Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

...strength courage and wisdom, its been inside of me all along...

She's certainly not the average girl from the video, and she's definitely not your average R&B artist. India.Arie strummed her way onto the music sound with her best-selling album "Acoustic Soul", evoking a sort of nostalgia in her listeners. Her sound is reminiscent of such R&B/folk pioneers as Roberta Flack, Tracy Chapman, and Bill Withers. In fact, there are several interludes dedicated to those artists she says influenced her most, as well as her family members that had significant impact on her musicality: "...John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Karen Carpenter....Uncle Joe, Grandma Louise...". There is an entire bonus track written exclusively for and to Stevie Wonder, who she says is her greatest musical inspiration, calling him Stevie "Wonderful".

Arie's lyrics are some of the most eloquent and stylistically unique ever written. She says that she draws her words from her own life experiences. She says, "In 'Back To the Middle', I'm the girl afraid to speak her mind. I was in a shell. A deeper understanding of myself came form song writing." Her love songs, "Brown Skin", "Ready For Love", and "Always In My Head", India writes with such intimacy and tenderness, earnestly expressing her feelings. This openess creates a direct relationship with her fans, and heart to heart communication.

Although rooted in Denver, India Arie has been everywhere, from the Ying Yang Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia to the Black Lily in Philly, to the stages of the Lilith Fair. She has left deep impressions on all who have been in the presence of her thickly textured voice and warm-hearted lyrics. "Acousitc Soul" was over a year in the making, but well worth the wait. While public appreciation of the album is apparent, other artists are taking notice of India as well. "A gentle genius lives in the mind, voice, and hands of this woman" were the words of R&B great, Stevie Wonder. Its obvious that India Arie is making waves in the music world. Big waves.