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College degree in hand, she heeded her innate sense of adventure and moved out to California during the late 80's. Little did she know that her move to L.A. would begin a chain-of-events which would grant her a number of wonderful opportunities and life-altering experiences, allowing her to mature both spiritually and creatively. By day she honed her skills the traditional way, by undertaking session work, singing jingles, and occassionally appearing in music videos. As a back-up singer she has worked with Madonna and George Clinton, to name a few, and as a featured artist, she sang on projects by Malcolm McLaren, Tone Loc, and Fish Bone. Her nights were spent exploring the rich tapestry of L.A.'s music & cultural scenes, which took place in the downtown warehouse district. It was a celebration of funk, punk, hip hop, graffiti, performance art, and everything in between.
On any given night, it wasn't unusual to find the likes of Keith Harring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fab Five Freddy, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ice-T in attendance, becoming part of the diversified social atmosphere. From that dynamic scene came a dj/club owner who ultimately became one half of the newly formed record label, Delicious Vinyl. N' Dea was soon a part of their roster. As fate would have it, around the time N' Dea began working on her solo album, a British trio called The Brand New Heavies was also signed to Delicious Vinyl. Deciding to put her project on hold, she moved to London in 1990, where she began working with band mates Jan Kincaid, Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy.
The magical combination of live instrumentation and N' Dea's signature sultry vocals propelled The Brand New Heavies to a brand new high in their careers with the release of "The Brand New Heavies featuring N' Dea Davenport", in 1991. The collaboration between The Brand New Heavies and N' Dea Davenport would give birth, not only to four albums ( she also contributed as a writer and producer), but also to an international movement known as Acid Jazz. Born of a fundamental need for a 'back to the basics' type sound, Acid Jazz is a fusion of funk, soul, and r&b, flavoured with jazzy grooves. It is also known as 'The second coming of soul'. At the height of the band's success, N' Dea courageously decided to follow her heart and returned to the U.S. where she'd finally continue working on her solo album, as per her original plan.
Befitting her character, N' Dea who loves collecting vintage musical instruments, chose to record in a variety of whimsical and unconventional settings. She revelled in the serene surroundings at Teatro, in Oxnard, California. This converted vintage theatre, decorated in lush fabrics and exquisite tapestries is actually owned by her friend Daniel Lanois. He convinced N' Dea to plunge right into the production of her album, he cautioned her not to allow the enormity of the project to overwhelm her. Not one to shy away from a challenge, N' Dea decided to undertake the making of her self-titled debut album. She wrote and produced "N'dea Davenport", with the exception of four tracks by Dallas Austin (he also co-wrote and co-produced the first single "Bring it on"). The album has been described as fluid, funky, emotive and defiantly female. It harkens back to the day when music wasn't lumped into preconceived, easy to digest categories; when eclecticism wasn't merely a marketing buzz word. From the soulful grind of "Bring it on" (which was re-mixed by dj Premiere of Gang Star) to the bluesy rendition of Neil Young's "Old man", and the brutally bold "Bullshitting" (a duet with Mos Def), there's something for everyone. She invited the renowned Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans to jam on "Getaway." Defined as a free and wise spirit, this soulstress refuses to be roped in; she wants her music to touch people in a most positive way. Her songs are often laced with social and political commentaries meant, not to provoke, but to trigger thought and inspire dialogue. Seeing her long-awaited dream come to fruition was cathartic in many respects, and consequently this experience has led her on a marvelous road of self-exploration.
One of the places she loves is New Orleans. She purchased a 115-year-old Victorian house which she set about restoring to its former glory. N' Dea designed and contracted the entire renovation project, paying meticulous attention to the preservation of its original structure while maintaining certain elements of contemporary living. She concedes that the constructing of her home is in fact a clever euphemism for the rebuilding of her life.
She is working on her forthcoming album with Grammy award winning producer Dante Ross (Everlast and Santana). She has recently completed new tracks with The Brand New Heavies, and has committed to a few tour dates with her musical siblings from England. Watch for N' Dea with hip hop icon GURU on tour this summer. As if this lady isn't busy enough, she's also featured on Everlast's album. N' Dea and Everlast were one of few artists which Madonna invited to perform at the much talked about NYC release party for her new cd called "Music". They performed a duet from Everlast's album called "Love for real". Keep your ear to the ground at a night club near you for the forthcoming
hot dance tracks co-written with Roger S, Paul Okenfold, DJ Krush and Ulta Nate. As you can see, acid jazz is simply not where N' Dea Davenport begins, nor where she ends.
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