tour dates, but you just can’t do it all by yourself ALL the timeJ! This recording project has become like my baby. I’m developing some aspect of it behind the scenes 24 hours a day. So when a listener hears my songs, they’re truly getting a piece of me and my offspring (so to speak) – the empowered woman, the hurt little girl, the dreamer, the fighter…the one that wants to make it all better. Any good mother would have a hard time just handing their child over to someone else, but I’m getting better at it.
Who are your main vocal inspirations?
I like a lot of different artists for different reasons. I love artists from back in the day like Sarah Vaughan, but I also love the raw spirit of artists like Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday. During that period in American history, Black people weren’t even allowed to enter through the front doors of venues where they performed, but their voices, their stories and sheer courage brought people of all backgrounds together. Those are the stories that really inspired me as a child. But as I grew up and saw artists like Pat Benatar and Tina Turner on MTV that was IT for me. For me, they were the epitome of what it meant to be a strong woman and that’s what I wanted to be! Today, I just love any artist that isn’t afraid to just be themselves. Some of my all time favourites are Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Adele, Evanessence, Kina, Outkast, Meshell N’degeocello, Linkin Park. The industry has really come to embrace indie artists that defy traditional music genres, but even in the new internet age it still takes much more money, time and effort to gain mainstream recognition….so you might as well be true to your vision on the path to success. It certainly makes the sleepless nights worthwhileJ!
What do you think about the singers from the U.K?
Yewande – I really love singers from the U.K. Artists like Amy Winehouse, Adele, Estelle have really conquered the “alternative” niche that I aspire to. When you hear their music, you don’t think of any of the limiting characteristics that have traditionally determined where a female artist “fits”, i.e. size, race, style. You just know that you’re hearing great music by genuinely talented artists. That’s what continues to inspire me about my UK fans….they’re not nearly as obsessed with the superficial stuff as we are in America. Of course, the pressure to be “entertaining” is always present, but in the end I believe that most UK listeners definitively want to know 2 things – Do you inspire me? Can you sing? That’s IT! Anything else is just gravy.
Does poetry inspire your song writing?
Yewande – That’s ironic that you ask that question because a lot of people refer to me as a poet in their promotion. But while I love spoken word and am a huge fan of the work of incredible poets like Langston Hughes, Arna Bontemps, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, etc., I’ve never really considered myself a poet. I think that any good songwriter is inherently a poet at heart. We share a common love of storytelling, pushing the envelope on social issues, stretching the imagination of our audience, etc. One form just happens to be done with music and the other….without.
What do you think about Flavour Magazine?
Yewande – I think that Flavour Magazine is incredible! This publication gives music lovers a chance to learn about artists that are often overlooked in the international musical landscape. Artists like Ledisi, Eric Roberson, Avery Sunshine, Yahzarah, and me would never be known if it weren’t for the support of true music aficianados like yourself and Flavour Magazine. I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to share with your readers.
Do you have a message for your fans and Flavour Magazine readers?
Yewande – Life is short. We can spend so much of our lives worrying about what others think about us. I was just talking with my mom the other day about how I’ve never fit in throughout my life, but I never really started living until I embraced that reality. It often creates a lot of challenges….LOL, but I’m grateful that God made me uniquely ME and if that’s my role in life then I embrace all of the blessings and challenges that come with being that person. Take it or leave it. I’m a woman that is as comfortable with singing about a broken heart as much as I do shouting about the travesty of global poverty. Hopefully listeners will embrace all of those layers when they listen to my album [“Rebirth”, Phoenix Records (June 2012)]. Soul, Rock, Hip-Hop…I’m all of those things!
Interview: Matthew Daniel
