Goapele, known for her enviable bone structure and sultry voice, is a top-shelf goddess. “Play,” from her forthcoming album Break of Dawn, is a very quick way to take your thoughts from afternoon grind to late night slow wind. In this rework, Dun and Rich of Los Rakas give it to us in Spanish over a subterranean bassline while Goapele breathily croons, This is what I’m dying to do. We’re in too. Los Rakas’ new EP, Chancletas y Camisetas Bordada is out now.

Goapele f. Los Rakas, “Play (Rakas Remix)” by The FADER

Read more: http://www.thefader.com/2011/10/06/goapele-f-los-rakas-play-rakas-remix-mp3/#ixzz1a2MxKjKR

“Play” is just a taste of the musical feast Goapele will be offering this fall when her new album, Break of Dawn, to be released October 24th. Collaborating with an array of creative folks including Kerry “Krucial” Brothers, Bobby Ozuna, Malay, Bedrock and Dan Electric, fans will bare witness to a more free-spirited Goapele. “One of my goals for [Break of Dawn] was to be more uninhabited,” Goapele says. “I came into this business as a young woman who wanted to lay a foundation of musical integrity and now I’m more willing to share my sensuality as well. I realize that it’s possible to be both complex and provocative.”

Whosane, who you should remember from his feature on the Mos Def x Ski Beatz track “Taxi,” is readying the release of his LP, Black Diamond. The album will be comprised of a 4 part series. Today we get a sample of the first part, Spirit + Soul. “More than just a compilation of songs, Spirit + Soul is a movement, a calling for society to become more conscious, reflective and spiritual.” Listen to the first leak “Come to Me” featuring Goapele. Black Diamond is set to drop in the first quarter of 2011 and has features from Mos Def, Goapele, Zaki Ibrahim, Nonku, Raphael Saadiq, Bilal, and CJ Hilton.

COME TO ME by whosane718

Filmed and Editied by Yakfilms.com

Thanx to everyone at 106KMEL!

Goapele traveled thousands of miles to work on her current single “Victory”.  A California–by way of South Africa– resident, going to the Motherland was nothing short of a family reunion for the singer. Having traveled there several times growing up, her last trip was a lot different being in the midst of the monumental 2008 US election. Barack Obama’s presidency coupled with the excitement of the World Cup (once the project was wrapping up) inspired her song with South African rapper, Hip Hop Pantsula.

Now, she’s shifting focus to her anticipated album Milk & Honey, that has been in the works for two years. She chatted with us about South Africa, her new album and balancing everything with a daughter and family.

Madame Noire: How have you been?

Goapele: Good, good. How are you?

MN: Good, what have you been up to?

Goapele: I’ve mainly just been in the studio working on my third album, Milk & Honey. Doing shows, starting to perform new music like “Victory”, which is more of a project around South Africa and Africa as a whole. The title track is something that I did with the Hip Hop Pantsula a bilingual artist out of South Africa. The “Victory” project is a side project that I’m doing as a collaboration with African artists. You know, I have South African family and grew up listening to artists that my parents were listening to from the ’70s.  And so the last trip that I took was the first time that I met a lot of the new artists that are doing their thing now. It came out of a time when Obama had just been elected and it felt like we were witnessing  change in this country and even in South Africa people were feeling that. And then we were getting the music out around World Cup and just the excitement from the world looking at South Africa.

MN: Were you raised there?

Goapele: No, I was raised in the Bay area (California). I’d say about half of my family still lives there on my father’s side. I started visiting in high school when the laws started changing and Mandela was about to come into presidency.

MN: How have things changed?

Goapele: Africa doesn’t look like it’s changed that much to me since I first went in ‘94. There is still a major economic divide, but the rights of Africans have changed and progressed. I would say there’s more black South Africans in [government] and have power right now. But there’s still a huge economic divide.

MN: What have you been up to between the last album and Milk & Honey?

Goapele: I’d been doing shows, but I slowed down because I had a daughter and got to spend some time having more of a family life. Built a new studio in Oakland, called the “Zoo” and have really just been taking my time with this Milk & Honey project. I’ve been working on it for the past two years and recording a lot of songs. And now I’m just finishing the album up and picking the strongest songs.

MN: What about the album are you most excited about?

I feel excited about it. I’ve gotten to work with a lot of people on it. Hooked up with different musical friends, because musically we were interested. And that was really exciting. I did a track with Khao, out of Atlanta who’s worked with T.I.. Did a track with Maylay, who did a lot with John Legend’s album.  I got in the studio with Kanye West

Check out full the interview here MadameNoire.com

Listen Here

Press Release:

Soul Singer Goapele and Award Winning South African Rap Sensation Hip Hop Pantsula collab on the inspiring new song “Victory” in celebration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and a prelude to the upcoming VICTORY project, featuring an array of artists hailing from the African Continent and Diaspora.

Rejuvenated by the election of Barack Obama, The World Cup arriving in South Africa and the success of African artists like K’Naan, Akon, Nneka and Daara J, Goapele is exploring other avenues of creativity, the latest endeavor being an exciting, multifaceted project entitled Victory, a ground breaking music uniting African sounds with Americanized ingenuity. Leading with the title track: a multi-lingual affair recorded in English, Sitswana and Xhosa, the project will pair continent natives and artists from throughout the African Diaspora.

Not one to overlook the irony of recent events, Goapele is keen on how volatile perception can be in a world of globalized media, She says, “Collaborating with other African Artists, was just a matter of time, and the stars aligned this time. I feel as though I experienced a sense of victory, being at the inauguration of a president that I voted for and believed in. Although there’s many things that still need to follow to make real positive changes, it’s still a victory. The World Cup happening in South Africa gives me a sense of victory, because the entire world finally looked to my father’s country in a positive light. There’s so much negative media that has surrounded Africa over the years, I’m thankful to finally see Africa get acknowledged by the world in a positive light . People flew from everywhere to experience and celebrate World Cup.”

Victory will also encompass philanthropy, political and social activism, and a wide array of other auxiliary forms of creative expression from the African Diaspora such as T-shirts and handbags. Proceeds from the project will go to ANSA (Artists for a New South Africa) a non-profit organization working to combat HIV/AIDS, assist children orphaned by the disease, advance human and civil right, educate and empower youth and build bonds between the U.S. and South Africa through Arts & Culture. Far from eschewing her activist beginnings, Goapele is expanding on them, using the powerful perspective granted to her by a multicultural heritage while she moves the crowd with a passion that’s as personally motivated, as it is political.

Ever prideful of her South African heritage, Goapele aims to fuse the seemingly disparate cultural and creative aspects of the African Diaspora through various mediums of expression with the goal of furthering dialogue amongst its kindred denizens. “With Africans, African-Americans, and others thru out the African Diaspora, this about our connection to each other thruogh music.”

About Hip Hop Pantsula:

Award winning South African hip hop sensation Jabulani Tsambo who goes by the pseudonym Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP) is arguably one of the most recognized MC’s in the motherland. He has recorded for over a decade, released seven critically acclaimed studio albums and received countless Wins and Nominations at the South African Music Awards, MTV Africa Awards, MTV Europe Awards, BET Awards, MOBO Awards and more. This overwhelming international public approval is a mark of how far this gifted artist has come from his rural Mmabatho days (far from Johannesburg) to carving out what is now an enviable solo career in the South African music scene.

HHP began collecting accolades early in his career when nominated for “Best Newcomer” at the South African Music Awards (SAMA) in 2000. He would later go on to be nominated for “Best Rapper” at SAMA 2002 & 2006, “Best Video” at SAMA 2007 as well as in 5 categories at the Channel O Awards 2007. He was nominated for “Best African Act” at MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, “Best Album” and “Record of the Year” at SAMA 2008, “Best African Act” at the Nigerian Hip Hop Awards 2008, “Best African Act” at the MOBO Awards 2008, and in three categories at the Channel O Awards in 2008. This past year he was nominated for “Best International Act” at the 2010 BET Awards alongside K’Naan, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sade and Estelle. His wins include “Best Male Solo Artist” and “Best Rap Album” at the South African Music Awards 2008 as well as “Best Music Video” for his song “Mpitse” at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009.

HHP utilizes a wide-ranging sonic outlook that draws as much from traditional music as Gospel and even Middle Eastern and Brazilian Samba. Known for his trademark humility, he often pays tribute to older South African artists Choppa, Chiskop, TKZee, Mandoza and Skwatta Kamp and draws inspiration from Queen, ABBA, Juluka, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, Diana Ross, Crosby Stills & Nash, Andre Crouch, Chicago, Boston, The O’Jays and more.

In 2007 HHP released his sixth studio album Acceptance Speech featuring the hit single/video “Music & Lights” which included cameos from Danny K and R&B vocalist Amerie. The album also featured the poignant track “Darfur” with Khethi and Tumi, calling out the injustices and human rights issues in Western Sudan. This past year HHP released his most recent album to date Dumela, which included popular tracks like “Let The Beat Go,” “Respect” and “Keledimo” featuring hip hop artist Nas. HHP calls his style of music “Motswako,” translated to mean a ‘mixture’ in his native Tswana language.

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