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India Arie (born '''India Arie Simpson''' on October 3 , 1976 in Denver, Colorado ) is an American Neo Soul and R&B Singer , Songwriter , and Guitarist . She is of West Indian and African American descent. Her band is called '''India.Arie'''. BIOGRAPHY India Arie learned the transforming power of music early in life, encouraged by both parents: her mother, Joyce, herself a former singer, and now India Arie's stylist; and her father, Basketball star Ralph Simpson . She had taken up a succession of musical instruments throughout her schooling in Denver, Colorado, but her discovery of the guitar at college in Savannah, Georgia , led to a personal revelation about songwriting and performing. "When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs," she said at the press release of her debut album, ''Acoustic Soul''. Co-founding an Atlanta-based independent music collective, her one-song turn on a locally released compilation led to a second-stage gig at the Lilith Fair , where a Universal / Motown music scout spotted her and made an introduction to Motown CEO Kedar Massenburg. Sidestepping all the devices of flavor-of-the-month record-making, ''Acoustic Soul'' acquainted listeners with a brave and eloquent new voice, drawing an uncommonly broad swath of listeners from Hip-hop , neo-soul, Blues , Folk and classic troubadour-style singer/songwriting, all at once. The album, released in 2001 , debuted at #10 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and#3 on the R&B album chart. Within months, without the concentrated radio play that typically powers pop and rap albums, ''Acoustic Soul'' was certified Double-platinum . India Arie followed the success of her debut in 2002 with the release of ''Voyage to India''. Debuting at #6 on the Billboard 200 and#1 on the R&B chart, the album eventually earned a Grammy for Best R&B Album . One of the singles from the record, "Little Things", also won a Grammy the same year for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Soon after its release, ''Voyage to India'' was certified Gold . India Arie's third studio album, "Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship" will be released June 27th {Link without Title} . The project was originally planned to be double album, with the second disk covering love and politics, but it is unknown whether that album will now get a release or not. On the September 2005 premiere of The Tyra Banks Show , Arie performed ''Just 4 2day''. She wrote this song especially for Tyra's show. Arie also wrote ''What About The Child'', a song that did not air but was made available as a $1 internet download to support child victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita . {Link without Title} India Arie may also be heard on Stevie Wonder 's album '' A Time To Love '' that came out on 18 Oct 2005. India Arie and Stevie Wonder duet on the title track ''A Time To Love''; which is nominated in the 2006 48th Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration With Vocals. GRAMMY AWARDS
DISCOGRAPHY Albums Singles
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