Photo Exclusive: Goapele

Photography by Mariel & Katherine Tyler

Striking features. Bright smile. Angelic dimples; she could have stood there and the crowd would have been dually satisfied, but on top of all of this, the girl’s got pipes, shockingly large ones for her petite size. Monday night at New York’s B.B. King’s Times Square venue Goapele (Go-ah-puh-lay) introduced her newest album, Break of Dawn, to a full house. With the ease and grace of Billy Holiday, she skillfully wooed the crowd. Her pure vocal tonalities encompass hints of Sade’s soul and notes of Alicia Keys grit. She was backed by an extremely talented band made up of two sick guitarists, a dope drummer, and a keyboardist who, during his solo, took us to church…and back.

The Oakland native has been on the scene for eleven years and like the meaning of her name, she is “moving forward” in her career. We were all happy to hear hits off of her older albums like, Closer and First Love, but her newest single, Play turned the crowd on. Break of Dawn includes a varying selection, from funky, soulful songs like Money, comparing the transience of money to “fail proof” love, to slower jams like Undertow and Hush.

Goapele also made a point to talk about the Occupy Movement, and stressed her support for a more balanced capitalist system. She seamlessly wove her stance into an inspiring rendition of A Change Is Gonna Come. Rightfully encored, Goapele graced us with two more songs, Chaka Khan’s Sweet Thing, which of course ended up being more like a sing-a-long, and Love Me Right, off of her second album Change It All. After the concert the gracious Goapele’s meet and greet line snaked down the staircase and back into the venue.

– Katherine and Mariel Tyler