Exuding a sweet vulnerability in her delivery, I found myself lost in the song.Īs Goapele politely stepped to the side of the stage with a smile that said "something amazing is about to happen," guitarist Nate Mercereau stepped forward to perform a funk- and blues-infused solo. Once the band played the opening chords to "Tears On My Pillow," a slow ballad about a relationship that has slipped away, the crowd erupted with applause. Her voice was pure and delicate as she moved through "First Love" and then "Milk & Honey" from Break Of Dawn. A mid-tempo track, Goapele shuffled around the stage while conjuring energy from the crowd.
Touring in support of her most recent release, 2011's Break Of Dawn, Goapele kicked off her set with "Love Me Right" from 2005's Change It All. But since Philly is a town with a rich history of soul and R&B, Goapele took the stage at World Cafe Live on Aug. Philadelphia has a tendency to adopt any artist that spends significant time in the area, so I was surprised to discover that Goapele was from Oakland, Calif.
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Feel free to drop us a comment and let us know your concert experience. And if you like what you read, we'll even let you know where you can catch the artist on tour. Our bloggers will do their best to provide you with every detail of the show, from which songs were on the set list to what the artist was wearing to which out-of-control fan made a scene. Here you'll find the latest concert recaps for many of your favorite, or maybe not so favorite, artists. Her most recent album, 2011's Break Of Dawn, peaked at No. In 2001 Goapele landed a deal with Skyblaze Recordings and subsequently released her debut album, 2002's Even Closer, which featured tracks such as " Closer" and the anti-war song "Red, White & Blues." Goapele followed up with Change It All in 2005, which was co-produced by 54th GRAMMY nominee Jeff Bhasker. After graduating from high school, she attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studied music theory and developed her songwriting skills. In high school Goapele performed in the Oakland Youth Chorus and became part of a music group called Vocal Motion. "As a singer, as a songwriter as a woman … I just try and keep pushing myself."īorn Goapele Mohlabane in Oakland, Calif., to a socially conscious and politically active family, Goapele attended the Berkeley Arts Magnet school where she became involved in organizations that combated racism and sexism. " Break Of Dawn is third album, and with every album I'm trying to evolve as a person," said Goapele.
Part of the discussion was driven by questions submitted by fans using the #5QW hashtag on Twitter. Held at The Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., Goapele discussed advice for aspiring artists, what keeps her motivated, the evolution of her music, and the influence of growing up in Oakland, Calif., among other topics. Even Closer was rereleased with extra tracks, and, in 2005, her second album, Change it All was released, focusing on the activism in which she had been involved since she was a child.R&B artist and social activist Goapele was the recent guest for an installment of The Recording Academy's 5 Questions With … series. Her first nationally distributed album, Even Closer, an expanded version of her debut album, was initially released through Hieroglyphics Imperium until Columbia picked her album up for worldwide distribution and signed her to a recording contract.
After that, she worked with San Francisco musicians and artists, then went on to record on both east and west coasts of the United States to record her self-released debut album, Closer.Īfter this release, she formed Skyblaze Recordings with her brother Namane to oversee her musical career.
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After high school, she decided to pursue music as a professional career and enrolled in the Berkley College of Music in Boston. Goapele Mohlabane started singing as a child, and at age 14 she joined the Oakland Youth Chorus. Goapele (pronounced gwa-puh-LAY) means “to move forward” in Sitswana, a South African dialect.