![]() |
Tawiah | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Background information | |
Origin | London, England |
Genres | Alt-soul, neo-soul, jazz |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano, guitar |
Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | Lima Limo, Warner Bros., Bush Girl Records, First Word Records |
Website | tawiahmusic |
Tawiah (pronounced Taa-We-Ah) is a British alternative-soul singer and songwriter based in London.
Tawiah was born to Ghanaian parents in Battersea, South West London, where she grew up with her two brothers on the 18th floor of a council estate. She describes her childhood as filled with church, laughter and playing out on the block. Tawiah was raised in a Pentecostal household honing her early singing capabilities as a young praise and worship leader in the Gospel Choir. Inspired by jazz, soul, R&B and Gospel she also learned to play the piano, guitar and clarinet. She attended Burntwood Academy for girls singing in their classical choir, she was nominated by her music teacher for a place at the BRIT School, which she was successful in gaining.[ citation needed ]
Tawiah self-released her EP In Jodi's Bedroom (Bush Girl Records) and Recreate on Lima Limo Records. In 2019, she released her debut album Starts Again on First Word Records. In 2018, she toured Recreate with Moses Sumney and in 2020 Starts Again with Michael Kiwanuka.
Tawiah has also worked in collaboration with artists including Blood Orange, Kindness, Mark Ronson, Cee-Lo, Kano, Wiley, Ghostpoet, Zed Bias and Eric Lau. She co-wrote and performed the Cinematic Orchestra's single "Wait for Now".
Her work has received acclaim and coverage from OkayPlayer, The Fader , Afropunk, The Guardian , iD Magazine , Complex, Stylist , Refinery, London in Stereo , Bandcamp and Time Out , to name a few, and personal accolades have come far and wide over the years, from Quincy Jones to Adele, Jeff Goldblum and Queen Latifah.[ citation needed ]
Kirk Dewayne Franklin is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel and Christian R&B ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) among many others. He has won numerous awards, including 20 Grammy Awards. Variety dubbed Franklin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel", and is one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, is an American gospel singer. Winans has garnered 15 Grammy Awards, the most for a female gospel singer; 31 GMA Dove Awards, 17 Stellar Awards, 7 NAACP Image Awards, along with many other awards and honors to her credit including being one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. Winans is considered one of the greatest gospel artists of all time, and is the most-awarded and best-selling gospel act of all time.
James Edward Cleveland was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the "King of Gospel," Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating traditional black gospel, soul, pop, and jazz in arrangements for mass choirs.
Madeline Bell is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s with pop group Blue Mink, having arrived from the United States in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with the vocal group Bradford Singers.
Yolanda Yvette Adams is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albums worldwide. In addition to achieving multi-platinum status, she has won four Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, five BET Awards, six NAACP Image Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards, two BMI Awards and sixteen Stellar Awards. She is the first Gospel artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song. She is also the first Gospel artist to be awarded an American Music Award.
Francella Ruby Turner MBE is a British Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and actress.
Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving member. During her time in the group, she recorded the hit singles "I'll Take You There" and "Let's Do It Again". In 1969, Staples released her self-titled debut solo album.
Beverley Knight is an English singer, songwriter, actress and radio personality. She released her first album, The B-Funk, in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, Knight has released nine studio albums. Widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest soul singers, Knight is best known for her hit singles "Greatest Day", "Get Up!", "Shoulda Woulda Coulda", "Come as You Are" and "Keep This Fire Burning".
Doris Willingham, known for much of her singing career as Doris Duke, was an American gospel and soul singer, best known for her 1969 album I'm a Loser.
William Ray Norwood Sr. is an American gospel singer. He is the father and voice coach of R&B singers Brandy and Ray J.
Kreesha Turner is a Canadian recording artist and songwriter, born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Raised in both Canada and Jamaica, she began her musical career after a successful audition with Virgin Records. She signed a record deal with the Capitol Music Group, under which the Virgin imprint operates. Concurrently, EMI Music Canada signed her to more effectively tap into the Canadian market.
Deitra Farr is an American blues, soul and gospel singer-songwriter.
Kirsten Joy Child is an English singer-songwriter who is best known for singing with the pop group Clean Bandit after coming to prominence after taking part in the 2012 inaugural series of the singing talent contest The Voice UK. Having been chosen by judge Jessie J in the programme's 'blind auditions' round, Kirsten joined other contestants on Jessie's team to compete for a place in the finals. During the 'battle rounds' Kirsten lost out to fellow contestant Toni Warne.
Sarah Dashew is an American singer-songwriter, known for her background of sailing around the world and her work with producer Chuck Plotkin.
Sharrie Williams is an American blues/soul/gospel singer-songwriter.
Terry Dexter is an American contemporary R&B singer and actress.
Lisa McClendon is an American jazz-gospel-soul artist. She started her music career, in 2002, with the release of My Diary, Your Life by Shabach Entertainment. Her second album, Soul Music, released in 2003 by Epic Records and Integrity Gospel. This would be her Billboard magazine breakthrough release upon the Gospel Albums chart. The third album, Live from the House of Blues, was released in 2006 by Columbia Records alongside Epic Records and Integrity Gospel. The album would chart again, but this time around on the Heatseekers Albums chart as well. She would release an independent album on Blusoul Records in 2009, Reality, and this charted on the Gospel Albums chart. In 2015, she released the long-awaited album 5AM, The Sound of Waking up to Him.
Koryn Mattanah Hawthorne is an American contemporary Christian music and gospel singer. Hawthorne was a finalist in season 8 of NBC's singing competition The Voice, at the age of 17, as a member on Pharrell Williams's team. After placing fourth on the show, Hawthorne got signed to RCA Inspiration, a division of Sony Music dedicated to gospel music recordings. Her debut studio album, Unstoppable, was released on July 13, 2018, and earned her multiple awards nominations, including two Grammy nominations.
Kristle Murden, also known as Kristle Edwards, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, music producer, author and ordained minister. Murden is the soloist on the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King. She made her professional debut in 1979 singing the duet "I'll Be Thinking of You" with Andraé Crouch, for which Stevie Wonder played harmonica. She signed as a solo artist with Light Records, also in 1979. She was nominated for two Grammy awards: her solo album I Can't Let Go was nominated in 1980, and in 1984, she was nominated for her solo vocal performance for "Jesus Come Lay Your Head on Me" from Andraé Crouch's No Time to Lose album. In 1981 she was nominated for a Dove Award for her I Can't Let Go album in the category of Best Soul Black Gospel album.
Gospel is the eighth studio album by British singer-songwriter Mica Paris. It was released on December 4, 2020 by Warner subsidiary East West Records. Gospel is Paris' first album since Born Again (2009).