How Erykah Badu keeps her music fresh

MANILA, Philippines — Jazz, R&B hit maker and Neo-Soul artist Erykah Badu had a concert last Saturday, October 14, at the Grand Harbor Tent of Sofitel Philippine Plaza hotel and it was everything her fans had ever dreamed of.

The concert was conceived in partnership with global brand Heineken in relation to their “Open Your World” campaign which is all about opening new possibilities and connecting people. This gave birth to an idea of bringing an icon to perform­—ultimately to connect people regardless of their age and background.

“We’re all about bringing people world-class experiences, so when we heard that Erykah Badu was going to Manila as part of her Asian tour, we wanted immediately to be part of it. While she may not be the most popular artist amongst the larger, and younger audience, she is no doubt the Queen of Neo-Soul and is well respected and recognized around the world and here in the Philippines,” Christian Aguilar, Group Marketing Manager for Heineken, said during an interview with Philstar.com.

“Overall, the experience that we, together with VUE and Worldwide Womb, were able to provide those who attended was something worth keeping for life,” Aguilar added.

To be perfectly honest about it, Badu’s show was quite simple: no over-the top production whatsoever. It was just purely her vocals and talent—which sounded very old-fashioned, yet somehow it was a fresh of breath air from contemporary pop.

This is exactly how her music was back in late ‘90s. In retrospect, Badu was one of the most celebrated soul singers of the modern era. It was 1997 when she started touring around the US, appearing in front of sold-out concerts. It was also the same year when she released her debut album “Baduizm” that sold millions of copies worldwide, earning her a Grammy (among the many awards and recognitions she received).

The word ‘Neo-Soul’ was coined when artists like Badu started a music genre that evokes real emotions coupled with powerful vocals; rendering a type of musicality that really means something. It has been a while since Filipinos have heard news about Badu, so fans could not hide their excitement after learning of her come back.

The music prodigy

Badu had come of age in the late ‘80s at the heart of Dallas’ burgeoning hip hop scene. Born as Erica Abi Wright, she later on transitioned to Erykah—which was inspired by the Egyptian term for “inner self,” while “badu” comes from her favorite jazz-riff scat sound.

Coming from a family of performers, Badu was exposed to arts and music at an early age and later on interest in music began to grow; and molded her to become a versatile artist. Badu attended Grambling State University in Louisiana, where she majored in theatre, which fueled her passion for singing and dancing.

This time of her life, she was pretty much everywhere: getting active in Dallas music community as a volunteer, taking on different gigs and even appearances on local concerts and radio shows.

In 1993, Badu left college to pursue her music. She worked as a waitress and dabbled as a drama teacher while at the same time recording her demo tapes and chasing different record labels. But it was not until 1996 when she was discovered by music producer Kedar Massenburg. Her first breakthrough was a collaboration with another up and coming artist D’Angelo, dishing out the song “Your Precious Love.”

Today, Badu is best known for her soulful music style and how she delivers each song that really strikes a chord; creating a certain level of emotional connection. Her music is basically a combination of jazz and R&B and that is the thing about Badu: she does not conform.

Unlike other artists, her music is not dictated with what is out there in the music scene or what sells. She does not try so hard to be cool or hip. She has her own identity and charisma that makes her a mainstay in the music industry.

At the height of her Manila concert, a lot of people who came were die-hard fans: people who knew her music by heart; people who stood by her throughout her career. Surprisingly, it was not just her “age group” who came. A lot of young people supported and danced their hearts out as they got lost at her powerful vocals and infectious sound.

This is an indication that Badu is doing something right and she is definitely using the power of social media. A lot of her counterparts have diminished as they struggled to keep their music current. Technology is a big part of a musician’s successful re-launch, and this is exactly what Badu did. Not only did she leverage on social media to connect and engage, she used it to rebrand her image. Staying connected and staying on trend while at the same time retaining her heritage to inspire new styles of music was a key driver to bounce back.

What do fans love about Badu apart from her music? It is her authenticity that really shines through. Her onstage persona has come to more closely mirror her offstage personality. She is regal but ghetto at the same time. In fact, the way she projected herself in the music business earned her a reputation for being mutable and this has something to do with her constantly changing taste in music and fashion. It is like she does what she feels is right for her.

Not only does she managed to keep her vocals intact as proven by her effortless performance last Saturday, hitting high notes after high notes. She also seems to be gracefully aging in reverse. She has indeed embraced her youthful spirit and did not hold back when it was time for a good change.