ChinahBlac: Bringing the fire back to soul music

A woman who epitomizes real is Jersey’s own ChinahBlac. She is changing the game bringing soul and emotion back to soul music. Not only has she sung back ground vocals for A-listers in the music industry for the past 15 years, most notably with the Dave Matthews Band, Kelis, Dave Hollister, Angie Stone, and Ne-Yo to name a few she’s also one of the most sought after  vocal arrangers in the business. Chinah recently released her debut album, Introducing Eugenia Shata and describes her sound as aggressive soul. She broke it down further stating, “If Busta Rhymes and Chaka Khan had a child that is my sound.” So you can only image the high octane, grit and swagger her music embodies.

 

I chatted with her recently and was pleasantly surprised by her candidness and ability to keep it real. She was hanging out at a popular Atlanta spot, Café Istanbul enjoying Middle Eastern belly dancing and mellowing out with her own hookah pipe (that she always travels with). “I love the atmosphere hookah’s bring. It keeps me focused and on track.”

 

She’s well versed in the music industry having worked with a variety of artists but it was two key relationships one with Erykah Badu and with Jill Scott that brought her talents to the forefront. Chinah was a background vocalist for Erykah Badu touring with her for eight years and later becoming the tours vocal director. That opportunity led to her working with Jill Scott and her first solo performance as a background singer. “Erykah Badu gave me the opportunity to be viewed.  Jill Scott gave me the position to shine.” Chinah explains. Her performance of the classic Tina Marie song, Portuguese Love, brought the house down and showed just how much range and emotion her voice contained.

 

The opera trained singer earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in music from Texas Southern University. So when it came time to create Introducing Eugenia Shata, she sought out studied musicians, new producers, as well as wrote and produced the album.  Years in the making, the album began as journal entries she scribed during her days touring with Erykah Badu. Her first single off the album, Get Away, is a down tempo track which shows the introspective and posed side of Chinah with vocals reminiscent of Aretha Franklin. My favorite track on the album, Touch Me with Your Handz was produced by Philadelphia producer DJ Jazzy Jeff and rocks with you from beginning to end in the most sensual way. Her sound reminds us of what soul music is, taking us back to its roots of rawness and vigor.

 

Now Busta and Chaka Khan may describe her sound but Chinah also includes Earth, Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, and the Jackson Five on her list of soul artists who had a message in their music balanced with feel good tunes, a skill she prides herself in. Marvin Gaye in particular his album; What’s Going On is her favorite of all time.

 

When asked about the shift from soul to neo soul Chinah shared, “I don’t agree with the neo soul label because it implies that soul music has been reborn which isn’t true. Soul music evolves and grows. It is not just natural hair, acoustic guitars and incense. I call my music aggressive soul because music is supposed to make you feel better, make you want to dance but also make you feel like you can accomplish something.”

 

ChinahBlac is a singer’s singer. She understands the music industry and credits her days as a background singer to giving her the discipline to succeed as an artist and the knowledge to create an experience during shows. The result, a stage show like no other often described as commanding and unrelenting and a sound that is just as unique. “Every time I open my mouth, I want whomever is listening to feel and connect with every word, I want to bring the fire back to music”.

 

Her next project, Eargasmic out in January is a mixtape by DJ Conscience featuring Raheem De Vaughn, Musiq, Wes Felton, and Black Ice followed by her sophomore album, The Resurrection of ChinahBlac out next March. “It’s about the hustle and the grind. I live hard and love hard. My music goes straight to the gut. It’s all truth, no sugar.” She exclaims.

 

ChinahBlac also has plans that speak to her desire to give back and manifest her higher divine self. One is creating a nonprofit organization for struggling artists. Chinah describes it as, “a place where artists can learn the music business, take classes, live in a dormitory environment and be encouraged to pursue music.”  The organization will be geared towards individuals from areas that typically have limited access to the music industry and don’t live in big cities like New York or Los Angeles.

 

As our conversation continued, Chinah updated me on things that were going on at the café she was at and we discussed the Chaka Khan tribute during the recent Soul Train Music Awards (which by the way I felt she should have been participated in). If I had to choose an artist she could be compared to it would be the fabulous Chaka Khan.

 

So before wrapping up the call, I had to ask my infamous question, three things you cannot live without. In true of  her own style ChinahBlac added a fourth item. Here list included: God, music, love, and her hookah pipe. Again, it doesn’t get more real than ChinahBlac.

 

 

 

 

Discography:
Albums Recorded (backing vocals)
Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The Dave Matthew’s Band’s Listener Supported
Erykah Badu’s Mamma’s Gun & Worldwide Underground
RedMan’s Malpractice
Bilal’s First Born Second
Black Ice’s The Death of Willie Lynch
Jill Scott’s The Real Thing Words and Sound Vol. 3
DJ Jazzy Jeff’s The Return of The Magnificent

 

Support Act For:
Erykah Badu
Common
Chico Debarge
Bilal
Anthony Hamilton
Floetry
Musiq
Jazmine Sullivan
Performed With (backing Vocals):
The Dave Mathew’s Band
Grenique
Dave Hollister
Kelis
Bilal
Erykah Badu
Angie Stone
N’Dambi
Renee (Formally of Zhane)
Amel
Heather Headley
Guru
Mya
Jill Scott
NE-YO