Excitement has been building all summer long for the soulful element of the Live on the Levee concert series to hit the Riverfront. On Friday, July 24 it comes courtesy of R&B diva Angie Stone.
While Stone’s climb to the top of the music industry was long and winding, she is a source of inspiration for two female artists in particular who will provide the pre-show entertainment as thousands of guests from the area enjoy some of the best soul St. Louis has to offer.
LeAndra Haynes – or just LeAndra, as she is known on stage – is not resting on the heels of winning 2nd place for the 2009 McDonald’s R&B Soul Search.
Actually, she already had the gig lined up before the competition begun. LeAndra admits that, with the local hip-hop explosion on the national music scene, getting people’s attention with her style hasn’t been easy.
“The past few years have been a struggle to get people on the R&B bandwagon,” she said.
Ironically her voice was one of the many to rep for St. Louis rap music as she sang the hook on “Things You Do,” performed by Payback and produced by Orlando “Pretty Boy” Watson, which cracked the top 40 on the Billboard Singles chart.
Very few people knew it was her – including the rapper who rapped on the track. But knowing that she had the voice to make it to the top lit a fire under her that has yet to flicker.
“Regular life got in the way, but through all of that I was singing,” LeAndra said. “I was a little naïve early on – not that I expected it to come easy – I knew I would have to work.”
It hasn’t gone how she expected it.
She was among the star vocalists at Central VPA High School when she graduated. Since then her personal landscape has changed. She earned a BS in business marketing from Harris-Stowe State University, had a child and got married.
But after the taste of success with Payback, the desire to make a name for herself in the industry never subsided.
She independently released her debut CD Little Things through the Gutta Music label and is hoping that tomorrow’s performance will further snowball her ultimate career aspirations of becoming a national recording artist – better yet, a household name.
“Everything is falling into place, and I’m just staying prayerful,” LeAndra said. “God is just opening up the doors for me, and I’m just going with it.”
Coco, the Levee Veteran
“The crowd seemed far away, but I remember that I could see thousands of people dancing and having a good time,” Rochelle “Coco Soul” Walker said of her Levee debut back in 2006, opening for India.Aire.
For her second appearance at the Live on the Levee concert series, Coco – as she is known within the local entertainment scene – will be part of an ensemble. She’ll provide the vocals for the R&B cover band Soul Alliance.
Since she last took to the Levee stage, a lot of wheels appear to be moving Coco towards the next level. She was one of the co-creators of Café Soul, a monthly open-mic that has developed the reputation as one of the best showcases of STL talent – including Coco herself.
But most recently – on May 30, to be exact – one of her ultimate career privileges came through when she opened for R&B Mint Condition at the Pageant.
“To be able to get kudos from them after the show was just a natural high,” Coco said. “I couldn’t asked for anything else.”
Coco also sees Stone as a source of inspiration and the ideal model for success in the “man’s world” entertainment industry.
“I love and admire Angie Stone,” Coco said. “One of the things she does is try to recreate herself.”
Coco could be considered a “Stoneologist,” as she chronicled a history of Stone’s career from its inception – first as a rap artist, then backup singer and eventually the soul star that mainstream R&B fans have come to know and love.
“I’m planning for a big party atmosphere,” Coco said of Friday’s show. “ I have crazy energy when I perform, and that’s who I am offstage. I hope to bring them into my world when I perform – for them to feel joy and to dance with me.”
Live on the Levee 2009 starring Angie Stone will take place this Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. LeAndra will perform at 6 p.m. and Soul Alliance featuring Coco Soul at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.celebratestlouis.org.