A 'Bravebird' In The Wind
by Gene Geter



On any day, R&B singer Amel Larrieux, formerly of Groove Theory, could be found uninhibitedly caring for her two daughters. Her grounded nature doesn't let her lose focus of a challenging schedule of rehearsals, photoshoots, interviews, etc.

Gene: So you are working on your second solo album?

Amel: The time slot is for October at this point, but I'm still working on it. I'm hoping I'll make it because I don't want it to be later than that.

Gene: Any working title?

Amel: Yes, it's going to be called Bravebird. The title track kind of leaked out last year and some deejays really liked it. It might be the first single.

Gene: Did your first album, Infinite Possibilities, do what you expected?

Amel: No, I knew my album was going to be a hard sell, but I do believe that if I'd gotten a fair promotional push, then I would have at least been exposed to some people who haven't heard of me. I definitely had beef with my label about that so I'm hoping this time around that they will, you know.

Gene: Because it is really great. I don't understand record companies sometimes.

Amel: Thank you, but it is all politics. If you know the industry, it is all about who's the "it" person that year.

Gene: You have been often called the new Sade. How do you feel about that comparison?

Amel: To be compared to someone you look up to is just a great, great honor. Still, I find it a little confusing. I don't see where we are similar. I hate to say this but there's this tendency with black females, if you have the same skin complexion at all, or if you have a similar hairstyle, then you are compared. I heard I'm like Erykah Badu, too. And I don't think we're anything alike.

Gene: You recently performed in Minnesota at Prince's record company, Paisley Park.

Amel: [Laughs] At his celebration. I never met Prince before and I was terrified. What an experience it was talking and performing with him. He's one of my musical inspirations.

Gene: Well, Prince must really like you because he posted on his web site, "how cool is Amel Larrieux?" How did this get set up?

Amel: I have no idea. I got a call from my agent that Prince wanted me to perform. I thought it was a joke. At first, I took it as a hoax.

On June 28th, Amel Larrieux lends her voice to the SCI FI network for "Maatkara," a new animated series. It's about a priestess descended from ancient Egyptians that discovers her destiny. Check out http://www.scifi.com/maatkara for more info.

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