![]() ![]() In 2002 she reworked her debut record, adding five new songs. At the same time, she was building a devoted audience through her popular live performances in the Bay Area. Industry insiders liked what they heard, and the EP sold 5,000 copies, largely due to word-of-mouth recommendations. Returning to the Bay area after her stint at Berklee, Goapele concentrated on writing and recording songs, and with the help of her family she put out a promotional 9-song disc, Closer, in 2001. Determined to make music her life's work, she enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, after finishing high school. She also sang with the ensemble Vocal Motion. During high school she often sang at community events, and at age 14 she joined the Oakland Youth Chorus. From her earliest years, Goapele loved to sing, using her family as a practice audience. Music was equally important in the Mohlabane household, where recordings by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Billy Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Marley shared space with those of African artists such as Miriam Makeba, Zulu Spear, and Hugh Masekela, whose music was banned in South Africa at that time. She later served with her mother on the national board of directors of Be Present, Inc., and also participated in peer education efforts of the community group Empowered Youth Educating Society (EYES). "These issues were not only important, but the focus of our everyday lives." At age ten, Goapele organized a Bay Area Black Women's Health Project peer-led support group, its first for preteens. "What two cultures faced historically forced my brother and I to be sensitive toward various cultures and social issues," the singer explained on the William Morris Web site. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, Goapele and her brother inherited their parents' commitment to political activism. ![]() Her name, which she uses without her surname, means "to move forward" in Sitswana, one of the languages spoken in her father's homeland. Goapele (pronounced "gwa-pa-lay") was born around 1978 in Oakland, California, the daughter of a South African father and a Jewish mother from New York City who had met and married in Kenya. Promotional materials on the Web site of her agent, William Morris Agency, claimed that "her music combines elements of soul, hip-hop, jazz and rhythm and blues into a smooth and seductive blend uniquely her own." 11 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.Hailed as an original and mesmerizing voice in the new soul genre, singer Goapele has gained national attention since the release of her debut album, Even Closer, in 2001. Her most recent album, 2011's Break Of Dawn, peaked at No. In 2001 Goapele landed a deal with Skyblaze Recordings and subsequently released her debut album, 2002's Even Closer, which featured tracks such as " Closer" and the anti-war song "Red, White & Blues." Goapele followed up with Change It All in 2005, which was co-produced by 54th GRAMMY nominee Jeff Bhasker. After graduating from high school, she attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studied music theory and developed her songwriting skills. In high school Goapele performed in the Oakland Youth Chorus and became part of a music group called Vocal Motion. View video from 5 Questions With … Goapeleīorn Goapele Mohlabane in Oakland, Calif., to a socially conscious and politically active family, Goapele attended the Berkeley Arts Magnet school where she became involved in organizations that combated racism and sexism. "As a singer, as a songwriter as a woman … I just try and keep pushing myself." " Break Of Dawn is third album, and with every album I'm trying to evolve as a person," said Goapele. Part of the discussion was driven by questions submitted by fans using the #5QW hashtag on Twitter. Held at The Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., Goapele discussed advice for aspiring artists, what keeps her motivated, the evolution of her music, and the influence of growing up in Oakland, Calif., among other topics. R&B artist and social activist Goapele was the recent guest for an installment of The Recording Academy's 5 Questions With … series.
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