Kelela

Pitchfork called this "debut mixtape" from Los Angeles vocalist Kelela Mizanekristos "best new music" in 2013: pitchfork.com -- Kelela has been known to announce in performances that this song is “about a girl.” Unlike many of the tracks on Cut 4 Me which she has stated in interviews are about her breakup with a man (guitarist Tosin Abasi, of the progressive metal band Animals as Leaders), this one explores another side of the singer’s sexuality.

Out to Rafael in Peru! Last year's "Raven" was Kelela's sophomore album. NPR writes, "She has always been aware that her hybrid music appeals to both Black and white audiences, but she wants Raven to resonate with Black queer listeners first and foremost. She spent much of 2019 creating a syllabus of texts by Black theorists like bell hooks, Kandis Williams and Octavia Butler and broke ties with business partners who weren't politically aligned with her. Though many of the lyrics on Raven came from improvisation, they are informed by this period of intensive study and boundary-setting, so they feel like free-associations from a mind centered and deeply focused on rejuvenation.": www.npr.org www.kelela.co

Kelela released her debut album, 'Take Me Apart' in 2017. Check out Kaytranada's remix of this track. www.youtube.com

You're not hallucinating, it's the FINAL fundraising drive of 2024, don't forget to make a gift! - www.kexp.org

Kelela showing love to her hometown of Washington DC with the legendary Go-Go band Rare Essence.

BE BACK NEXT WEEK FOR MY OVERNIGHT (1-5AM TUESDAY) AND ANOTHER EARLY FRIDAY :) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Going out to Rafael in Lima, Peru! --- Kelela said about "Raven": "I started this process from the feeling of isolation and alienation I’ve always had as a Black femme in dance music, despite its black origins. RAVEN is my first breath taken in the dark, an affirmation of Black femme perspective in the midst of systemic erasure and the sound of our vulnerability turned to power." kelela.bandcamp.com www.kelela.co

Out to Rafael in Peru! Speaking of Kelela.... Last year's "Raven" was her sophomore album. NPR writes, "She has always been aware that her hybrid music appeals to both Black and white audiences, but she wants Raven to resonate with Black queer listeners first and foremost. She spent much of 2019 creating a syllabus of texts by Black theorists like bell hooks, Kandis Williams and Octavia Butler and broke ties with business partners who weren't politically aligned with her. Though many of the lyrics on Raven came from improvisation, they are informed by this period of intensive study and boundary-setting, so they feel like free-associations from a mind centered and deeply focused on rejuvenation.": www.npr.org

The futuristic sounds of Kelela’s debut studio album on Warp Records combine electronic and R&B. Altadena is the closing track of this 2017 release. Pop Matters says in their review, “With Take Me Apart, she now pole-vaults herself into the center of the conversation, producing an ambitious and lovingly cultivated debut LP as opulent as it is inventive. The album's sound mainly picks up where the Hallucinogen highlight "Rewind" left off, veering slightly away from her more experimental and glitchy side in favor of sleek, emotive, subtly retro pop songs.” Read more details in the full Pop Matters review here: www.popmatters.com

Kelela is an artist who strives to innovate with her every next piece of art! kelela.bandcamp.com www.kelela.co __________________ Here's an interview with The New York Times about her creative process, her artistic pursuits, and more! www.nytimes.com