Leela James

Like so many other contemporary soul voices, as a young debutante in the early 2000s, Leela James was heavily influenced by Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Chaka Khan. Her debut record A change is gonna come (not coincidentally to a Sam Cooke song) immediately contained 1 of her biggest hits “Music. Six more records would follow and several hits, including two Billboard number one singles, including the emotional ballad ‘Fall for you’. Leela James is known for her powerful, inspiring concerts. And with her special and rather rough voice she sang a unique, unpredictable repertoire within the idiom of R&B and funk. She is also often asked for duets, as examples the collaborations with Kanye West, Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton and the Roots.

+ Joel Francis