My stumbling upon this singer could not have come at a more opportune time, seeing as just last night, I posted about my desire for a musical Renaissance. Do yourself a favor and check out Raphael Saadiq. Appearance wise, Saadiq looks like a cross between a young David Ruffin and Malcolm X. The best part is his voice is highly reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's and Smokey Robinson's, although Saadiq's voice is ever so slightly lower than Smokey's.
I recommend the song "Oh Girl" as your introduction to this talented artist, a song which he also re-recorded with Jay-Z. So even the big-time singers are taking notice! The version with Jay-Z is just ok. Saadiq did well on his own, but at least he's getting the attention. The instrumental accompaniment echos the style which was used on the early Jackson 5 singles, specifically "Who's Lovin' You", "Got to Be There", and "Maybe Tomorrow".
In the songs "100 Yard Dash" and "Staying in Love", I can really hear Stevie Wonder in his voice. Though he brings back memories of these great artists, he is nonetheless unique and individual in his own right, and not merely a reverberation of old Motown greats.
http://www.myspace.com/raphaelsaadiq
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment