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Artist - Joy Denalane
Title - Born & Raised
Label - (Nesola)
Released - 18.06.07
Posted 10.06.07
This Summer sees the release of "Bom & Raised", the new album from Joy Denalane. "Born & Raised" is a prime slice of Hip-Hop Soul, served up not from the States, but Berlin. The daughter of a South African father and German mother, Joy was born in the then divided city of Berlin. She grew up with two cultural and racial backgrounds, between Berlin and Soweto, a duality which has strongly influenced her entire life.
Growing up in a musical family (her uncle is Hugh Masekela); Joy was raised on a heady mixture of African music, American Soul music and Hip Hop. She drew her inspiration from such varied artists as Aretha Franklin, Letta M'Bulu and Mary J Blige. She spent her teens and early twenties singing with various soul and reggae bands, then met producers DJ Thomilla and Tiefschwarz and sang on their dance hit "Music". After a stint with the FK Allstars and hooking up with Producer Max Herre, she released her first album "Mamani" in 2002 which was Top 10 in Germany and established Joy as the Queen of German Soul.
Joy is also involved in several humanitarian and charitable projects. She represents the "Stand Up" Millennium Campaign of the United Nations, an action plan for the world to reverse poverty, hunger and disease. She also supports the Wolanani Project in her native South Africa, a project for women and children that was founded in order to bring relief to the South African communities hit hardest by the HIV & AIDS crisis.
Joy's new album "Bom & Raised" features hot US rappers Lupe Fiasco and Raekwon and has been a massive smash in Germany, where A debuted at #2. She is also winning fans here in the UK:
Blues & Soul: "A contender for pole position of "Real R&B Artist Of The Year"...the best thing since Mary J, Faith Evans and Syleena Johnson ... With her superb LP" Born & Raised", Joy Denalane has seriously struck gold" 5/5.
We say: "Famed for her appearance on 2005's Jazzanova remix of Commons Go. Not since the release of 'Who is Jill Scott' has a Neo Soul artist blown me away as much as Denalane's debut does. Joy's sweet vocal is as powerful and moving as they come and the beats she lays her lovley lyrics over are dripping with soul. The superb single 'Heaven or Hell' ft. Raekwon (a remake of the Wu Tang classic) is included, as is the bound to be massive new single 'Change' featuring Lupe Fiasco. Miss this LP at your peril!!"
'Born & Raised' is released on double album and CD on Nesola Records - It is also available on download.
www.nesola.de
www.myspace.com/joydenalanemusic
Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT
