Meshell Ndegeocello (Germany/USA) – vocals

 

„Meshell Ndegeocello has survived the best and worst of what a career in music has to offer. She eschewed genre for originality, celebrity for longevity, and musical trends for musical truths. Fans have come to expect the unexpected and follow her on sojourns into soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, rock, all bound by the search for love, justice, respect, and resolution. Those sonic investigations have defied and redefined the expectations for women, for queer artists, and for black music for over 30 years and she remains one of few women who write the music, sing the songs, and lead the band. A bass player above all else, Meshell brings her warm, fat, and melodic groove to everything she does. She has earned a GRAMMY Award along with numerous nominations, and has played alongside the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, James Blood Ulmer, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tony Allen, John Medeski, Billy Preston, and Chaka Khan. As for her own bass-playing influences, she credits Sting, Jaco Pastorius, Family Man Barrett, and Stevie Wonder. Meshell is always grateful for the opportunity to share the stage and believes music is a fellowship. She looks to spread that gospel with every creation and collaboration.” (Blue Note Records)

 

Meshell Ndegeocello, born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968, in Berlin, Germany, is a groundbreaking American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist, known for her versatile musical style that fuses together elements of funk, soul, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, and winning one, she has been at the forefront of the contemporary music scene, pushing boundaries and challenging norms throughout her illustrious career. Meshell Ndegeocello adopted her surname which means, according to her, „free like a bird” in Swahili. Her work explores diverse themes, often addressing issues of race, sexuality, and identity. Her music delved into personal and societal matters, making her an influential figure in the R&B and neo-soul movements.

Over the years, she released a series of successful albums, such as „Bitter” (1999), „Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape” (2002), and „The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams” (2007). In 2021, she won the Grammy Prize for Best R&B Song, for „Better Than I Imagine” (Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello).

Meshell Ndegeocello will present at Bucharest Jazz Festival her Blue Note Records debut with „The Omnichord Real Book”, released in June 2023, a visionary and deeply jazz-influenced album that marks the start of a new chapter in her trailblazing and unpredictable career. Following her 2018 covers album „Ventriloquism”, Meshell returns with an album of new original material that taps into a broad spectrum of her musical roots.