Ledisi

Ledisi hails, originally, from New Orleans, but grew up mainly in Oakland.

She and her band are from a new breed of modern soul singers (that fall into the New Organic Soul movement in the U.K.) that do not bow to the formulated 'pop' format that permeates the national charts of the U.K. and the U.S.A.

Her mother sang in an R & B band and opened her daughter's ears to classical music, then to jazz and gospel.

‘My mother is an inspiration to me because she was an R & B singer when I was growing up, and I'd watch her perform in the park by our house. I grew up on Earth, Wind and Fire. Tina Turner is my favorite’.

As a teenager Ledisi first sang in a friend’s band, but soon realised she'd have to form her own if she was going to get the creative freedom she desired.

She formed the group Anibade.

The band consisted of:

Sundra Manning (keyboards)

Cedrickke Dennis (guitar)

Nelson Braxton (bass)

Wayne Braxton (saxophone)

and Tommy Bradford on (drums...