In 1992, flushed with success, the pop star Madonna did what any zillionaire phenomenon would do: start
her own label, Maverick Records. There was quite a bit of speculation as to
what artists Ms. Ciccone planned to sign, and when it was announced that a female
sexually ambiguous African American bass playing songwriter who was formerly a member
of New York’s Black Rock Coalition who had a nearly unpronounceable name would be the first artist to be released on her
new roster, it was met with a collected “who?”
But that was a quick fix. Meshell
Ndegeocello’s first CD, Plantation Lullabies,
though wasn’t a breakthrough sales success, was a critical one that heralded a
new, distinctive voice. She appeared on many best of the year lists 9 in 1993 and
has since been nominated for 10 Grammys.
A master musician, Ndegeocello has
gone on to write, produce, and play on many consistently superb discs since then. The Leopard’s
personal favorite is Bitter, a
musical confessional so personal if the songs weren’t so beautiful you’d think
you were listening in on a lovers’ private conversation.
(Click To hear "Bitter".)
