Soul singer N’dambi may be a contemporary artist, but her music proves she has an old soul.
Just listen to her latest release, “Pink Elephant,” on Stax Records, and you’ll hear how her work fuses elements of Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson while adding a contemporary style that makes the sound unique to her.
“I think this album has more up-tempo than I usually sing,” N’dambi said. “I think of it almost as if I’m a narrator telling different people’s stories.”
N’dambi is well-schooled for the task. Not only is neosoul artist Erykah Badu one of her mentors, but N’dambi has a deep knowledge — and some would say feeling — for classic soul artists. That comes through clearly on this label debut.
If you go
N’dambi, supporting Eric Roberson
Where: Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Info: $25 to $40; ticketmaster.com
The 12 songs on the CD are as smoky and steamy as anything that came out of Stax or Motown during the labels’ heydays, but this is no trek down Retro Lane. The lyrics may tell the age-old struggles of heartbreak and abuse, but N’dambi makes it clear this is the age of the empowered woman. Her streetwise, sometimes weary but always vibrant voice adds just the right amount of bravado to the tunes without taking them over the top. Songs on the CD including “Nobody Jones,” about a girl who’ll overcome humble beginnings to realize her dreams, and “L.I.E.,” about a man living a double life. Both sound as if they could have been plucked straight from a classic soul album, so authentic are their no-holds-barred grittiness.
Producer Leon Sylvers III — whose all-star credits include work with such luminaries as Gladys Knight and the Sylvers — should be credited for carefully ensuring N’dambi’s vocals are fully used without putting them too far in front of the music. The result is 12 songs that are akin to luscious vignettes.
“I am very passionate,” N’dambi said of her singing style both onstage and off. ” I just hope that my songs touch others’ hearts and affect them in some way.”
