IFE
Seattle, Washington, United States
Music
Press
With the recent passing of legendary singer, actress and activist, Lena Horne this past Mother’s Day, the entertainment world continues to mourn the loss of the beautiful, multi-faceted performer whose immeasurable contributions to the industry have influenced many of today’s artists. Singer/songwriter Ifé, a long time Horne fan, has released a tribute, aptly titled, “Lena’s Song,” as a free download exclusively on her website. The touching, melodic ode, produced and co-written by Mikuai Rai, was never intended for the public. But, for Ifé, who grew up admiring and studying Horne, her unexpected passing prompted the timely release. “Originally, I was just going to give it directly to Lena as a gift through a friend of her family,” Ifé recalls. “I never meant for anyone else to hear it, but she passed before I was able to send it. So, now I feel like this is the best way for her spirit to absorb it, and for the world to know how much of an impact her spirit had on me and continues to shape who I am as an artist.” - CentricTV.com
“I’m really influenced by old school soul,” says Ifé, a Seattle-born singer and songwriter who’s now based in Los Angeles.
“Obviously everything for me starts and ends with Stevie Wonder for me. He’s my kind of the quintessential everything.
“But there’s a lot of artists that I’m influenced by. I would say for me, Chanté Moore, Angela Winbush, N’Dea Davenport, who’s the lead singer of the Brand New Heavies. Rachelle Ferrell, are all huge influences on me vocally.”
In an exclusive interview with Soul Summer’s Andre Wilkins, the young singer on the rise discusses her sexy breakthrough single “Aim To Please,” which has made waves from London to Korea.
“The lyrics are self-explanatory. It’s a sensual song. It’s about pleasing your lover and having fun. I think sometimes sexuality can go so heavy and serious and intense. As a woman sometimes you just want to be able to say, You know what baby? let’s just have a night where we have fun. Whatever makes you happy. It’s not meant to be too controversial. It’s just my little expression.”
Ifé has been expressing her soul to the fullest over the last year. working on her new album with producer DJ Dodge, and focusing on a bright future.
“I’m really excited to see what comes out,” says Ifé, whose name evokes an ancient Yoruba city. “The adjectives people use to describe my sound is sensual. Some of the smoother sounds give you that feeling. But that’s okay. I don’t mind That. I guess I am a sensual person to an extent. I have no problem being identified with that.” - Soul Summer.com
The Crew at T.U.M.S. say Good Evening & a GOOD DAY to all of you from all over the world! How are you??
We wanted to 're'-present a vocal grace once spoken of on the T.U.M.S. platform - once presented on The New Voices of Today - Ife'.
Ife' comes back to us and all with a soul stirring tribute to the late, great Lena Horne, by all means of a FREE DOWNLOAD of "Lena's Song"! Available NOW at Ife's website by clicking here!!
Ife dropped something for the listeners at the start of 2010 with her gifted EP, "The Crescendo", now reviewed on our Reviews blog by George Strand. The complete, full album is set to break very soon, as Ife' is in the very stages of finishing the tracks. For now, get up on this new music before the "FREE DOWNLOAD" access disappears!
- The Urban Music Scene
"The drums in Ife’s “Make It Better” set the pace for a walk on the beach."
- Essence.com
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Ifés Bio
She's being called, "A young Sade meets Lena Horne for the new millennium, " but, the enthralling singer/songwriter with a sound and style all her own, writes and performs music that fuses R&B and Pop with elements of Jazz and Hip Hop that create melodic gems that are hard to forget.
The Seattle native grew up studying musical theater, and began honing her raw skills singing in various choirs before going on to study voice in college. During her undergraduate studies in Washington, D.C., Ifé began working as back up singer on the burgeoning music scene, but, it was while studying abroad during her senior year that she began focusing on adding songwriting to her artistic career path. "I think it was the culture of London mixed with the cold weather and lots of time spent on the trains traveling throughout the UK that inspired me in a different way," she says. "I was always a writer in general, but living and studying in another country is what made my words on paper start to shape into verses and melodies. I felt like the singing and songwriting could really go together."
Deriving inspiration from a diverse set of influences as artists such as Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau, Lionel Richie, Angela Winbush, and George Michael to name a few, Ifé's sound is clearly soulful, but don't call it neo-soul--she doesn't consider herself to be a part of that early 90s movement. "I never liked that title because there's nothing 'neo' about soul music...it's been around as long as music has existed, and I'm not going to be boxed into that. That whole wave produced some of my favorite artists, but what makes each of them great is that they're just purely themselves. They create and express from their hearts and that's what comes out in the music. It's not about a brand or category, it's about being genuine."
After years of honing her craft developing her live stage show, style and approach, Ifés current release is debut EP, "CRESCENDO," an eponymous five-song collection is just a taste of the chanteuse's musical offerings. Her new album is set for a fall 2012 release, along with two new innovative videos.
Following in the footsteps of her idol Quincy Jones, Ifé isn't just limiting herself to utilizing her musical talents. Her vision encompasses various parts of entertainment, branching out into business world. "My company, CRESCENDO ENTERTAINMENT, is going to be the conduit through which I not only create and produce various projects that I've been wanting to bring to life, but also will allow me to use my creative expression to help uplift people in their lives. It starts with music, but that's really only the foundation; it's my platform to share my gifts with the world."
Ifé can be seen performing at some of the hottest spots in the country with her live band and has been featured on at major venues including, SOBs with Eric Roberson, BB Kings, The Key Club in Los Angeles and heard on Stevie Wonders KJLH radio station in Los Angeles. Ifés singles, Aim to Please is in rotation in several radio stations across the country, online and her global presence is being felt in countries like the U.K., Spain and Nigeria. Her music can also be heard on Sirius XM radio, and a growing list of online outlets. Whether it's an unplugged acoustic set or up to a full 8-piece accompaniment, her sultry stage show is always captivating and sonically engaging. Ifé is one of musics superstars in the making: one to watch and on the verge.
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