So today I had the opportunity to interview Detroit native Dwele this afternoon. He had a lot to say about music, his holywood dreams and his upcoming performance in PHILLY Friday August 31st. To hear the complete interview and receive the info on his upcoming show listen to the link DWELE INTERVIEW.
Here’s more info on Dwele from Artist Direct and MTV.
That’s the first word that comes to mind when asked to describe his music, his sound.
He goes by Dwele – songwriter, producer, artist – but, not necessarily in that order. “Music is what I do and who I am,” he says. “It’s my release.”
Born Andwele (which, translated from Swahili, means “God has brought me”), he’s an offspring of the hip-hop generation, one who pays homage to and can recite the musical traditions of years, decades, past. A self-professed devotee of jazz and R&B, he’s been known to keep his ears pressed against speakers blaring the sounds of Miles, Marvin, Donnie, Stevie and on the next beat, he acknowledges the efforts of his contemporaries – think Faith, Tweet, Bobby V and even Mike Jones’ rumbling from deep down in the dirty South. He understands that in music, as in life, change remains an inevitable force. “I like the fact that music constantly evolves,” he notes, “because that’s what keeps the game exciting. It’s like one day we’re rapping and the next day, we’re whispering.”
Adult contemporary R&B singer/songwriter/producer Dwele grew up on Detroit’s west side, listening to soul music from Motown visionaries Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye as well as jazz on the radio. Born Andwele Gardner, he began writing songs at the age of ten, after his father was murdered outside his home, and attended Cody High in Detroit. Dwele spent a year studying music at Wayne State but then opted for an informal education, making music at his home while living in Dearborn and working for AAA. His demo tape, 1998’s The Rize, made waves around the Motor City, and he spent time collaborating with Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village and Philadelphia rapper Bahamadia. Signed to Virgin on the strength of his songwriting and performance skills, Dwele released Subject in mid-2003 and cemented his appeal with European audiences (he was a favorite on Gilles Peterson’s influential Radio 1 program) with a tour that summer. His second album, Some Kinda…, followed in 2005 and reached the Top 10 of the R&B chart. A couple years later, he provided the hook on Kanye West’s hit single “Flashing Lights” and signed to Koch/eOne to release Sketches of a Man (2008) and W.ants W.orld W.omen (2010). Both albums maintained the singer’s streak of Top Ten R&B albums. Greater Than One (2012), also released on eOne, featured some of his breeziest, most pleasing grooves. ~ John Bush, Rovi
