Erykah Badu in Wrocław: soul from the creator of “Baduizm” and a musical journey from “On & On”

Erykah Badu is an extraordinary musical phenomenon. A beautiful, talented and charismatic singer, blessed with a captivating voice. She currently has no equal in soul music. She has 6 solo albums and numerous prestigious awards and distinctions to her name. Her debut album, “Baduizm”, was released in 1997 and sold over 3 million copies within just a few months of its release.

Brought to its knees by Eryka’s debut, the American music industry honoured her with two Grammys in 1997: Best R&B Album for “Baduizm” and, most precious to her personally, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “On & On”. Her second album, “Live”, appeared that year, documenting the enormous Smokin’ Grooves Tour. It sold over 2 million copies, while “Tyrone” revealed a new side of Eryka as a gifted poet and lyricist.

Erykah kept listeners waiting three years for her third album, “Mama’s Gun”. It was worth it: the album became another major success, consolidating her already strong position in the music world. After another 3-year break, her fourth album, “Worldwide Underground”, followed in 2003. On the promotional tour, the artist visited Poland for the first time, giving a legendary performance at Warsaw’s Congress Hall.

She has worked successfully with numerous outstanding artists, including Macy Grey, Chaka Khan, Busta Rhymes, Outcast, The Roots, D’Angelo, Common, Guru, Mos Def and Jill Scott. Her collaboration with The Roots on “You Got Me” (1999) earned her the third Grammy of her career in 2000, in the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group category.

She is also a respected actress, with appearances in “Blues Brothers 2000”, “The Cider House Rules”, “House of D” and “Wbrew regułom”. She readily takes part in a wide range of charitable initiatives. She owns Control FreaQ Records, a label intended, among other things, to help young artists develop their careers, and Dallas’s Black Forest Theater, where she performs for charity alongside artists including Jill Scott and Prince.

Her latest albums are 2 connected instalments of a trilogy: “New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)” from 2008 and “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)” from 2010. Both releases were very well received by fans and reviewers worldwide. The third and final instalment of the “New Amerykah” trilogy is due out this year.

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