Grammy-winning soul artist India.Arie has always bucked trends when it comes to creating music, but now the singer is going further afield by collaborating with Israeli singer Idan Raichel for her upcoming fifth album, Open Door.
As reported by accessatlanta.com, Arie came across Raichel while on vacation in Isreal. While there, Arie asked the locals who the most influential and political singer was in town.
“Everybody said, ‘Idan Raichel, Idan Raichel — same name all the time,’” said Arie. “So I just went to his little apartment, I heard his music and was like, ‘That’s my music!’ ”
Raichel is best known as the leader of The Idan Raichel Project, a band with a revolving cast of around 90 artists from Africa and South America, ranging in age from 16 to 80, who sing primarily in Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic and Swahili.
For Open Door, which will be released this summer, Arie will embrace Raichel’s blend of Israeli, Ethiopian, Yemenite and Latin sounds while singing in both English and Hebrew, which Raichel translates for her.
Although Open Door marks a stark departure in style for Arie, the singer explains that those closest to her can still see her artistry shining through.
“My family especially, they’re like, ‘Oh my god, India, why are you doing this? We don’t know who’s going to buy it,’ ” explained Arie. “My mom cries every time she hears the songs. … They kept saying stuff like, ‘This is you, but different. It’s almost like you can do anything, but it’s still you.’ ”
Are you excited to hear Arie’s new sound? Will you purchase the album? –nicholas robinson
