Sheléa • Biography With hands that effortlessly glide over the keys and a voice that will carry you to the moon, Sheléa’s musical mastery makes her one of the most exhilarating up and coming artists today. While donning multiple hats of vocalist, songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer, Sheléa evokes the sultry energy of Whitney Houston and the piano chops and writing prowess of Alicia Keys. Sheléa’s debut album, Love Fell On Me, is a return to true artistry; blending traditional pop, jazz, R&B and soul; marking an exciting revival of singing and songwriting in a music scene that is laced with auto-tune and beat driven numbers that read more like chants than songs. Hailing from a musical family, both her parents sing and play the piano, Sheléa quickly realized that music was her passion. She would go on to work with legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at their Flyte Tyme production company as an in-house songwriter and vocalist. These experiences prepared her for the opportunity to pen and produce two songs on Chanté Moore’s last album, Love the Woman, including the album’s single “It Ain’t Supposed to Be This Way.” Sheléa also lent her stellar vocals to soundtrack projects including Hotel Rwanda, Akeelah and the Bee and Be Cool. Sheléa, a graduate of Oakwood College, would soon team with another group of noted Oakwood alums, Take 6. Although they knew Sheléa for some time, Take 6 took serious notice of her talent in 2008 and requested that she sing lead on “Someone to Watch Over Me” for their forthcoming album, The Standard, which would go on to be nominated for a Grammy Award. As if that weren’t enough, her track also caught the ear of music royalty, Stevie Wonder. By 2011, Sheléa was flying high. That year the film, Jumping the Broom, starring Angela Bassett, chose “Love Fell On Me,” as its primary musical theme. The song and the film were such a hit that when The View’s co-host Sherri Shepherd was looking for a wedding song, her Twitter followers overwhelmingly suggested Sheléa! She would later go on to sing “I’m Sure It’s You”, available on iTunes, at Shepherd’s wedding. When Stevie Wonder was asked to sing for the President and Michelle Obama at the White House in May 2012, honoring composers Burt Bacharach and Hal David with the Gershwin Prize; he felt it was a perfect opportunity to showcase Sheléa’s ingenuity.
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He suggested she be added to the program and with that, Sheléa went on to bring down the house with her rendition of “Anyone Who Had a Heart” featuring Arturo Sandoval on trumpet. Sheléa would soon find herself back in Washington, but this time at the Kennedy Center, performing for the UN International AIDS Conference. There she had the pleasure of sharing the stage with noted musical luminaries including Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Joan Osborne, Patti Austin, and the South African Children’s Choir. Sheléa’s video tribute to Whitney Houston, singing a medley of the star’s hits after her death in February 2012, became an instant Internet sensation. The clip has received over 800,000 views to date with many fans expressing that Sheléa fills the void left by Houston. Narada Michael Walden, producer and/or co-writer of numerous Whitney Houston’s number one hits, was one such viewer who was captivated by Sheléa’s riveting YouTube performance. Without hesitation, Walden invited Sheléa to sing Houston’s number one hits live at An Evening with Narada Michael Walden held at The Grammy Museum, Los Angeles. As expected, Sheléa knocked it out of the park with her powerful voice and charming presence. Sheléa would later pair up with Walden to co-write and co-produce “Have I Ever Told You,” a cut from her debut album Love Fell On Me. While working on her debut album in 2012, Grammy Award- winning producer/songwriter, Tena Clark, hand-picked Sheléa to sing on the “Break the Chain” video. This anthem was launched by One Billion Rising campaign and is the largest global action in history to end violence against women and girls. Sheléa also performed for the National Women’s History Museum honoring Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Dolores Huerta to create awareness about the museum and its future home on the National Mall. During Christmas 2012, Sheléa released her single, “Don’t Want To Wait ‘Til Christmas.” She performed this single at the Hill Harper/Nate Parker’s 5th Annual Manifest Your Destiny Toy Drive. She graced the studios of Good Day Sacramento, Good Morning San Diego, The Morning Blend Las Vegas and Studio Fox 11 in Los Angeles showcasing her vocal chops and piano skills. Sheléa’s debut album, Love Fell On Me, evokes a simpler time of love through innovative storytelling and breathtaking melodies interjected with up-tempo driving grooves that display Sheléa’s edgy side. You can hear Sheléa’s classic influences throughout her music, but she is not a throwback. On the contrary, she is pushing the musical envelope forward and bringing us back to true artistry. Shélea’s first single/video, “Seeing You”, exposed the world to her classic romantic side. Sheléa’s second single released in February 2013, “Love The Way You Love Me,” evokes shades of Whitney Houston. “Love The Way You Love Me” continues to get massive airplay on both national and international radio stations. Album release is slated for June 18, 2013. Sheléa is a singer, songwriter, producer, musician.
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