EAR CANDY

Sweet Like Soul music

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Ear Candy Interview Exclusive with

Lalah Hathaway

“I have been great” says Lalah

Hathaway. “Touring the country and

going to§ Tokyo to support my latest

release. 2012 seems like science

fiction!” What can your fans expect

from Lalah Hathaway in 2012? “I

hope that they get a chance to come

experience the music live! That is the

best part of my job. I am really looking

forward to touring Europe!” “Where

It All Begins” is Lalah Hathaway’s

latest album release, she says, “It’s

going well! We are coming up on the

second single now! We are still very

much at the top of the record”

And in terms of what collaborations,

“I am featured on 3 records which I

know are going to be pretty great!

Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding,

and Frank Ocean!! The years is young

though – I suspect some others will

come up!” Have any music critics

written any bad reviews, “Not a

one!” And Lalah, I have to tell you

that I am a huge fan of your music

and your Father’s music Donny

Hathaway, say something for the Ear

Candy Magazine fans of yours…”I

really appreciate your support! My

last name is a brand that hopefully

people associate with excellence. I

hope that my music and my Fathers

music is always with you” What’s the

best advice you’ve ever been given?

“Get a great attorney. That comes

straight from my Mom” What’s the

best advice you could give to budding

songwriters-producers-composers?

Lalah Hathaway advices, “My advice

to all musicians is to always be aware

of the music around you: whistling in

the trees, cars driving by…try and

tune into the music that is the planet.

It will make you a better musician.

Also allow yourself to be vulnerable.

Everybody feels exactly like you do”

Which albums have you bought in

2012 so far?

“So far, Brandon Coleman,

Thundercat and James Blake’s

debuts – all of which I love!”

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Ear Candy Magazine thanks Lalah for

this exclusive interview and to Steve

Ripley for setting it up of Soul Food

Promotions, UK. We wish you the

best! Lalah, “Thank you!!!!! Hope to

see you soon!!!”

Check out Lalah Hathaway’s latest

album “Where It All Begins” on iTunes.

Or visit her online at: lalahhathaway.

com

Lalah Hathaway

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Exclusive Interview with Ledisi

Hey Ledisi, how are you? “I’m good

thanks”

Ledisi is a world-wide known soul and

jazz singer, with her big voice she has

gone on to touch millions from all over

the globe since her jazz debut album

“Feeling Orange But Sometimes

Blue”. “Thank you for having me and

congrats on everything”. Ear Candy

Magazine compliments Ledisi on her

latest album “Pieces Of Me” And asks

how the creative experience was,

“Fun and therapeutic”. What have

you been listening to most musically,

“Lorenzo Johnson “”Things Are

Looking Up”, and Abbey Lincolns “A

Turtles Dream”.

We’ve all witnessed singers do

embarrassing things on stage, but

what is this highly professional artists

most embarrassing moment on

stage? “Tripping over a monitor while

singing. Luckily people were dancing

and didn’t notice. Well, a few people

did” Also, how would you most like

to be remembered as, “Someone

who really loved people and worked

very hard”

Name your top ten favourite Ledisi

songs, she says, “That is such an

unfair question. Hmm, this is in no

particular order. “Pieces Of Me”,

“Answer To Why”, ‘This Christmas

(Could Be The One)”, “Knocking”, “So

Into You”, Get To Know You”, “Simple”,

“I Need Love”, “In The Morning”, and

“Love Never Changes”. Ledisi sheds

some light on the millions trying to

make it in the music industry, “Know

Ledisi

the business you are in. It’s called the

Music Business for a reason”

And the last question for Ledisi is

how do you cope in today’s music

industry climate? “Put God first and

stay balanced and excited about

what I love”

Again, many thanks! Ledisi, “Thank

you for making time for me”

Vivian Green

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Ledisi Vivian Green – Sings For

Freedom!

The fantastic Vivian Green has sung

back up vocals for the exceptionally

gifted Jill Scott. She grew up in East

Oak Lane, Philadelphia and is a

classically trained pianist and vocalist.

She wrote a song for Boys II Men titled

“Dear God” on their platinum-selling

record “Evolution”.

Hey Vivian, how are you? Vivian

replies, “I am well thank you!” Green

has released three albums including

2002’s A Love Story to her second

album Vivian to her last album

Beautiful. Recently, Vivian Green has

released a song called “Oh Freedom”

inspired by the film A Soundtrack For

A Revolution. She says, “It is a negro

spiritual. The movie A Soundtrack

For A Revolution has an official

soundtrack, which strangely releasing

two years after the film. It is a Civil

Rights Documentary about the music

that drove the movement. I did a pretty

contemporary version of the spiritual

“Oh Freedom”. The soundtrack has

amazing artists and it is inspiring”.

And with regards to what we can

expect from Vivian Green in 2012?

Vivian says, “A new album definitely.

I am finishing it up now. In the studio”

And what is Green’s sound for 2012?

“I’m still an R&B singer, that’s what

my fan’s want. My “Beautiful” album

definitely had a lot of pop in it, but I’m

not doing that this time. I loved that

album!” Vivian Green has worked

with some of the music industries

most talented soul artists. And here

she says whom she would love to

work with, “Kanye West…probably

never will though!” On that note,

the interview comes to an end, Ear

Candy Magazine thanks Vivian Green

for taking this short interview, and she

says, “Thank you so much!”

Make sure you check out her latest

song “Oh Freedom”! Viviangreen.com

Vivian Green

Gregory Porter

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Gregory Porter

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Exclusive Interview with Gregory

Porter

Gregory Porter had one heck

of a year in 2011. He was on the

Later…With Jools Holland show

many times, and was featured a lot

in UK’s Jazz Wise Magazine. Here

he talks exclusively to Ear Candy

Magazine thanks to US press officer

Cary Goldberg of gomediapr.com.

“Donny and Aretha influence me

without a doubt”, says an honest

Gregory Porter. He continues, “The

connection between the heart and

voice is so close with these masters

all else is secondary and it was and is

still effective”. Ear Candy Magazine’s

Matthew Daniel loves the songs

“We’re Still Friends”, “I Love You More

Than You’ll Ever Know” by Donny

Hathaway and Aretha Franklin’s “Spirit

In The Dark” album. And Gregory’s,

“Donny’s “For All We Know” and

“Compared To What” by Les

McCann Swiss Movement”. Having

watched Gregory’s appearances on

Later…With Jools Holland, he reflects

on his time on the show, “It was

amazing! I appreciate the way Jool’s

and his producers have no problem

mixing genres. Playing alongside and

with masters that I grew up listening

to was a sweet experience. Betty

Wright put it down for all generations

and Cnydy Lauper was so great

singing and reinterpreting her iconic

music. Jazz and blues and soul can

survive in a place that puts them on

equal footing. Most people listen to

music the way Jool’s runs his show,

just good music”

2011 was a highly successful year

for Gregory Porter and his debut

album “Illusions”. What is your key

to success? “Listening to the inner

voice. For me that’s been the key. I’ve

learned that my personal stories are

more universal than I once thought,

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people see themselves in any art that

comes from a grounded real place.

Also a team of people that are willing

to work to put your music to the ears

of people will and wanting it. I had pent

up energy to release and I’m glad I’ve

had to good fortune to be heard” On

a totally opposite subject matter, what

is your favourite kind of food? “I’m so

open when it comes to food, when

I’m on the road it often became a

food tour as well as a concert tour

because I love good food and flavour.

In Mexico, in Mexico City I had some

of the best tasting tacos I’ve ever

had in my life. I hit up three rolling

kitchens in one lunch break” Gregory

continues, “In a small town in Austria

near the German border I had this

beautiful local fish baked withi butter

and herbs, wow, I told the chef it was

the best I’ve ever had in my life and I

gave him three CDs!”

He expresses his thoughts and

feelings on what’s the best advice

he’s been given, and turns out quite

an emotional one “My Mother, in the

last days of her life told me, propped

upright by pillows with oxygen

machine on its maximum setting,

she told me in a quiet voice; “Gregory

keep singing baby, you do many

things well but it’s the best thing you

do, so sing baby”. She also told me

always to sing with an understanding

of lyric, not just using lyric as a vehicle

to carry a note” And what are your

plans for 2012? “I’ve had some

success and I’m so thankful but I

know I have so many places and ear

that have never heard me or my name

or my songs, I’ve said all along that I

just want to be heard, let the listener

reject if they don’t like it, but let it be

heard” And how do you think the

Internet has affected soul music? “It

has taken that sound to all corners

of the world, that sound that has its

roots in the American South in fields

and in churches and juke joints has

influenced top pop acts to restaurant

singers in Siberia. I hear soul in every

language now” Matthew founder

and editor of Ear Candy Magazine

is a songwriter-composer, Gregory

Porter sheds some words of wisdom,

“Carry a device for recording your

ideas. Don’t dismiss any thought

musically speaking. You don’t know

how it’s going to finish itself. Have

more unfinished songs than finished,

it suggests that you are still on the

search”

Sadly, the talented Gregory Porter

has to leave but Ear Candy Magazine

thanks him for his time as he has an

incredibly busy schedule! “Thank you,

I’m more than appreciative that people

want to know my story”

To buy Gregory Porter music visit your

local iTunes store or see him online at:

gregoryporter.com

Gregory Porter

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