N'Dea Davenport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
N'Dea Davenport
|
|
|---|---|
Davenport performing in 2014
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | September 22, 1966 |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts | The Brand New Heavies |
N'Dea Davenport (born September 22, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is well-known for being the lead singer of the British band The Brand New Heavies. This band helped make a type of music called acid jazz very popular.
Contents
N'Dea's Musical Journey
N'Dea Davenport has worked with many famous music artists and producers. Some of them include Mark Ronson, Madonna, and J Dilla. She learned a lot about being an artist by studying dance, acting, and music.
After college, N'Dea moved to Los Angeles. There, she got involved in theater and music videos. She also became part of the exciting underground club scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
N'Dea worked as a dancer and a studio singer. A friend introduced her to a record label called Delicious Vinyl. Before this, Dave Stewart from the band Eurythmics offered her a music contract. She turned it down because she didn't want to move to London at that time.
Later, Delicious Vinyl helped her connect with The Brand New Heavies. At that time, the band did not have a singer. N'Dea decided to move to London to join them.
Success with The Brand New Heavies
The band's first record label, Acid Jazz Records, made a deal with London Records. This helped their music reach people all over the world. During this time, the band released many popular albums and songs. They helped make "acid jazz" a well-known music style around the globe. While with the band, N'Dea also worked on Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 with Guru.
In 1995, N'Dea left the group. She moved back to the U.S. and chose New Orleans as her home base. She wanted to work on other music projects and her own solo album.
Solo Career and New Projects
N'Dea received encouragement from producer Daniel Lanois. This helped her finish her first solo album. Most of the songs were produced by her, and four by Dallas Austin. Her album was later picked up by a new record label owned by Sir Richard Branson.
In 1998, her first solo album, N'Dea Davenport, was released on V2 Records. She toured a lot to support the album. She performed in Europe, North America, and Australia. She also joined the concert series Lilith Fair. After her time with V2 Records ended, she focused on European dance music projects.
N'Dea lived mostly in New York City, but also had a home in New Orleans. Her love for different types of music led her to become a club DJ in New York. She still DJs at special events in Asia.
In 2006, she rejoined The Brand New Heavies for one more album. It was called Get Used To It. Her newest project is with Katsuya Everywhere. They form an electronic and acoustic music duo called Celectrixx, which started in Japan.
N'Dea's Music Albums
This section lists the albums N'Dea Davenport has released.
Solo Album
- N'Dea Davenport (1998)
Albums with The Brand New Heavies
- The Brand New Heavies (1990)
- Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1 (1992)
- Brother Sister (1994)
- Get Used to It (2006)
