Redd Velvet is a blues singer who was also featured
in Touré's Smithsonian article.
When I was searching for links, Wikipedia popped up
first (very normal with Google searches) with a first line visible saying she
was best known for her unconventional entrance into the music industry. I
mainly used that search to find all of the links that appear below, but I also
had to check into that.
"Unconventional" in this case seems to
refer to starting her own label instead of signing a conventional contract,
which would have been an option after winning the Memphis Blues Challenge with
her band. It may mean relocating to Memphis to start her blues
career after gospel experience and classical training. It could also mean
working as a nurse and being a social activist while she does her music on her
own terms.
That makes it less surprising that she became the
first blueswoman to create and host a radio talk show, or that the opportunity
came from her social networking posts. Her Youtube channel does not have a lot
of music, but there are many posts of her speaking her mind, and clearly, she
has plenty of mind and plenty of will to express.
I am not sure how I feel about the advice. It seems
a little judgy and possibly overly invested in respectability, but a lot of it
seems sensible too. I smiled to hear her mention that she had cleared using
"bitch" with her mother before one session, and also to hear her
mention that Smithsonian article and hoping good things would come from
that.
Being more conventional could have worked out too.
Redd Velvet has a smooth and soulful voice, easy to hear on songs like
"From Me To You" and "Wouldn't You Like to Know".
Taking the conventional contract and label support
might have paid more, but you never know. Getting people to pay for music has
been a challenge for many artists, and the label always takes their cut first. For
someone who clearly values her independence, this seems like a good path.
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