Biography
In 1997, I moved back to New york City searching
to find what my heart most desired. My music.
What was I going to do, I asked myself. I was
working as a temp during the day, and UPS in the
evening. There wasn't much time for music,
because I had to survive in this big city with no
family and little friends. One day, on my way to
work, I was singing in the train station. Just
standing there minding my own business, when
two young ladies came over to me and asked if I
would be interested in auditioning for two
producers. Well, I was a little skeptical, because I
thought. 'People say all the time do you sing,
would you do this, would you do that, and no one
seemed for real'. So I said, 'self, you'll never know
if you don't try'. The next day I went to meet the
producers to audition for them. I was excited, but
scared, because I had no idea as to what they
were looking for, what they wanted me to do, and
what type of music would I be singing. I don't
exactly remember what I sang for the audition, but
it obviously was enough for them to want me to
come back and sing with the other background
vocalist. After auditioning the second time, they
asked had I ever been over seas. I thought,' Oh
my God, I'm a little girl from Baltimore, MD, I
studied classical music in high school and at
Juilliard, and the furthest I had ever been was
Coral Gables, Florida or may be California'. I quickly
responded by saying I didn't have a problem going
over seas, but I don't have a passport. In a matter
of five days, I had gotten a passport(with the help
of the record company V2 Records), and was flying
off to Oslo, Norway to sing background for an artist
named Billy Crawford. I didn't know who he was, I
just new I was excited about this opportunity. We
were flying every where. On this tour we had gone
to Norway, Sweden, England, and Germany to
name a few. I was so grateful to know that
something I learned in high school I could actually
use in the real world. I had taken German for two
years in high school. I wasn't culture shocked at
all. It was surreal, I couldn't believe all of this
happened because I was singing in the train
station. After that entrance into the music industry,
I had no choice but to follow my dreams. I was
blessed with gigs after gigs. I worked with Amel
Larriuex( Groove Theory), Kelis, club/house music
diva Ultra Nate', neo soul siren Julie Dexter, and
Ndea Davenport who has just reunited with The
Brand New Heavies. All of these experiences
prepared me for the ultimate "mama" of rock and
roll, Ms. Nona Hendryx. I meet Nona after I had
just finished doing a tour with Kelis( The Fuji Rock
Festival) and we were flying from Japan back to
New York. There she was, my mentor. Only I didn't
know at that time that she was going to play such
an active roll in my life. She walked past me to
speak with one of my band members, and I was
like OH Shit!!! That's Nona Hendryx. I kept starring
at her so much that she finally decided to speak. I
thought to myself, 'Ki, please, please stop starring
at her'. She's going to say to you, "what are you
looking at...do you have a problem...Ishe had the
look on her face like, who is this little girl sitting
here smiling at me obviously trying to get my
attention? When I tell you I was smiling...I could
have lit up all of Africa...sunlight to last for a few
days. My friend Portia finally introduced me, and all
I could say was Hi, nice to meet you. But in the
back of my mind I was saying,'I'm going to work
with you'. I knew it, I could feel it. I instantly knew
what style of music I wanted to sing. I wanted
something that was energetic, raw, electricfying. I
didn't want to be the typical R&B singer. I wanted
to be like women such as Nona, Tina Turner,
Melissa Etheridge just to name a few. These
women were doing it there way on there terms.
They had there our unique sound. Well, a few
months later I was givin the opportunity to sing
background for Nona at one of her shows in NY.
That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
Nona has introduced me to several different types
of projects such as her play "Skindiver", a movie by
Charles Randolph-Wright titled "Preaching to the
Choir", Vaniece Thomas (producer of Nine Men's
Morris "It's a Wonderful Life" album) and many
more. At that time I began recording
background/feature vocalist with several different
artist. I worked with Q-Tip on "Kamaal The
Abstract" onlong with his new untitled album under
University Records, Raheem Devaughn "The Love
Experience", and some of my own club music
material with Waako Records, which is now being
played in various parts of the world. All in the same
year, I was referred to world music artist Angelique
Kidjo. We've done shows in NY and South Africa,
but the highlight of working with Angelique was
being in Oslo, Norway performing at The Nobel
Peace Prize Concert for President Jimmy Carter.
Airing in January "07" will be a video for children on
Nicelodeon(?). Currently, I'm in malmo, Sweden
performing with Glenn Wish and The New Memphis
Orchestra. It's an Elvis tribute band which is
getting rave reveiws. The most in their past history
as well as doing a master class for young aspiring
artists.
Instrumentation
KI KI
Dave Brophy-Guitar
BabyBoy-Drums
Bryan Ladd-Bass
DAY-vocals
Tess-vocals
Jezz Solite'-vocals
Discography
Raheem DeVaughn- "The Love Experience" 2005-track #12 "Catch 22"
Ki Ki "Euphoria EP" 2002
Nine Men's Morris- "It's A Wonderful Life 2002- track(s) #2-"Again and Again", #9-"Asteroids", #13- "The Kiss Off"
"You Don't Tell Me Anymore" 2002 Dance single
"Get Up" 2002 Dance single
"Thank You" 2002 Dance single
"I Cry" 2002 Dance single
"Higher" 2002 Dance single
"Keep it Movin" 2002 Dance single
"Give You What You Need" 2002 Dance single
"Did it for your Love" 2002 Dance single
Q-Tip- "Kamaal The Abstact" 2001- tracks #1 "Feelin", #2 "Do you dig you", #3 "A Million Times", #8 "Caring", #9 "Even if it's so"
2008 LaBelle "Back to Now"
2009 Q-Tip "Kamaal The Abstract"
TELEVISION APPEARANCES
Noggin- Jack's Big Music Show- Angelique Kidjo 2006
A&E-Nobel Peace Prize Concert- Angelique Kidjo-2002
B.E.T. Video Soul- Amel Larrieux-2000
Top Of The Pops(BBC UK)- Kelis-2000
MOVIE APPEARANCES
"Preaching To The Choir"- Charles Randolph-Wright- 2006
Links
| http://www.myspace.com/kikimusic |
| Crown of Thorns LIVE |
| Q-Tip - Barely in Love (Live on Jimmy Fallon Show) |
| Ki Ki Interview by Olive Demetrius |
| The Ki Ki Experience and more |
| Myspace |