Oakland-based singer-songwriter Danielle Dubois is a passionate musician who has traveled the world on her quest to explore the origins and sounds that have influenced the music that she loves. After many years (and miles) of honing her craft, Dubois is in her native Oakland making music that draws from her experiences and influences. She recently chatted with Aural Notes about how she got her start, her adventures in Senegal, and her plans for 2012.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
I actually came to music through my brother Ben. He had a jazz vocal teacher, Jesse Foster, who I was introduced to at 16. There was an open mic at Café Internationale in San Francisco and I tagged along. I began working with Jesse and found myself heavily influenced by Ella [Fitzgerald], Etta [James] and Billie [Holiday]. Soon thereafter, I began performing in several Bay Area clubs, such as Paradise Lounge and Silverado Country Club.
Working with Jesse opened the door to so many musical styles. He introduced me to Brazilian jazz via American jazz. After working with him for two years, I went to Brazil to explore the jazz scene even further. I was invited by some great musician friends in Sao Paulo to come down there at 18 and they really opened the door even wider for me, to different Brazilian artists and styles including samba, forro, axe, MPB. While there, I fell in love with all of it, the language, the people and culture.
SO, AT THIS TIME, BRAZILIAN MUSIC BECAME A PRIMARY INFLUENCE IN YOUR MUSIC.
I was entrenched in all things Brazilian. I started teaching myself the language. I would listen to all of the Brazilian music that inspired me the most. I’d read the liner notes, and often if I didn’t understand a word, I would look it up. I also had always wanted to go to French speaking Africa. My mother raised me speaking French and taught me to be a lover of francophone cultures. So at 21, I spent one year in Senegal. I studied there for about a year. In Dakar, I met a man named Vieux who happened to really appreciate my voice and he also happened to be the keyboard player for Fallou Dieng, a very popular Senegalese musician. We played a lot of music during my stay there and recorded an EP there. Amateur, but pretty cool. Vieux asked if I’d be interested in singing for Fallou and that’s where it all began. It all happened so fast. I had to learn the backup vocals to 13 of his songs in about 10 hours…and in Wolof (one of the languages spoken in Senegal). I sang at Alizé, one of the premiere clubs in Dakar, and a few others around the city and went on tour with Fallou’s band (Fallou Dieng and the DLC) in Gambia. I was performing in front of hundreds of people, larger than any audience I’d ever performed in front of before. It was all very random and lucky…I’m still trying to understand it.
FROM THERE, WE FAST FORWARD A FEW YEARS TO 2008 WHEN YOU RELEASED AN EP. HOW DID THAT COME TOGETHER?
My wonderful, generous uncle proposed to invest in me to get my music out there. A brilliant producer who I’ve known since 16, one of my brothers best friends, named Robin Livingston was Senior Engineer at Ursa Minor Studios and so I wanted to work with him on the recording. He knew well my voice, my style. But it is a total mix. If I had to classify it as a genre, I would like to call it “soft international soul”. There is a track titled “Waxaale” (in English means ‘to bargain’), which is sung in French, Wolof and English. The song is literally made up of samples that I recorded while I was on tour with Fallou. I took a BOSS digital 4-track recorder with me and a Shure SM 58. That’s all you need! I met some musicians from Mali when I toured in Gambia, and I recorded them along with several Senegalese musicians and brought it back. Robin was able to go through samples with me. The title track is important for me because it helped me identify with my R&B roots and is a very biographical and personal song. “ Quando Você Chega’’ (When You Arrive) was the first song I wrote in Portuguese. The EP was a big conglomeration of my cultural life. While I was finishing the EP, I met a group of Bossanova/samba/ MPB musicians called Pulse Brasil, and its leader Glen Stacey got me involved as a vocalist in 2007. At this point in my career, I was ready. We gigged all of the time in and around the Bay Area. It was very informative in my Brazilian repertoire. I actually still gig with them, but not as vigorously.
with Pulse Brazil
AND NOW YOU’RE BACK IN OAKLAND, MAKING YOUR OWN MUSIC. IN 2011, YOU RELEASED THE SINGLE ENTITLED “RADIO”, WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON ITUNES. A FRIEND BROUGHT THE SONG TO MY ATTENTION AND I LOVE IT.
Thank you! A few years earlier I had been a singer for a hip-hop/soul group, ILC (International Loose Cannons). I’ve been connected with them for eight years. Some of the best, most motivated people I know, and all close friends of mine. Jamie Way, one of the founders of ILC and founder of Press Rewind collective came to me with the idea for “Radio”. He said, “How about you’re shooting your radio with a 12-gauge gun”. I thought that it was a little out of my element, a bit aggressive, but it just plain worked.
ASIDE FROM YOUR VOICE, I IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED WITH THE LYRICS. “MY RADIO IS DEAD. I SHOT IT WITH A 12-GUAGE. I COULDN’T STAND TO WATCH IT SLOWLY DIE. SOME SAY I SHOULD’VE PULLED THE PLUG BUT IT’S BETTER OFF THIS WAY.”
It came from the idea that radio has sold out. We can’t touch base with the songs we want to hear. It started as commentary about how boring and limited the radio is currently, and thinking its dying a slow-death, but then I realized it could also speak to a relationship gone wrong and deciding to end a long, dying relationship. What you hear on the airwaves is not all there is to listen to today. The public is truly sponsoring the dollars for the big, commercial artists and “Radio” is the response to that. The relationship aspect is just another layer that fit perfectly with the feel we were looking for.
THE SINGLE SEEMS LIKE YOU’VE COME FULL CIRCLE WITH YOUR MUSICAL TASTES.
Yes, it was hip-hop inspired and peppered with blues, grit and soulful harmonies. Coming back to Oakland and doing what my city does best.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU MUSICALLY?
Me, Jamie Way, James Leste and Jake Namaro-Weingrow, the three of them brilliant musicians and producers, are working on my next EP. We already have a couple of tracks that we are pretty excited about. With Jamie, I’ve actually made a connection with Chief Xcel of Blackalicious, with support from Jumbo of Lifesavas. We’ve had a great time collaborating for future projects. There is very positive energy there between all of us and the evolution of new work is exciting. The art of music is my life and I know whether internationally or here in Oakland, I have no choice but to do what comes naturally. It is important to stay connected to the people who are feeling the music I feel, who understand wanting to make that reality.
Danielle Dubois’ single “Radio” is available for download at iTunes. You can also follow her music happenings at…
http://pressrewind.com/main/artists/danielledubois