Joy Denalane

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Joy Denalane

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Img_capt = Joy Denalane in Munich in 2006
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Joy Maureen Denalane
Born = birth date and age|1973|6|11|df=yes
Berlin, Germany
Died =
Origin =
Genre = Soul, R&B, jazz, folk
Occupation = Singer-songwriter
Years_active = 1999–present
Label = Four Music, Nesola
URL = [http://www.joydenalane.com www.joydenalane.com]

Joy Maureen Denalane (born 11 June 1973), known as Joy Denalane, is a German singer-songwriter, known for her mixture of soul, R&B, and African folk music with lyrics in German and English. She married singer and producer Max Herre with whom she has two sons named Isaiah (born 2001) and Jamil (born 2003). They separated in October 2007.

Biography

Early life

Denalane was the third child and oldest daughter born to both a German mother and a South African father in Schöneberg, Berlin. A little later on the family moved to Kreuzberg where Denalane spent her childhood with her five siblings.

At the age of sixteen Denalane left home and started focusing on music with first stage performances and the joining of the reggae and soul bands Culture Roots and Family Affair. At nineteen she was signed to a major pop label but she and her management could not agree on what her music and image should be like and Denalane soon asked for a release. Afterwards she moved to Stuttgart where she met DJ Thomilla and Tiefschwarz (two already well-known producers then) with whom Denalane co-wrote and produced the club hit "Music".

Music career

Debut and "Mamani" (2002)

Around the same time Denalane came in first contact with hip hop group Freundeskreis, who searched for a female counterpart to lead singer Max Herre's voice on their track "Mit Dir" then. However, the duet was released as a single in July 1999 and made the top ten in Germany, the top thirty in Austria, and the top fifteen in Switzerland—pushed by the fact Denalane and Herre had become a couple simultaneously.

Afterwards Denalane joined the FK Allstars, which also consisted of Afrob, Gentleman, Sekou, and Brooke Russell, among others, and went on tour with them for more than two years. Later on she signed a contract with Four Music (founded by Die Fantastischen Vier) and began working on her debut album "Mamani", which was released in June 2002 and debuted at number eight on the German Albums Chart. Inspired by African roots, the album was primarily produced by husband Max Herre. In total "Mamani" spawned six singles, including the lead single "Sag's Mir", the socially critical track "Im Ghetto von Soweto" (featuring South African flugelhorn legend Hugh Masekela), and "Kinderlied", a song dedicated to her oldest son Isaiah.

In 2003 Denalane went on a solo tour and finished collaborations with Youssou N'Dour, ASD, and Till Brönner. She also performed in New York City and Philadelphia for the first time and eventually received a Comet for Best Hip-Hop/R&B National and three ECHO nominations, including Best Female Artist. Soon after she released a live edition of "Mamani" on CD and DVD, which was recorded during a special performance at Berlin's Tränenpalast and involved a set of previously unreleased remakes. In summer 2005 Denalane contributed vocals to the German version of Common's 2005 single "Go!".

"Born & Raised" (2006)

In April 2006 Denalane and husband Herre founded their own label, Nesola Records. Simultaneously Denalane prepared the release of her second album, "Born & Raised", her first record in English. Pre-programmed in Germany, the album was entirely recorded in Philadelphia and features appearances by American rappers Lupe Fiasco, Raekwon, and Governor. While its lead single "Let Go" reached a moderately successful number forty on the German Singles Chart, the critically-acclaimed "Born & Raised" (released on 11 August 2006) debuted at number two (behind Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics") on the national albums chart, making it Denalane's highest chart entry to date. Further singles from the album, "Heaven or Hell" and "Sometimes Love", failed to chart within the top one hundred. In spring 2007 Denalane released the single "Change" (featuring Lupe Fiasco) in the United Kingdom, but it failed to chart.

Discography

Albums

*2002: "Mamani"
*2004: "Mamani Live"
*2006: "Born & Raised"

External links

*de icon en icon [http://www.joydenalane.com Official website]
*de icon [http://www.fourmusic.de/fourmusic/artists/joy/index.php Joy Denalane on the Four Music website]
*allmusicguide|11:gvfexq90ldke
*MySpace|joydenalanemusic