Cass:
I love both your names. What do your names mean, and do they have any
significant meaning?
Ledisi:
Ledisi is a Nigerian word, which means to bring to, to
come forth.
Sundra:
My mom dreamt of her grandmother telling her my name just before I
was born -- Sundra Joyance. I just recently found Joyance in the
dictionary and it means to be in a state of joy or to bring joy.
Cass:
What's the "Behind the Music" story of your lives?
Ledisi:
I was born in New Orleans, but I was raised in Oakland, California.
My mother sang and had her own band in New Orleans and my step-dad played
drums. So, I grew up listening to music around the house, watching my mom
perform at street festivals, and sometimes they recorded in the house. When
my mom would record her vocals in her bedroom, I'd sit on her bed and watch
her expressions and listen to every sound that came out of her mouth. That's
when I decided I wanted to be a singer. She knew I was serious when I started
writing songs on a 14-key Casio electronic keyboard. She taught me how to
protect my work, and I began copyrighting my songs. (Some of her songs were
stolen so she also made sure I knew how to take care of business).
Sundra:
I began with classical piano music in elementary school and then
around the age of 12, my mom joined a holiness church where my skill for
playing by ear was developed. I started playing at church services, musicals
and several community choirs. I fell in love with the Hammond B3 Organ, and I
played it for hours.
Cass:
Sundra, how old were you when you started playing the piano or any
musical instrument?
Sundra:
I received my first toy organ for Christmas around the age of 6. I
would turn the radio up and pick out songs on the toy organ and try to play
them my own way with two fingers. HAHA!!! I later realized that I was
improvising and jammin' even then.
Cass:
Ledisi, your mother is a poet and also a singer (I've heard her SANG).
When you were younger, did you mimic her singing style, and at what age did
you begin developing your own unique style?
Ledisi:
I mimicked my mom and her presence on stage, but I mimicked opera
singers on the radio. My mom put me in everything that had to do with music,
such as the New Orleans Youth Symphony Choir. I played the recorder, which is
like a flute, the violin and my step-dad taught me the piano and drums. When
we moved to Oakland, California, I was classically trained. I learned gospel
and jazz from my mom and step-dad, and learned R&B from listening to Chaka
Khan and Rufus, James Brown, Sly Stone, Ronnie Laws, Old Atlantic Starr, LTD,
Melvin and The Blue Notes, Anything Motown, Marvin Gaye, Phyllis Hyman, Gill
Scott Heron, and the list goes on and on. Back then, my favorite song to sing
was "Reasons" by Earth Wind and Fire. Okay I am not telling you my age and I
hope my mom didn't tell you. I'd rather be ageless. (Smilin')
Our voices are so different. When my mom was younger, I didn't attempt to
mess with her octave range because it was way too high. She started singing
in a choir that needed altos and her upper range isn't the same anymore, but
she'll still wreck you. Everyone loves to hear her sing because she makes you
feel the meaning behind every word. That's what makes a singer great. That's
how I feel about it. I am grateful for my mom showing me that. The ole'
skool singers had class, and even when they sang something corny, they had
heart. I definitely learned that from my mama. I learned early on that I had
to keep it real and raw. Nowadays, certain artists are more concerned with
their LOOK instead of their music. Nothing's wrong with that, but I prefer an
artist to back it up with the music.
Cass:
Sundra, I love the way you make those 88 keys sing when you play.
Where did you receive your training?
Sundra:
Mainly from classical piano lessons in elementary school and from
listening and watching the musicians in church. I listen to everything -- I
love Amadeus, Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, Luther 'Mano' Hanes, Joe Sample,
Me'shell Ndegeocello, Stevie Wonder, Femi Kuti, Britney Spears, Oscar
Peterson, Michael Jackson, Jobim, Stevie Ray Vaughn and so many more. I also
learned a lot of production skills from hangin' out with the fellas' like
Kevin Bond, Carl Wheeler, Nelson Braxton, Tony Mills, and Raphael Saadiq in
the studios. Kevin Bond always made me read my manuals -- which is one of the
most valuable words of advice that I've been given.
Cass:
Ledisi, you're a New Orleans native, but you've lived in Oakland most
of your life. Which city has had more musical influence on you?
Ledisi:
Both cities made me who I am, but if I had to choose, I'd say
Oakland, simply because I've lived here longer. But when a singer has
southern roots, there's a different kind of spice added to a singer's style.
I have met so many talented people who are from the south who now live in
Oakland, and I can definitely hear a difference in their style.
Cass:
How did you hook up with your partner, Sundra Manning, and the members
of your band?
Ledisi:
An ex-horn player in my band told me about Sundra and she almost
threw my demo tape away. Luckily, she heard it and we have been writing and
playing together for about 8 years or so. Sundra introduced me to my current
band members with the exception of my background singer. He and I have been
singing together for 12 years.
Cass:
You know what they say about going into business with family or friends
-- NEVER DO IT. What makes your friendship and partnership work?
Ledisi:
God, as well as having mutual respect for one another as individuals,
and our respective specific gifts.
Sundra:
What makes our friendship and business work is being open to new
ideas and not doing things the traditional way or going by the book so to
speak. Having respect for each other's gifts and talent allows us to be open
to creating with no boundaries or guidelines musically -- so something great
comes out every time.
Cass:
In terms of collaboration, who decides on the song titles, as well as
which songs to remake.
Ledisi:
Both of us, unless the song was a poem I wrote that we turned into a
song. In the end, we both decide.
Sundra:
The decisions are mutual.
Cass:
How did you come up with the titles of your CDs, especially, Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue, and what is it a metaphor for?
Ledisi:
Soulsinger came easy. Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue was a poem that I wrote that means, "[S]ometimes I'm in between
happiness and melancholy." You know, always wanting more. In terms of the
title of the CD, it means I am in between Jazz (Orange) and R&B (Blue).
Cass:
What comes first, the music or the lyrics?
Ledisi:
Even though Sundra and I write everything together, it really depends
on how we're both feeling, and what God gives us first. It could be as simple
as a single drumbeat and or a word. For instance, "Papa Loved to Love Me" and
"Coffee," were both poems I had written. In that instance, the words came
first and then the music was added.
Cass:
Do you find that you're more lyrically creative when you're moody as
opposed to being generally content with life?
Ledisi:
I am more lyrically creative when I am in love, in need of love or
when I am disappointed in love. I write all the time to express whatever I am
feeling, and "Love" continues to be my best topic.
Cass:
Sundra, if you had to pick an instrument that best describes your
mood(s), which instrument would it be?
Sundra:
I would pick the Hammond B3 Organ. It can be played to sound joyful
and happy, sad and somber, alive and vibrant, screaming with passion and
excitement, screeching with pain and evilness, smooth and silky, and quiet
with fire.
Cass:
Which musician(s) or band(s) inspires you to be a better musician?
Sundra:
Ledisi, of course, Mano 'Luther' Hanes, Carl Wheeler, Oscar Peterson,
Jimmy Smith, Frederico Gonzales, Joe Sample, Me'shell Ndegeocello, Jimmy Jam
and so many more. What inspires me even more are the listeners and fans who
send us letters expressing how the music we have written and produced has
touched them, made them cry or changed their lives for the better.
Cass:
You've opened for artists such as Rachelle Ferrell, Dionne Ferris,
D'Angelo, Nancy Wilson and Eric Benet. Now that you've worked your way to the
main stage as the main act, who would you like to open for you?
Ledisi:
I can't stand how some promoters or booking agents separate and
opening act from the headlining act. Artists should share the stage, which is
what made the shows I did with Rachelle Ferrell so much fun. We shared the
stage and people still talk about the show and how they got more than their
money's worth. We did our own thing, and at the end, we sang together. I
would love to share the stage with Rachelle again, Rapheal Sadiqq, India.Arie
and Me'shell Ndegeocello.
Cass:
We'd all like to be rich and famous to some degree. What has been the
best advice you've received to keep you grounded?
Ledisi:
My advice is to find some sort of spirituality or something that
gives you peace and remember why you do what you do. Never forget how far you
have come. If you do not love what you do work on getting out of it. Or take
a break and be sure before you leave it. I consider myself famous right here
at home. I go to other places because there are too many lives to heal and
inspire. My job would be in vain. Stay humble and remember it is beyond you.
Cass:
Cross-country promotional touring is grueling. How do you prepare for
tours, and what comforts from home do you bring along with you?
Ledisi:
I bring nothing from home. My music, I guess. I prepare for tours by
calling my family before I leave and telling them I love them. Then I pray
before we leave, when we come back and when we get home.
Cass:
I've heard some musicians say that music is color-blind because it
transcends all racial barriers. Do you find this to be true?
Ledisi:
Yes, I agree. I just did a Blue Note Japan Tour and we had a language
barrier. I could not talk nor sing in their language but they screamed and
hollered at me like folks in church. They felt the music so much that some of
them came up to me shaking and crying and filled with joy and left inspired.
I hope music will always stay colorless and ageless.
Cass:
Do you believe that one's culture or environment necessarily defines
the type of music a signer performs? For example, just because a singer lives
in the hood, does that mean that they'll gravitate to hip-hop as opposed to
opera?
Ledisi:
No. But, it will be that way if we don't start funding music, acting
and dance classes in our schools, or making creative arts a priority just like
the sports department. Also, spread money to the inner-city youth to fund
after-school performing arts programs. I am out there teaching kids that
there is more to music than hip-hop and showing them where hip-hop came from.
I'm opening their ears to Indian, African, Asian, Jamaican and all styles of
world music. I show them the world through music and they are starving for
it.
Cass:
Which brings me to my next question, do musicians and singers have a
responsibility to change the stereotypical images our children see on
television as a result of the mass marketing of the "glamorous life" of
musicians/singers on MTV, BET, VH1?
Ledisi:
Yes, everyone does. Mainly, PARENTS need to take responsibility in
making sure their children know what they see on television isn't necessarily
real. Parents need to be in kid's lives and know what they are dealing with
out there. Parents also should not blame the artist because they cannot
control their children. These days, children watch more television than they
read books. There are no after school programs or creative outlets to help
young people stay focused on their futures. Television gives them dreams and
goals that most artists are renting for the video. Yet, look at who our
parents are in these times, children.
Cass:
When it comes to scatting, you've got skills. Who taught you how to
scat, and is there a particular method you use once you get started?
Ledisi:
You might find this hard to believe, but one day I just woke up and
started scatting. Before that wonderful day came, I was doing gospel adlibs on
jazz songs and listening to horn players like Charlie Parker Bird and Miles
Davis. I also listened to singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington,
Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughn. One night I was performing and I just started
scatting. I guess all that listening paid off.
Cass:
There are people who WANT to sing and then there are people who are
BORN to be singers! And, even if you weren't breastfed sharps or flats or
spoon-fed scat by your mother, do you believe you were destined to be a
"Soulsinger"?
Ledisi:
YES, to all that! I was born after a Jackson 5 Concert. [I am
pretty sure their music had something to do with it. HAHA!!!]. Seriously, I
cannot imagine my life without music. I definitely believe singing is my
"calling". It allows me to heal, teach, and inspire people.
Cass:
After years of training and singing, what tricks or techniques do you
use to keep your voice fresh and sharp?
Ledisi:
I don't smoke or drink. I drink plain, boring hot water when I sing.
No natural tea remedies, just plain hot water Other than breathing and
diction, I had to undo most of the stuff that was hammered into me during
school. School is great and I suggest every vocalist get some sort of
training and learn technique. I am not dissing school, I just learned so much
more out in the world. I take an improv and dance class. When I feel I
cannot do it, I pull out my secret weapons -- willpower or mind over matter.
Cass:
Sundra, which do you prefer, singing or creating musical melodies?
Sundra:
That's a hard one. I love playing live, but I also love creating a
song from the beginning to the end and the final mix. It's like having a baby
(although I don't have any children). Each song is my baby.
Cass:
Ledisi, if you didn't sing, what else would you do to bring home the
bacon?
Ledisi:
Writing or teaching.
Cass:
I see you acting on Broadway in the future. If you had a crystal ball
and could predict your future, what would be the title of your next CD?
Ledisi:
I cannot predict the future, girrrrl! I hope I am actin' in
somebody's play! All I can do is live in the now. Right now, I am working on
a live CD, Glad To Be Live, which will be released this fall, and the follow
up to Soulsinger to be released next spring. I am also planning a tour to
Europe and scoring some movies with Sundra. I'm finishing a poetry book,
teaching voice, and I auditioned for a few movies, so I hope to get a part. I
hope in the future, I am happier than I am right now. Not often people are
blessed to be able to work and inspire others just by being who they are.
Cass:
Sundra, would you like to write and/or arrange musical scores for movies
and Broadway?
Sundra:
Yes, my ultimate goal is to write and produce music for film or
Broadway. It would be a dream come true. In fact, one of our songs, "Get
Up," was featured in the movie The Brothers.. We look forward to
producing more music for films in the near future.
Cass:
How have you ladies stayed grounded and avoided the pitfalls of stardom?
Ledisi:
Family and friends and not feeding into all the hype.
Sundra:
Been there, done that. This time is different for us because we have
started from the ground up on our projects. We know 'what's really going on'.
Everything else is just drama and hype. We have learned so many valuable
lessons in this business of music -- lessons that most artists don't learn
during the entire span of their careers. My home, my family and my faith keep
me grounded.
Cass:
Is it more important to keep up with today's new instrumental
technology or should the emphasis be on the fundamentals and music theory?
Sundra:
I think that it is extremely important to keep up with today's new
instrumental technology as well as learn the fundamentals and music theory.
The more sounds, technique, history and theory you learn, the more resources
you have to pull from and create from. I believe every musician should attempt
to listen to it all, learn it all and in turn you can create from within using
it all.
Cass:
How do you Chicks relax?
Ledisi:
Writing, massages, gym and getting my nails and toes done.
Sundra:
Long nature walks near the ocean or in the woods, visits to the
science and art museums; and pedicures are mandatory.
Cass:
Do you have any advice for those aspiring singers (especially young
women) who have big dreams of being the next YOU!
Ledisi:
This is for everybody who considers themselves creative beings in any
art form. Stay true to yourself. Read these five books at least once in your
life, especially if you plan to make a living in the music industry:
- "All You Need to Know About the Music Business," by Donald S. Passman
- "The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dreams," by Paulo Coelho
- "Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within," by Kenny
Werner
- "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom," by Don
Miguel Ruiz; and
- "The Artist' Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity," by Julia Cameron
Cass:
Is there anything else you'd like to share with your fans?
Ledisi:
We would not be able to do what we do if our fans didn't buy our CDs
or come out to our shows. Thank you so much for supporting us!
Sundra:
Thank you for this interview, and thanks to our listeners for your
never-ending support and spreading the word about our music. With no
distribution or label support you -- the people have supported our music and
demanded our performances -- and for this, we are forever grateful.
You ladies should practice your acceptance speech because I see a Grammy in
your future!!! I'd like to personally thank Ledisi and Sundra, who found the
time between traveling from Oakland to London (with a pit stop in New York),
to sit down for this interview. This was by far a treat for me!!!
