India.Arie

About India.Arie

The groovy singer India Arie is one of the best things to happen to soul music in years. Picking out a simple rhythm on her acoustic guitar, India Arie delivers laid-back, nuanced songs about everything from love to social justice. Her instrumentation may be sparse, but the young Arie drops some big ideas between her strumming. However, nothing about India Arie is aggressive, so if you just want these warm jams playing in the background while you sip a cup of coffee, she'll be just as happy to set the mood for you. India Arie's up-tempo break-out single "Video", all about self-empowerment, caught the attention of music lovers everywhere and also earned her several Grammy nominations. Follow-up singles like "Little Things" and "Beautiful Flower" have seen Arie keeping her message strong and powerful while still laying down a classic soul jam. India Arie was born in the mountain city of Denver, Colorado and is the daughter of a former Motown singer and an NBA basketball player. Her parents split when she was still young, and India moved to Atlanta with her mother when she was 13. India Arie had always been interested in music, but it was then that she began seriously learning the guitar and attempting to write songs that really empathized with the people around her. India Arie quickly became a staple of Atlanta's laid-back neo-soul/blues scene, and she helped found the independent Groovement Earthshare, which was a combination record label and artists collective. After touring with Lilith Fair in 1999, India Arie scored a surprise deal with Motown. In 2001, she released her classic Acoustic Soul, making the deliberate decision to avoid Top 40 cliches and let her elegant music speak for itself. Since her big break, India Arie has released a series of critically well-received albums (Voyage to India, Testimony Vol. 1: Life & Relationship) and has also gone on to take part in some interesting musical collaborations, including with jazz legend Cassandra Wilson, Brazilian star Sergio Mendes and hip hop sensation Akon.