I was sitting on the asphalt at an airport in Costa Rica when I composed the lyrics and melody of the song “Soul Crying.” I think that’s when I knew I was working on a new album, that I later decided to call bloom. Over the course of the following seven years I wrote 11 grants trying to get enough money together to make the album that I envisioned. I received nine rejection letters–the lyrics and music were too commercial for arts councils and too independent for music industry funders–I was devastated each time. Making bloom reaffirmed the importance of determination, vision and persistence in my work and my life.
Release Date: 01 June 2009
Album Credits:
Naila Keleta-Mae, co-producer, lyrics, lead and back-up vocals (all songs)
Neil “Bass One” Benskin, electric bass (all songs except “a gap?”)
Peter Gibson, Fender Rhodes (all songs except “this is my rant,” “sweet lyrics,” “i am leaving” and “a gap?”)
Neil Guilding, percussion (all songs except “sometimes,” “a gap?” and “the last letter”)
Alan Kohl, marimba (“this is my rant”), stratocaster guitar (“the last letter”) and acoustic guitar (“soul crying,” “ensuite quoi?” “sometimes,” and “i am leaving”)
Meena Murugesan, violin (“sometimes,” “a gap?” and “the last letter”)
Kaveh Nabatian, co-producer, trumpet (“this is my rant,” “soul crying,” “sweet lyrics,” “sometimes”), keyboard (“i am leaving”) and engineer Ricochet Studios
Richard Parry, upright bass (“a gap?” and “the last letter”)
Chilandre Patry, lyrics and vocals in Kréyol with English translation (“i write this”), adlib lyrics and back-up vocals (“the last letter”)
Jason “Jahsun” Promesse, drum kit (all songs)
Drum kit and bass recorded at DNA Studios by Greg Smith, Engineer. Vocals, programming and other instrumentation recorded at Ricochet Studios, Kaveh Nabatian, Engineer. Mixed at Phase One Studios by Saam Hashemi, Engineer and Luis Breves, Assistant Engineer. Mastered at Phase One Studios by George Seara, Engineer and Mark Renner, Assistant Engineer. CD design by Tony Halmos.
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