Kwanza Jones lives by the motto “there is nothing more powerful than a made up mind,” which might explain why this spunky singer/songwriter comes on so strong while gearing up to release her third studio album, “Supercharged” early this summer. While attending Princeton University, Kwanza got a chance meeting with music legend Quincy Jones and performed on “Showtime at the Apollo” at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. Kwanza was then dead-set on music as a career. Ever resourceful, Kwanza found a way of combining her beauty, talent, and skill to help pay for school by entering the Miss Baltimore pageant. Kwanza was crowned Miss Baltimore and later became a runner-up for Miss Maryland. Kwanza also taught herself to play guitar and began writing what would become her first album, “Naked.” She then moved to Los Angeles, co-founded the label Innovation and released her second album, “Naked 2: Universal Fire.” Kwanza began writing the album in 2005 during a vigorous climb to the top of Western Breach of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Each night in her tent she wrote a song. “Naked 2,” her 2006 concept album that followed, was a mix of R&B, pop and world beats. Kwanza has performed anywhere and everywhere from street corners to coffee houses to festivals. She recently joined Halle Berry, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Sinead O’Connor as a part of the Girls Are Not for Sale campaign, which is involved in the prevention of sex trafficking of young women. Kwanza’s third studio album, “Supercharged,” is due out in early summer 2011. It’s like an energy drink for your ears and a jolt for your love life. It’s her first collaborative effort with multiple producers, including Tim Carmon (Eric Clapton), Keith Rouster (Michael Jackson) and Jimmy Deer (India.Arie). She says, “I’m back and even more badass. I want people to stop taking crap from others and to tackle their issues, especially with relationships. It’s about being empowered.”
Michael Reich
May 17, 2011
Moses Fields
May 18, 2011
Charles Nichols
May 25, 2011