The fans themselves weren’t the ones Goapele felt she had to explain herself to - “they don’t care what it’s called if they feel it, they feel it,” she said. “It’s something that I’ve been doing for a long time, but I felt like I had to explain myself, when I was first doing it.
“I feel like we’ve come full circle, genre wise, with independent R&B music,” she said. Her discography has never been an exact fit into the box of R&B, but in an era where the borders between genres are crashing down, she finds it easier to create what she wants without having to struggle with labels. Goapele has seen the full evolution of R&B in her 17-year career, a transformation she welcomes with open arms. Instead of chasing the next big innovation, however, she used the project as an opportunity to return to her musical roots, minimizing live instrumentation to create what she calls an “effortless” album reminiscent of her debut Closer. Now, less than a year removed from the release of her sixth album Dreamseeker, “the next thing” keeps moving further down the road for Goapele. And then it was, ‘what’s the next thing?’” “Then it was 2,000, and then I wanted to sell 100,000, and then the first album ended up selling a couple hundred thousand, so that felt like success. “When I was first doing music, I wanted to sell 1,000 CDs, because that’s how many I could afford to press before we had a label,” she said with a laugh. The act of chasing one’s dreams isn’t a flimsy New Year’s Resolution or a future aspiration for acclaimed singer Goapele - it’s a never-ending way of life.
The singer often infuses issues of social justice into her songs. Goapele is currently recording her sixth album, slated to release later this year.Goapele’s impressive 17-year career has yielded six studio albums, the latest being Dreamseeker, which was released in May 2017. Most recently Goapele has focused on broadening her platform by hosting the “Closer Conversations “series on IG live, where she interviews her most inspirational friends in entertainment and activism, as they talk about: Passion, purpose and the journey in these uncertain times. Her passion has led her to become involved in the Movement For Black Lives, The Agape Spiritual Center and more. An advocate for healthy living, she has been the face of several public health campaigns, from the California Tobacco Control Program to AIDS Health Care Foundation’s ‘Rise Above’ campaign in the US and South Africa. She has worked with multiple prison reform efforts including Common’s Imagine Justice Organization, Represent Justice, and A New Way Of Life Foundation. Outside of music and entertainment, Goapele continues to build with communities and leaders to support the call for social justice.
Most recently she executive produced and starred in the art-noir, experimental short film #WhereIsBeauty. She joined the likes of Gabriel Union and Alfre Woodard in Ava DuVernay’s fashion short film for Miu Miu. Her unique influence can be found in moments throughout R&B.Ī film and television mainstay, some of her other notable contributions have been in Honey, Power, Black Lightening, 90210 and more. That diversity comes naturally to the South African, German-Jewish, Oakland-born singer/songwriter, producer, activist, actress and designer.
This delicate sonic shape-shifting is a technique she introduced on her now classic 2001 debut Closer, and has continued to evolve on the four albums that followed. In another breath, she’s guiding her child with a sensitive understanding, hard-earned wisdom, and unconditional love. In one breath, Goapele is urging social change and boldly standing up for righteousness in the face of inequality. VACCINATION CARDS OR PROOF OF 72 HOUR NEGATIVE COVID TEST REQUIRED FOR THIS SPECIFIC SHOW ON SEPTEMBER 26TH 4PM