Singer Melanie Fiona, whose single "It Kills Me" slayed many a soul music fan, will be performing at 10 p.m. Wednesday at Harlow's, along with Marsha Ambrosius, as part of the BET Music Matters Tour.
Fiona (pictured left in a Kirk Edwards photo) is of Guyanese descent and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and her fans know she can also spin off reggae rhythms with zeal. Just 27 years old, she released her debut album two years ago, and her sophomore effort is "just about done." She's already released the single, "Gone and Never Coming Back."
Elle magazine celebrated Fiona as one of 25 game-changing artists in the industry today. She cites Bob Marley, Sam Cooke, Whitney Houston and Patsy Cline as some of her musical influences.
Late last week, Fiona slowed up for a few moments to check out our e-mail with these questions:
What's the best part of living your dream?
Fiona: "It would be LIVING MY DREAM! It's the best feeling to do what I love, every day. Not everyone gets to say that. It's truly a blessing."
You're on a long tour. How do you keep those cities straight and your body in peak performance shape?
Fiona: "Well, performing every night is a workout in itself. ... The daily get-up-and-hustle is enough to keep your metabolism up. But eating healthy and getting a daily workout in always helps. I like to do yoga."
You're of Guyanese descent and grew up in Canada. Tell me what foods you're missing right about now.
Fiona: "Ooooh! My mom's shrimp curry and roti. That's my favorite. I miss the little treats from the Caribbean shops like patties and cheese straws. My mom makes those, too."
You've worked in the studio with our Sactown homeboy Jeremy Reeves of Stereotypes. Tell us what he brought to the mix on your debut album, "The Bridge?"
Fiona: "Yeah, Jonathan "Jon Street" Yip of the Stereotypes is from (Sacramento), too! I was working on a song they produced with Bruno Mars. At the end of that session, we started jamming out on another one of their tracks. Bruno and I ended up writing "Johnny" for my album. The Stereotypes are super-talented. ... They definitely brought that pop-soul flavor to the album."
So, how is work on the second album going? Are you gonna break out any of that in your Harlow's appearance?
"The MF Life is going great. ... It's just about done. It's a bigger sound. ... I like to call it stadium soul. I'll definitely be performing some cuts off the new album, including the new single 'Gone & Never Coming Back.' "
What's the most memorable club you've hit so far on your tour, the place so hype that our readers should definitely hit it if they're visiting that city? And, why was it so magical?
Fiona: "Limelight Thursdays, at the Supperclub in Los Angeles. Super cool vibe, great music. ... Totally NOT your typical L.A. scene. You will see some of the most interesting people in there. ... Definitely captures the energy of NYC's classic Limelight."
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.