Vocal Jam Sessions

Anais Aida

Born in Toulouse, France to a Senegalese father and French mother, raised in Ireland, France, Senegal, and California, Anais was quite the cultured globetrotter before she even honed in on her passion as a singer-songwriter. Her background and travels have undoubtedly influenced her sound; a sound that often recalls the non-conventional rhythms present in her African heritage, the vocal stylings of classic and modern soul artists, and the attitude of contemporary R&B. Anais mixes and strips all of her influences down to their bare essentials, creating a captivating aural experience. “Traveling allowed me to become independent and mature quickly,” she says. “It allowed me to see and understand things about human nature and the world. I saw things that most kids don’t get to see by being sheltered in one hometown and by having one family. Everywhere I went I had to recreate and re-find myself. I had to find a new family, a new culture, and understand a new language.”

After attending Oakland’s High School of The Arts, Anais relocated once again to New York City where she’s currently a student of the prestigious Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University. The program has a notable roster of professors, including famed Hip-Hop producer Swizz Beatz, Labelle legend, Nona Hendryx, and veteran producer/mixer Bob Power (Erkykah Badu, Common, D’Angelo). Anais notes her professors as some of her biggest supporters and most helpful mentors. “Being in the Clive Davis Institute has been an amazing experience and opportunity for me to hone my craft as an artist. I mean, what’s better than having folks who have sold millions and made classic songs with some of my favorite artists, guide me towards the path of success. Clive is a place where I’m allowed to make artistic mistakes, then learn and grow from them.” Now in her third-year, Anais is blossoming and continuously developing under the watchful eye of the astute group of professors. 

It should come as no surprise that the song that introduced Anais to the world was recorded as a class project right in the Clive Davis Institute’s Studio 505. Collaborating with fellow peer and producer, Daniel “Dannybe” Bazan, Anais covered Janelle Monáe’s “Say You’ll Go,” stripping down the production to a minimalist performance featuring only a vocal and a piano. “I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with everyone I knew, so we put it online and everything kind of took off running from there,” notes the singer. India.Arie caught wind of the cover and took the time to tell her followers that the French-born chanteuse had “it.” Soon after, Janelle Monáe herself tweeted the song after her management team played it for her. Ms. Monáe then extended an email complimenting both Anais and Dannybe on the performance.

Thousands of plays later, Anais is ready to share her original compositions with the world. “Love Can Burn,” produced by Erin Rioux and Alejandro “Arca” Ghersi, is an eclectic track that at first sounds surprisingly sparse, but later builds into a wonderfully odd reminder of the pains of a love gone wrong. Its not quite left, its not quite right, and its certainly not mainstream. Its Anais.

Support for Anais was so strong that she teamed up with fellow New York University Students, Jake Moore and Mitch Moore, and together they were able to raise over $5,000 to shoot a music video for the single that would introduce Anais to the world. Sultry, Mysterious, and Stylish. Love Can Burn.

Artistes que nous aimons aussi
Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Janelle Monae, India Arie, Bilal, De’Angelo, Tweet, Aaliyah

Pour check Anais sur le net:

www.twitter.com/AnaisAida
www.facebook.com/AnaisAida
www.soundcloud.com/AnaisAida
www.AnaisAida.tumblr.com

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