By: PAULO SILVESTRE
ALICIA KEYS is coming to Lisbon for a concert at Pavilhão Atlântico on March 19. She is a true musical phenomenon whose music gift came out at age of five and she has taken modern R&B soul to a totally new level at the age of 19.
Alicia’s talents flourished into a rare mix of hip-hop flavour and clear insightful song writing. Mixing all of this with the singer’s vocal power, exciting live performances and skilful as a classically trained pianist, Alicia Keys is already one of the best R&B songwriters in the world.
Alicia Keys recognises a number of influences including her ultra-supportive mother and a teacher at the Professional Performance Arts School in Manhattan who, while she was majoring in Choir, gave her precious training on her voice.
Keys graduated at the age of 16 and was accepted to Columbia University but she decided to drop out of school and follow her musical career.
Keys signed a demo contract with Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def label, then distributed with Columbia Records.
She co-wrote and recorded a song entitled Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing), which was on the soundtrack of the movie blockbuster, Men in Black. This song was Keys’ first professional recording.
After ending her record contract with Columbia Records, she met Clive Davis who signed her to Arista Records, where she recorded the songs Rock wit U and Rear View Mirror, featured on the soundtracks of Shaft and Dr. Dolittle 2 movies, respectively.
After that Keys released her debut album, Songs in A Minor in 2001. The album sold more than 20 million copies around the world and also won five Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album.
Alicia’s second album, released in 2004, entitled The Diary of Alicia Keys, went platinum seven times and won four Grammy Awards.
The release of Unplugged in 2005, which has sold two million copies, meant that she became the first female R&B artist to have three consecutive number ones debuting on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Nine-time Grammy Award winner, Alicia Keys returns with her latest album, As I Am. The first single on this album, No One, became one of the fastest moving and highest charting single on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
For many of the tracks on As I Am, she once again joined forces with her longtime collaborator Kerry “Krucial” Brothers and award-winning songwriters Linda Perry, John Mayer, Harold Lilly, Sean Garrett and producers Mark Batson, Dirty Harry, Swizz Beatz and Jack Splash.
Alicia is one of the few artists who can mix an old-school feeling and make it feel totally new. As I Am is full with rich powerful vocals and that can be felt on songs like Superwoman, Go Ahead, Like You Never See Me Again and the soulful Sure Looks Good To Me.
Besides music, Keys is a philanthropist and a spokeswoman for Keep a Child Alive, a non-profit association that provides lifesaving medicine to children and families with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Alicia and U2 lead singer Bono recorded a cover version of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush’s Don’t Give Up, in recognition of World AIDS Day in 2006.
Listen to her songs at www.myspace.com/aliciakeys.
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