INDIA ARIE SET TO HEADLINE SAX APPEAL 5

Yinka Olatunbosun
On its fifth edition, Mike Aremu’s award-winning show, “Sax Appeal” features the US-born singer-songwriter, India Arie. The show, which is billed for today from 6pm at Eko Hotel & Suites’ Expo Centre, Victoria Island, will feature the four-time Grammy Awards winner alongside such chart-topping Nigerian musicians as Timi Dakolo and Praiz, among others.

Arie, who is also a record producer has sold over 3.3 million records in the US and 10 million worldwide.

Born in Denver, Colorado (USA), she was raised by her mother, a former singer and her father, a former NBA player. Both parents had encouraged her musical skills while she grew up. She would later attend the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah which led to a personal revelation about song-writing and performing.

She was quoted to have once said, “When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs”.
Her debut album Acoustic Soul, released on March 27 2001, garnered positive reviews and commercial success. The album debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In a matter of months, it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling 2,180,000 copies in the US and 3,000,000 copies worldwide.

The album was also certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry and platinum by Music Canada. Arie followed up on the success of her debut on September 24, 2002 with the release of Voyage to India. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 109,000 copies and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with the RIAA certifying it Platinum.

At the 2003 Grammy Awards, it won Best R&B Album, and the single Little Things won Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Arie has collaborated with musicians too numerous to mention including Cassandra Wilson, Stevie, Akon, Anthony David, Sezen Aksu, Keb Mo, Gramps Morgan, Musiq Soulchild, Adele, Herbie Hancock, Seal, Pink, Jeff Beck, Konono N°1, Oumou Sangare, Carlos Santana’s, Yo-Yo Ma to mention a few.