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 India.Arie is dressed in trademark orange, carrying her trademark accessory. No, not the Erykah Badu-esque turban, but her guitar, the instrument more often associated with rock riffs than soulful acoustics. Until she came along, that is. At the Elysée Montmartre in Paris, France, India and her two backup singers offer an impressive display of vocal ability. From hit song "Video" to Sade's "Sweetest Taboo," they run the gamut from one end of the musical scale – and the stage – to the other. And this is only the soundcheck. Later in the evening, India.Arie peppers her show – the real one – with India.Arie-isms, such as "Everything that comes out of your mouth goes in your ear." A lot certainly goes in the ears of the audience: Cover versions such as Terence Trent d'Arby's "Sign Your Name"; dedications to Sade and "the beautiful men" in the audience ("I See God in You"); and some surprises, old and new. "Beautiful Surprise," written "very, very, very, very, very, very recently... almost yesterday," is one of the two new songs she performs from her upcoming follow-up to her debut album. The unreleased "India's Song," a track about Savannah, Georgia left off the album "'cause I didn't know where 'Acoustic Soul' would go," could be a Tracy Chapman song. The girl once "afraid to speak her mind" is definitely expressive onstage. An hour before show time, a more subdued India chats in the dressing room. "You get not 'cause you ask not" is another of her India-isms. So I ask. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
One of your lyrics reads "I'm not the average girl from your video." So you're not, say, Beyoncé? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | I am like her. Yeah, I am. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
A more spiritual version of her, one could say? Like your songs, for instance, are you in a set state of mind when you write songs? How do you get around to it? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | It's like writing or reading or whatever. You have to focus. You have to stay focused to get it done. That's how it is when I write songs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Does it all just flow when you're focused? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Sometimes it blows out; sometimes I have to rearrange lines. But it always starts with mental focus. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You said the guitar changed your life. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | I said that? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Yes, you did. What did it change? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | It changed my musical expression. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You blend acoustic with hip-hop. Do you eventually want to experiment with other genres? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | I do experiment with lots of different genres. In making music, I don't think of genre like, "I want to do this, because I'm going use that country music sound; I'm going use that hip-hop sound; I'm going use that acoustic [sound]." It's just making music. So now that I've traveled a lot more since I did Acoustic Soul, I'm sure that different sounds will come into place, because I have been exposed to it and I like it. But it's not so much of a conscience effort. It's mind and spirited. You know, we're humans. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What inspires you? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Life inspires me... love. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You write a lot about the soul, in a bluesy way. Is spirituality important in your sound and words, in the sense of music being the food for the soul? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | It's not spiritual... Not in a religious sense (reflects on the question). When we were little, we never got slapped across the face. We got spankings, but not, you know... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Um, okay. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | My mother's just a certain way, and for that, I was raised with her morals and she was raised with her mother's morals, and that's just how it manifests itself in a creative way. I don't cuss in front of adults or children. My mother doesn't cuss at all. My mother doesn't drink, but that's not because she's a Christian. It's because that's just how she feels. So it's more like moral, not in a religious way, but on a personal level outside of everything. My mother just taught me things that I've learned on my own. I understand the power of words in my life. Like when I was little and I would feel sad, I would write a story – or even playing this music gives myself a more clear vision. And I have respect for that in my life, and I use words in a certain way because of the respect that I have gained over the years for the power of words and what they can do. But even then, on another level, having traveled and all, and everyone doesn't speak the same language, it's still about love, energy. Even when you don't know what a person is saying, you can always feel that sincerity, like who's that singer? This lady I met in Puerto Rico... Oga (attempts to remember name)... Oga something... I don't remember her last name. I didn't know anything she was saying, but the way she was saying it just made me feel good inside. I wanted to dance around and wave my arms. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
So for you, music as an international language is an inspiration? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | I'm inspired by the power of words in one way, but the power of love in another way, like what it means to be giving. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Yeah, love is another recurring theme in your songs. Like, a very pure, innocent type of love. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Love is the energy of being respectful and reverential of music itself and love, energy and all that, it's all the same stuff. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Coming back to your mother, she's originally from Detroit, the hometown of Motown. Did she give you a Motown musical education? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yeah... yeah. We listened to a lot of different music. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Like Stevie Wonder? You wrote "Wonderful" for him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yeah. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Has he heard it? I mean, did you get any feedback? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yes, of course he heard it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
And would you like to work with him one day? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yes, I'd love to! Of course. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
I know you recently got to duet with another of your idols, Roberta Flack. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | (brimming with enthusiasm) Yeah, for Oxygen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How did that go? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | It was technically the sound that was good, 'cause we didn't rehearse a lot. We just rehearsed that day, like "You sing this part," you know... I loved singing with her. She's someone I identify myself with creatively. It was fun. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you also identify yourself with the current breed of R&B singers like Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: |
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NYROCK: |
Are you still involved with the collective Groovement and the label Earthseed? Do you still own it? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | We all own it together. The label is not anymore in existence, but as far as [being] friends and being an artist collective and knowing that we have plans to tour together someday – you know, do more business together – we're all still connected. A lot of people in my band are. But we're just not doing anything. Everyone's doing their own thing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
And as far as Motown Records goes, you didn't sign until you were guaranteed full artistic control. Do you have this? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yeah... Yeah, I do. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Now a Grammy question... You were given a slot to play live at the Grammys at the last minute. Do you think the Academy was making up for the fact that they weren't giving you any trophies that night, despite your seven nominations? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | The last-minute slot was just politics. Politics is in everything. Sometimes you don't have control over politics, so seeing as how it was something I didn't have control over, I was just accepting of the fact. Okay, they gave me a slot. But I'm always ready to play. So I felt I represented myself well. If I had a week or days, it still would've been a very similar performance. So in that way, I feel like I represented myself well and the politics is something I can't worry about, 'cause what can I do? There's nothing that they have to make up for anyway, in my mind. That's just the way it's supposed to be. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Well, you still got an amazing seven nominations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Seven nominations did wonders for my album sales, and that's what I really care about. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
That's a victory in itself. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | It is a victory. Certainly, the entire thing has been a victory for me, just because it's taught me lessons and expanded my consciousness in a way that I look at what validation is and what it isn't and how necessary it is to be validated by beings or institutions that you don't necessarily care about. I care what my mother thinks and it's nice to be recognized by others and know that I got those nominations because of my peers. [They] listen to my album and say, "Hey, we like that," and that's cool too. I want to have an album that people like. That is what I care about. Winning or losing... (India makes a "no" gesture with her hand). I was definitely disappointed for a few days, but it didn't make we want to stop singing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Does it make you want to make more potential Grammy-nominated albums? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | It makes we want to make more albums and tour. The nominations part... I used to go out of my way to be at every awards show, because people make it seem like it's such an important place to be. "You got nominated and you have to come." It is cool to be nominated, but it showed me that, in the future, whenever I do get nominated again, whatever, if my sister's having a child, I'm going to be there. Or if my brother's getting married or my brother needs me to come, I'm going to go there and not even feel sad at all about the fact that I couldn't make the ceremony. That's not what matters to me. It never was. It started to matter after a month of (imitates record-industry voice), "You're gonna get four; I think you're gonna get five; I think you're gonna get seven; I think you're gonna get one or two" and all that. Then it started to matter, but it doesn't matter! That's a valuable lesson. Sade told me that too. A lot of people told me that. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Oh yeah, you toured with Sade. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yeah, it was great. It was a great learning experience. Sade's great. We had a lot of fun. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Coming back to albums, are you working on your second album? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Well, what's it going to be like? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | You'll have to wait and see. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
When do you think it'll be out? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Early next year. Probably in the spring. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You really don't want to tell me anything about it? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Just wait. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Should we expect some surprises? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Who knows? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You're heading the 14th Annual AIDS Walk in New Jersey, May 19th. Are you planning to attend the event? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | No, I won't be there. I want to take some time off, rest. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You will be performing at Jazzfest with Lenny Kravitz right before that though? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yeah... Oh, Lenny's going to be there too? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Yes. A couple of final questions: Arie means lion, right? Why did your parents call you that? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | Yeah, it means lion. My mother called me that, but she didn't know what it meant. She just liked the sound of it. We later found out it means lion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Are you a lion? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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INDIA.ARIE: | (hesitates) Yes. May 2002 Related Artists:
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