When it comes to British soul music, the listeners remember Adele or Amy Winehouse. However, recently another star has climbed the Olympus, which is considered one of the most promising soul performers. Tickets for Lianne La Havas concerts are sold out instantly.
Childhood and early years of Leanne La Havas
Leanne La Havas was born on August 23, 1989 in London. The girl's mother worked as a postman and was of Jamaican origin. Father (Greek) worked as a bus driver. It was the father who taught his daughter to play various musical instruments, since he himself was a multi-instrumentalist.
When the girl took up music, she took her father's Greek surname. I changed it a little and got the pseudonym La Havas. But do not think that only the father contributed to the musical future of Leanne.
The girl's mother often listened to Jill Scott and Mary Jane Blige songs at home. It was the different musical tastes of the parents that had a significant impact on the singer's style.
When the girl was 7 years old, her father gave her a small synthesizer. Young Leanne began singing and at the age of 11 she composed her first song. Thanks to hard work and YouTube videos, at the age of 18, the girl independently mastered the guitar.
Even as a child, all the walls in the girl's room were plastered with posters of her idols. Among them were Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Busta Rhymes. Unfortunately, the girl's parents divorced when she was only 2 years old. Most of the time, Leanne lived with her grandparents.
When the future celebrity turned 18, she went to college to study art. However, without finishing her studies, she decided to quit her studies in order to devote herself to music.
First steps in music Lianne La Havas
Leanne was able to gain a foothold in the world of music thanks to her friend. The guy was a student at the prestigious London School of Art. He was also part of a group of musicians who helped the singer record her first demos.
All the same friend introduced the aspiring singer to the star Paloma Faith, who took Leanne to her as a backing vocalist.
At the achieved level as a backing vocalist, Leanne decided not to stop and continued to storm the international social network MySpace. And not in vain, it was thanks to MySpace that a talented 19-year-old performer was noticed by one of the managers of Warner Music.
The first works of Lianne La Havas
In 2010, the singer signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records and started working on their first album. For about a year, the singer composed tracks and in the fall of 2011 two mini-albums were released.
The first was called Lost & Found, the second, which is a live work, was called Live From LA. Immediately after the release of two mini-albums, the girl went on tour, speaking as the opening act for the American indie folk band Bon Iver.
The debut studio album was released in the summer of 2012 under the title Is Your Love Big Enough?. The album, which included 12 tracks, was well received by fans and critics alike.
Is Your Love Big Enough? firmly took 1st position in the US Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums. Moreover, according to iTunes, the album was recognized as the record of the year.
Second album and advice from Prince
A few years after the successful debut album, Leanne met the musician Prince at the recording studio. A little later, the musician contacted the girl again and invited her to the club. And then he offered to play a mini-concert at her house.
Prince became a kind of mentor to the young Leanne. They corresponded frequently. It was he who advised the girl not to chase trends, but to do what she likes. Moreover, the famous musician was so fascinated by the singer's work that he personally contributed to her promotion in the music industry.
Perhaps the singer listened to the opinion of a more experienced mentor, because her second album, released in 2015, was recorded in the neo-soul genre.
The second album (similar to the first) was well received by the public and received many awards. In 2017, Leanne was even nominated for an award in the Best Solo Artist nomination. But, unfortunately, another singer received the award.
The death of Prince shocked the girl, she could not come to terms with what had happened for a long time and considered it wrong and unfair.
Racist scandal involving Lianne La Havas
2017 not only deprived the girl of the title of the best performer, but also dragged her into a high-profile scandal related to racism.
Many music fans noted that almost all of the award nominees were white. They launched a hashtag on the Internet in support of black people.
The girl considered that this was a manifestation of racism towards white people and asked not to mention her in posts with such a hashtag. A flurry of hatred and accusations of racism immediately hit Leanne. Despite the fact that the girl apologized, the wave did not subside for a long time.
The style of the singer Lianne La Havas
After the scandal, Leanne went to the United States, where she began to watch films and read books about racism. Since then, the girl has ceased to be shy of thick curly hair, she did not even try to straighten it.
In clothes, the singer likes to experiment and take risks. On stage, she can wear bright things, studded with sequins or sequins. The girl is very fond of high-waisted trousers and strict button-down shirts.
One of her close friends works as a stylist. Among her other clients, in addition to musicians, there are even Oscar-winning actresses.
Present and third album
Recently, the singer has been hard at work on her third studio album. And just a few days ago, the third album of Lianne La Havas was released.
12 songs from the very first second are wrapped in a dense blanket of atmosphere and sound haze. In each track, the singer talks about love, parting and the struggle for love. In addition to their own songs, the album includes a cover version of the band's hit Radiohead.
