Profile
Adriana Evans is truly a one of a kind artist, the likes
of which have not been seen since Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan.
She is the daughter of jazz recording artist Mary Stallings,
who sang with Count Basie, Dizzie Gillespie and Cal Tjader.
Adriana was raised in the Haight Ashbury and Mission District
of San Francisco. Exposed early in life to the sounds of jazz,
and blues by her mother and also the explosive sounds of Afro
Cuban music from her father's culture , she was destined to
be a musical sponge. Her love for soul, rock and hip hop added
more to her rich musical tapestry.
When she was a freshman in college she befriended the aspiring
rapper Dred Scott. This chance encounter led her to a collaboration
on his 1994 A&M records release "Breaking Combs". Just
one year later she and Dred wrote and recorded her debut self
titled album on Capitol. A political shake up at Capitol landed
Adriana and the record on RCA/Loud Records. The album was thought
to be somewhat revolutionary. It was the first so called "Neo
Soul record" at the time. The use of live instrumentation combined
with the classic sound of Adriana's vocals took a lot of people
off guard. When you think about the musical landscape in 1995,
you understand that this album was extremely groundbreaking.
It was completely devoid of the synthetic mechanical sounds
and stacked vocal stylings of music from that era.
After the release of her first album she became disenchanted
with the politics of music. She travelled the world finding
an unlimited source of creative inspiration. She spent much
of her time in Latin America feeling at home in the relaxed
musically enriched environment. Brazil became a home away from
home for her spiritually and musically. Upon her return to
the US she began assembling her second record "Nomadic".
This was a project that she and long-time collaborator "Dred
Scott" really enjoyed. It is an eclectic reflection of her
musical journey. "Nomadic" incorporates the sounds of Latin,
rock, soul, jazz, blues and hip hop. It reflects the variety
of manifestations of black music in the Americas. She states, "Africans
came to North America, South America and the Caribbean via
the slave trade and through some sort of alchemy turned pain
into beauty. They gave the world their music!" "Nomadic" honors
their remarkable contributions.
Her new CD, "El Camino" blends the familiar sounds of her first
recording with the growth of her second CD. The musical emphasis
of this work is based more on the soul tradition yet it still
has eclectic elements that reflect Adriana's unique perspective.
The title "El Camino" means the road or path in Spanish. |
