N'Dea Davenport - Biography

Biography

Her diverse projects include collaborations with music producers and artists, Mark Ronson, Roger Sanchez, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Madonna, Natalie Merchant Mos Def, Sly and Robbie, J Dilla, Malcolm McLaren, and many more. Dance scholarships, acting and music were the core of her developments as an artist and entertainer. Immediately after finishing college, she left her then home of Atlanta Ga, en route to Los Angeles.There she engaged in theatrical productions and commercial music video and quickly was embraced by artists in both art, music and popular culture. Her legacy as an artist began also with her involvement in the burgeoning LA underground club and rave scene late '80s and early '90's. A then merger of cultural exchanges of dance music, funk, hip-hop, punk, classic rock, graffiti and pop art. This movement also launched the careers of her predecessors, artists Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat and Robert Mapplethorpe.

Working simultaneously as a dance/performance artist and recording and commercial studio session singer, Davenport was soon connected with new buddy and graffiti artist, Fab Five Freddy who recommended her to his DJ friend at new upstart label Delicious Vinyl. Eurythmics member/ producer Dave Stewart, offered Davenport a recording contract a year prior when introduced through a collaboration with Bootsy Collins and Malcom McLaren, of Sex Pistols fame, where she was featured on McLaren's Waltz Darling LP. She declined Stewart’s offer at the time due to his requirement for her to relocate to London, England. Later to ink a solo development deal with Delicious Vinyl, who made introductions to her future bandmates,The Brand New Heavies who at the time had no singer. With the core band members based in London, she made the destined decision to this time relocate there and musical history was made.

The band’s initial UK indie label Acid Jazz Records, struck a deal with London Records for distribution in Europe and the rest of the world. During this period, the band produced a string of international LP’s and singles, invigorating a global movement and popularized the musical term known as Acid Jazz. The Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol.1 was a successful collaboration of New York rappers and the initial members of the group, who opted to forgo vocals for this project. Parallel to this, Davenport completed work on the Jazzmatazz LP with good friend, late MC and rapper Guru. The result of their work together was one of the earliest collaborations between vocalist and rapper creating an infusion of jazz music, cultural rhetoric and hip hop beats.

In 1995, Davenport left the group citing irreconcilable differences, returning to the US and choosing New Orleans as a home base while she pursued other collaborations, and completed work on her long overdue solo recording with Delicious Vinyl. Encouragement received from her associate, producer Daniel Lanois,(U2,Bob Dylan) resulted in the completion of her debut solo effort as producer, less the remaining four songs, produced by Dallas Austin. While her association with Delicious Vinyl was dissolving, Davenport's project was picked up by the newly formed label owned by Virgin Group originator Sir Richard Branson. And in 1997, her critically acclaimed self-titled debut solo recording on V2 Records was released. She toured extensively in support of the album, around Europe, North America and Australia and with the concert series Lilith Fair.. When the relationship at V2 came to an end she continued musically primarily focusing on European dance music projects.

Davenport held residency in New Orleans but lived primarily in New York City and cites the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina disaster as the motivation to shift both professionally and personally. Her diverse musical tastes led to an eventual stance as also a New York club dj. In late 2005 talks began about a reunion with The Brand New Heavies and by 2006 the group reemerged with the release of a new CD called “Get Used To It." Their reunion has been applauded and celebrated and the group continues to tour globally. Utilizing the power of collaboration, she has had the instinctive ability through various musical styles and experience, to weave effortlessly transcending boundaries and time. She can also be seen with her most innovative project to date,with collaborator Katsuya Everywhere in the multi-media based electronic/acoustic duo, Celectrixx conceived in Japan.