"Satellite Brown Chick" will be in all digital stores by February 27th, 2010
Menoosha is most remembered for the release of three songs:
- “Givin it up” which appeared on the successful sampler “Mercedes Benz Mixed Tapes” and was chosen as the best song in 2007.
- “African Boy”, a reprise of Estelle and Kanye West's “American boy”, featuring Ghanaian Emcee M.anifest, which was critically acclaimed especially on Youtube, Africanhiphop.com, and other African webistes.
- “Movin as one” as Skoda's promotional song for their new car creation in 2008.
Besides being active with studio work, she was also one of the lead vocalists in Funk/Soul bands, US2U and LABANA in South Germany.
Menoosha was born and bred in a family of Cameroonian descent in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), and was introduced very early to music by her afro-pop singer-aunt Bebe Manga.
As part of a children's choir "Les Oiseaux du Monde" (Birds of the world), she opens for Kool & the Gang and Stevie Wonder in 1988 at a benefit called “N'Daya International”
In her teenage days, Menoosha and her younger sisters formed with a couple of other friends an a-capella female quartett. They regularly performed in school talent shows, church pageants and benefits. In these formative years, they both learned a lot about songwriting, arranging & choir directing. At 18, she packs her luggage, says goodbye to her family and travels to Germany to study Graphic design, where she later graduates. This is where she later on opened for Afro pop icon Myriam Makeba (2004) and Lou Bega (2007). She lists Joyce Kennedy, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Angelique Kidjo, Fela Kuti, Myriam Makeba and Lenny Kravitz among her heaviest influences. Being inspired by such diverse artists, Menoosha has succeeded in building up a truly crossover style, that she imposes well in her powerful live performances.
Now in 2010, after releasing “Three Piece Suite”, Menoosha and her producer and friend, Dario Allegra strike back with a new album “Satellite Brown Chick”, blending strong guitar riffs and solos with Soul, Hip Hop, Afrofunk, Electro and R&B, with an 80s flavour.
“We definitely wanted to release something almost genreless”.
The album carries the spirit and expression of what Menoosha feels as she sings on the Rock'n'Roll flavoured track “Satellite Brown Chick”. “Like the moon evolving like a natural satellite around the earth and other planets, sharing its energy, I interact in the same way with people I meet. I love sharing my energy with others, and feeling a positive feedback. So I literally have a problem with anybody who tries to mould me to do something else. And why Brown Chick? Politically I am a BLACK woman, but looking at myself in the mirror with the eyes of a free-minded child, brown is the colour I attribute to my skin.”
The album opens in a pentecostal atmosphere that Menoosha enjoys in her spiritual life. While Dario Allegra demonstrates the true talents of a Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer, Arranger, and Singer (on “Talk to me”), Menoosha displays her vocal versatility. On “Get by”, “Don't touch my stereo” or “Satellite Brown Chick”, she showcases true grittiness. This earned her comparisons to Mother's Finest's Joyce Kennedy and En Vogue's Dawn Robinson. “Talk to me”, “X-thousand miles”, “Order a friend” and “Sweet Beulah Dreams” show her softer side. On “Crumbs of Love”, Menoosha whines about an abusive relationship, almost like a “female D'Angelo” (www.Soulsite.de)
“Satellite Brown Chick” was recorded and mixed at POWW Studios and mastered at True Track Recording. Participating musicians include multi-instrumentalist Dario Allegra, guitar players Johannes Solf and Marcus Vollmer and bass player Benno Richter. The album will be released independently through Daraja Recordings on February 27th, 2010. A special Valentine's day release is planned on Amazon MP3.
Live performances are planned for this summer 2010, starting off in Germany, France and United Kingdom. Dates will be posted on her official website and MySpace in due time.
www.menoosha.com ¦ www.myspace.com/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
