Neo-soulgroove

Ludgarde “Lulu” Fall is a singer, songwriter and thespian currently based in Washington, DC. Lulu, a classically trained jazz vocalist with a musical theatre background, is one complete and unexpected package. As a product of Senegalese and Cameroonian parentage, her music reflects her global perspective by way of her American sensibilities. Her sound experiments with various musical genres in order to carve out a unique musical identity that is poignant in any setting. Her ultimate goal is quite simply to create a framework that not only represents her double consciousness as an African and American and but also reflects her love for jazz, electronica, folk, rock and soul.

With a degree in Jazz Studies, Lulu attended Michigan State University. Through this prestigious university, Lulu has had the opportunity to participate in Generations 2006—a biannual jazz workshop held in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. There, she studied with pianist and composer Cedar Walton, drummer Lewis Nash, alto saxophonist Brad Leali, and many others. Lulu has also performed with Jon Hendricks, Kevin Mahogany, Derrick Gardner, and Adrian Mears, to name a few. Among the many places Ms. Fall has performed, some highlights include the Winter Music Conference in Miami, FL, in which she performed one of her original songs, “Obsession: I’m on Fire,” Blues Alley in Washington, DC, and Langnau Jazz Nights Festival, in Switzerland. Though Lulu has a strong background in Jazz, she has been expanding her horizons and began composing and writing originals in the Soul and Alternative genre. Currently, Lulu is promoting her debut album, “Lulu’s Back in Town”, Found at cdbaby.com. She is also working on a new soul/alternative/acoustic project, tentatively titled “Lulu Land”.

Remember how music used to get into your mind, body and soul? Well if you forgot, Shirma Rouse is about to bring it all right back to you with her debut album, appropriately titled; “Chocolate Coated Dreams”. Known for her ability to bring life into any song. You can trust that she will raise the roof when it comes to funk, jazz and soulful tunes. Her talent for music has been nurtured at an early age. Her family played an important role in developing her talent. Her father, a well-known instrumentalist, was one of her biggest inspirations. Accompanying her grandmother to church and singing in the church choir would form, unknown to her, the steps towards her current career.

Born on the island of Curacao and raised on the island of St.Eustatius, it is in the Netherlands where she would build her 10 year musical career. Performing, recording and touring with a wide range of artists from every genre. Tasha’s World, Intwine, Extince, Wouter Hamel, Candy Dulfer, Alain Clark, Anouk, Izaline Calister, Randal Corsen, Tribute 2 Bob Marley, she has shared her talent and love for music with them and more. Her debut album, “Chocolate Coated Dreams” contains 12 Hammond jazz/soul songs that will take you back to those sweet old school Motown days. The album was recorded and co-written with Salle de Jonge and Bas van der Wal. Recorded in Marmalade and Mokosound studios in the Netherlands and mastered by Sterling Sound studio in New York.

Conya Doss has been busy burning the midnight oil composing and arranging music for this dazzling, well-crafted 2010 album that sets the tone for what lies ahead.  Her unabashedly emotional fifth studio album Blu Transition, with Blu being the name of her newborn son, is not only a collection of words set to music, it is a gift; an energy exchange that reflects the duality of love and pain.   It’s an anointed story.  It’s one of endurance, but more importantly it is about life being full of unexpected moments with both tragedies (death) and triumphs (birth). With a refreshingly crisp and remarkable vocal range, as well as sparse yet beautiful instrumentation, Conya Doss has found success in simplicity.  Blu Transition continues in Doss’ brilliant delivery of sweet, supple and heartfelt lyrics but she plunges deep into a bluesy-jazz vibe with spiritual undertones reminiscent of a 70’s sound in both harmony and mood.  The music carries a laid-back, earthy quality that features various moments; from truly moving and haunting to a rootsy reflection of where the singer has come from with messages steeped in love, risk-taking, rejection and heartbreak.  Composing yet another intricately crafted and cohesive body of work that illuminates her unequaled musicianship.

Blu Transition stretches Doss once again to express herself to the bare bones, this time around in impressive varieties of vocal styles.  On the single “Best Thing” we find the songbird flying high in a falsetto tone while dipping low into baritone territory on “Wi Fi.”  Doss is most poignant on the records that expose her soul, acknowledging what her life has been like since her last album.  “All In You”, “Celebrate” and “Never Be The Same” are sure to overwhelmingly echo the sentiment of fans, newcomers and singers alike that will qualify them as classics.  Each note she parts her lips to sing, Doss sets free a pure tone that moves you through lifetimes, which is like a light bulb turning on in one’s head; a gentle reminder that there are other people to consider in life besides oneself. [Released September 28, 2010]

If America were ever in need an Afrofuturistic Alicia Keys to take its politics and boredom on a drugged-out soul music trip, DC native Carolyn Malachi’s newest EP, Lions, Fires & Squares, is selling tickets for the ride. It’s clear that the Smart Chicks Inc. founder wants to win a Grammy. Bad. You can hear it in the raw growls before the first track drops, ripe with the conviction of a woman on a musical mission. Song and spoken word are masterfully layered on the subtly haughty intro track “Orion,” Malachi coos “Hey, Space Cowboy,” inviting The Hunter on a voyage through the Milky Way, where the lyrical quality is reminiscent of Jamiroquai and Meshell Ndegeocello. Conversely, “Textual,” swings with a jazzy, Esthero-like groove (think “Wikked Lil’ Grrrls”) on this party track. South African hip-hop artist and activist, HHP’s (Hip-Hop Pantsula) Motswako mixture conjures up a nasal, K’Naan-esque flow on this contagiously funky, soulful joint. Drums quicken and horns amplify here to usher in a more indigenous sound for HHP’s cameo.

But, when the lone guitar strums the tune “Dumela,” you will be called back from outer space to the roots of R&B music. Inspired by the Malachi’s recent visit to South Africa (sponsored by the community artist incubator, Bloombars) “Dumela” soothes with two simple Setswana phrases that will follow you around like lyrical ghosts throughout your day–”Sao bona,” or “I See You,” and “Dumela,” meaning “Believe.” This truly should have been the anthem to the 2010 World Cup. You might even make it your wedding song. I’ve seen this song still an entire room. The only unfortunate choice on the EP was to allow the video game bleeping, sound effects-ridden “Textual” club remix to follow abruptly after the gentle ballad, “Dumela.” But, overall the album traverses this newly carved lane of Black contemporary music gracefully, sent from the future by the likes of Erykah Badu for emerging artists like Malachi who dare to dance with the Kosmos.

STANDOUT TRACK: No. 3, “Orion,” an otherworldly call to a far-off lover, inspired by a conversation the singer imagined between a mermaid and an astronaut. As with all of Carolyn Malachi’s songs, it’s hard to tag “Orion” with a genre: It contains spoken word, R&B, bits of electronica, and tribal influences from her recent trip to South Africa. Men and women have responded differently to the cut, the singer says: “I think women like because it’s like sistas doing it for themselves. I think guys like it because they hear a strong, beautiful woman, and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to trust you.’”