Femi

about

Rising from Oakland's vibrant underground, FEMI celebrates a trio of life forces on her debut EP, "Sweet Water Soul." It has love, the gift of prayer, and is fluid like water, which is the underlying theme of the EP. In tandem with FEMI's jazzy vocals, sensual lyrics, and gracious intent, the result is an unrivaled suite of original songs equally danceable and reverent. For the past 5 years, FEMI helped pioneer a visionary music community in her native Bay Area. She is often categorized as a neo-SOUL soulstress and compared with artists such as Sade, Prince and Minnie Ripperton. Yet her experimental fusion transcends easy genres. "Sweet Water Soul" incorporates heavy doses of jazz, soul, hip-hop, and Caribbean influences, a melodic hybrid of the pulses of Oakland, New York, and Latin America. In the same vein, FEMI is called beyond "just" being a singer and performer; She wrote, composed, and arranged all of the material on the record, and was heavily involved in the studio recording process with pc muñoz, a San Francisco-based producer with Talking House Records esteemed for challenging musical boundaries. Sweet Water Soul's introductory track, "Sweet Water (Rezo)" -- rezo meaning prayer -- gives thanks to the love and protection of God and to FEMI's favorite orisha, Oshun, a river deity symbolizing prosperity and sensuality. "Oshun energy is always present in my life," she says. This song is the first instance of the breathy, jazzy flute that is a main instrument in most