I’m gonna say it right here and now, if President Obama calls me for anything, I’m dropping everything I have going on and heading straight to DC on the next thing running. I don’t know many people who wouldn’t do the same, including singer Ledisi, but it’s that move that has the Black Academy Of Arts And Letters giving the soulful lady the side-eye.

This morning we received an email from the organization with the subject: “Ledisi Cancels The Emmy Award Winning Black Academy of Arts and Letters Concert to Sing at the Inauguration Last Minute.” Inside, the press release begins by announcing that Erykah Badu will perform at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 30th Annual Black Music And The Civil Rights Movement Concert on Sunday, January 20 in Dallas, and points out:

“Ms. Badu, who headlined the concert in 1998, replaces Ledisi, who cancelled early Monday (January 14) morning citing a last minute request by President Barack Obama to perform in Washington, DC as part of the inauguration ceremonies.”

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Did you check out Vh1 Divas last night? If you didn’t, that’s okay, because we know the lineup of performers weren’t all that exciting at first glance, but there were definitely some interesting and mad entertaining performances! No worries, we’ve got the clips here for you if you’re wondering how everybody did.

Out of all the people who put on a show on the main stage, the most interesting performances, in my opinion, came from Ciara, Kelly Rowland/Keri Hilson/Adam Lambert, and Jordin Sparks/Melanie Fiona/Ledisi. For some reason, the show about divas took the time out to show some love to Michael Jackson, and to do so, they asked Ciara to put on her best moves to imitate MJ’s classic “Billie Jean” performance from the “Motown 25″ special from 1983. Definitely some HUGE shoes to fill, but I can’t hate, Ciara actually did the damn “thang.”

She opened up with the moon walk and reinterpreted some of Michael’s classic moves in a feminine way, but she knew JUST the right moment to quit, as she broke out into a performance of her single, “Got Me Good” soon after. Loved it! Plus, as usual, her body was looking especially fit, which I know was inspiring some ladies watching last night. And on a positive note, she finally left the “matrix” move of yesteryear at home. Say what you want about the girl, but with her long limbs and especially great dance moves, she can definitely put on a show.

If that wasn’t enough for you, there was also a performance done as a tribute to the late, great Donna Summer. With Kelly Rowland singing “Bad Girls,” Keri Hilson doing “She Works Hard For The Money,” Adam Lambert (yes, the host of the night and former “American Idol” star performed multiple times actually) doing “Hot Stuff,” and the trio doing “Last Dance,” it was a VERY interesting performance to say the least. From Keri’s voice sounding like she was whining, to Kelly squealing and making some random noises and Adam almost falling down when his part began, it was all a bit all over the place. However, they pulled it all back together for “Last Dance,” where they were all hitting some good high notes and stopped being so cheesy. But the first few minutes? Yeah, probably could have gone without it…*Kanye shrug*

Last but not least of course, Jordin Sparks, Melanie Fiona and Ledisi paid tribute to Whitney Houston with performances of “I’m Every Woman” by Sparks, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay” done by Fiona, and Ledisi doing “How Will I Know.” Out of the three, I was actually pleasantly surprised that I was grooving the most to Ledisi, as she proved once again that homegirl can SANG! Plus, her dance moves weren’t too bad either. Sparks wasn’t bad of course (and she looked fab), and though she was moving around a bit too much instead of really singing, I was digging Fiona’s performance of “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay,” probably because it’s one of my most favorite songs ever. Kudos to the ladies for trying some very difficult jams, but delivering. And shout out to Brandy for introducing them and looking gorgeous!

All in all, the show was all right. There were times when it seemed they just called anybody to come and get on stage. They’d shout a name and you would think, “Who!?” Plus, some of the twists they put on classic songs like “Bad Girls” wasn’t really my cup of tea (let’s keep it simple next time). Definitely wasn’t like the Divas programs that folks like Mary J. Blige and Whitney Houston used to kill, but it was fun enough. What did you think of the show though? If you haven’t seen the whole thing, check out these clips and let us know what you thought way down below!

Source: soulbounce.com

From thegrio.com

By Alexis Garrett Stodghill

Ledisi is a neo soul singer who has risen to prominence through hard work, determination and believing in her talent. The multiple Grammy nominee might grace grand stages today — performing in spaces as dignified as the White House or as funky as the Essence Music Festival — but the songwriter and natural hair icon had to struggle to find the inner center that would become the foundation of her achievement. The star’s new book, Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love & Power, is a love letter to her fans and an interactive inspiration tome to all women (and men) who seek to empower themselves using the same tools that enabled Ledisi to become a breakout sensation. The powerhouse vocal diva, who has been compared to Tina Turner in terms of her vitality — and Ella Fitzgerald for her vocal range — sat down with theGrio to discuss how readers of her first book can find ”Peace, Love & Power” through loving their natural selves.

For the full interview visit thegrio.com

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As we move through June, we continue to celebrate Black Music Month.  If you’re anything like me as an R&B/soul music fan, when you are introduced to an artist who you think is amazing, you want them to succeed. But then again, you don’t want them to blow up so much for fear that the music will change or become watered down.  Today, we take a look at some of today’s best and brightest in soul who’ve received lots of attention but haven’t really allowed the music to suffer in the process. Who’s your favorite R&B/soul artist of today?

Note: This list certainly is not the sum of all the artists we love because as an R&B lover, I could go on for days.  This is just a “to wet your appetite” list and this could be never ending.  That’s why we want you to add your favorites in the comments. Enjoy!

eurweb.com

Jill Scott

There are two artists I might end a friendship over if you speak ill of them, and Jill Scott is one of them. For years, Jill has proven herself as a musical force to be reckoned with – there are few who can match that voice and those songwriting abilities. She sings in different languages, she sings her songs in operatic tone, and her range is amazing. We’re always ready for new music from Jilly from Philly.

It’s part praise, part worship, part party and a whole lot of celebration. , featuring performances by Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond and Pastor Shirley Caesar. Other performances include Faith Evans, Johnny Gill and Kelly Price.

Hosted by Steve Harvey, the show is a perfect combination of mainstream artists and gospel greats who come together to make a joyful noise. For example, original Dream Girl Jennifer Holliday and “Glee” star Amber Riley joined gospel legends Pastor Shirley Caesar and Yolanda Adams to pay tribute to Mahalia Jackson, the “Mother of Gospel Music,” four-time Grammy award winner, civil rights activist and vocal powerhouse. Also expect a superlative performance by Ledisi, who left audience members speechless singing “Holy One.”

Celebration of Gospel 2012 airs Sunday April 1^st at 8 p.m. ET. For more information, visit BET.com.

These days, finding a good love song on the radio is like locating snow in Nevada. Sure it happens but you have to go to great lengths to see it. Unless you’re listening to an old school hour, the love songs of today leave a lot to be desired. But they are out there; so in the spirit of 2011 coming to a close, we’ve taken the time to compile some of the best love songs this year had to offer.

1. “So in Love”

Jill Scott Feat. Anthony Hamilton

I love your mannerisms, babe,
The way you handle them
Oh, I’m so proud to be with you
So attracted to you too…

Is it really a surprise that these two members of the royal family of soul would produce the smooth groove of the year? Jill and Anthony have been on my fantasy collaboration list for a very long time. So I was excited to see them working together. If you’ve been known to step, this song was made just for you.

After much anticipation, VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul aired last night with an amazing lineup of performers paying tribute to the cities that put soul music on the map, like Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and Memphis.

Jill Scott, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Jessie J, Florence + The Machine, Kelly Clarkson, Erykah Badu, Ledisi, Chaka Khan, and more were in the building paying homage to great cities, great music, and British soul diva Amy Winehouse.

Check out a recap of some of the most talked about performances below and tell us which were your favorites and which you weren’t feeling.

J Hud, Kelly Clarkson, and Mary J. Blige opened the show with spins on some of their classic songs like  “Real Love,” “Since You’ve Been Gone,” and “Spotlight.”

Nas introduced the performers for the Amy Winehouse tribute, calling Amy his “soul sister” and admitting that her song “Me and Mr. Jones” was about him. That was the most charming part of the tribute as the other singers didn’t quite hit the mark in their renditions of “Back to Black” and “You Know I’m No Good.”

J Hud sang “Night of Your Life” in her solo set, but Twitter’s seemed to find her guilty of jacking someone else’s style as the usually stationary singer pulled out a few moves in her Beyonce-esque dress.

Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Black Thought shared the stage remixing “You Got Me.”

The list of singers who will be performing on “VH1 Divas Celebrate Soul” just keeps on growing. Ms. Anita Baker has now been added to the lineup along with Mavis Staples, Wanda Jackson, and Ledisi.

As the show’s headliners, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Jennifer Hudson, Jessie J., Kelly Clarkson, and Florence + The Machine will all pay tribute to the cities that have had a significant impact on Soul music like Chicago, Detroit, London, Memphis and Philadelphia. Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Boyz II Men, Estelle, Marsha Ambrosius and Travie McCoy have also been asked to join the mix as performers.

The show is just one week away from airing on VH1 Dec. 19 at 9pm. Who are you most excited to see?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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“With the ‘Pieces of Me’ album, I wanted to show the dimensional side of Ledisi… I can be sweet, Hot, a lover, and sometimes, a fighter. I also wanted to write and sing music that expresses the sides of women, and hopefully teach men how to love those complex women.” -Ledisi

Complexity is often used to describe women, and applies to black women in particular. We have so many sides to ourselves — spiritual, sensual, emotional, tough, decisive, soft — and it is important to make room for all parts of who we are. It can be tough sometimes. People may not get every aspect of your nature. You might even find that certain friends and relatives are better for playing out certain qualities. And that’s fine. As long as you are exploring and expressing all your most positive dynamics, you are on the positive road that Ledisi describes. And the more you love your many sparkling facets, the more the people in your life will appreciate your complexity.

Reflect on and enjoy all the different parts of who you are today! Enjoy yourselves Madames!

We love to know who our favorite’s favorites are. While there are some who have nothing but criticism for the new generation of artists, Ms. Patti had nothing but praise to shower on Ledisi.

Hello Beautiful caught a moment with these two power singers and captured their thoughts on one another. Check out this precious video here.