U-Amerie ungumculi odumile waseMelika, umbhali wamaculo kanye nomlingisikazi owavela esikhaleni sabezindaba ngo-2002. Udumo lwalo mculi lwakhula ngokushesha ngemva kokuba eqale ukusebenzisana nomdidiyeli uRich Harrison. Abalaleli abaningi bayamazi u-Ameri ngenxa yento eyodwa engu-1. Ngo-2005, yafinyelela inani eliphakeme kunombolo 5 eshadini leBillboard. Ingoma ne-albhamu kamuva yathola ukuqokwa kwe-Grammy. Ngo-2003, kuma-Billboard Music Awards, umculi wathola indondo ye-Best New R&B/Soul noma i-Rap Artist.
Bebunjani ubuntwana nobusha buka-Ameri?
Igama eliphelele lomculi ngu-Ameri Mi Marnie Rogers. Wazalwa ngoJanuwari 12, 1980 edolobheni laseMelika iFitchburg (Massachusetts). Ubaba wakhe ungowokudabuka e-Afrika yaseMelika kanti umama wakhe ungowokudabuka eKorea. Ubaba wakhe wayeyindoda yezempi ngokomsebenzi, ngakho umculi wachitha iminyaka yakhe yokuqala ehambahamba. Wayehlala ezisekelweni zamasosha kulo lonke elase-United States naseYurophu. U-Ameri uthi ukushintsha okunjalo kwendawo okuhlala njalo esemncane kwamsiza kamuva wajwayela ukuphila ebhizinisini lomculo. "Lapho uhamba njalo, ufunda ukuxhumana nabantu abasha futhi uzivumelanise nendawo entsha," umculi wabelane ngengxoxo.
U-Ameri unodadewabo omncane, u-Angela, manje osengummeli wakhe. Abazali bakhulisa amantombazane ngokuqinile futhi ngokucophelela. Odade babengavamile ukuvunyelwa ukuba bahambe beyovakasha, futhi phakathi nesonto babenqatshelwa ukusebenzisa omakhalekhukhwini. Umama nobaba babekholelwa ukuthi ukutadisha nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono okudala kufanele kube into eyinhloko.
U-Amerie ukweleta intshisekelo yakhe emculweni kusukela esemncane kumama wakhe, ongumculi nomdlali wepiyano okhokhelwayo. Intombazane iphinde yathola ugqozi eqoqweni likayise. Ifaka kakhulu izingoma ze-Motown soul zango-1960, ezidale umsindo womculo wabo. “Abaculi ababenethonya elikhulu ekuphileni kwami kwakuyilaba: USam Cooke, uMarvin Gaye, uWhitney Houston, uMichael Jackson, uMariah Carey noMary J. Blige,” kusho u-Amery. Ngaphandle kokucula lo mculi udanse waphinde wabamba iqhaza emiqhudelwaneni yamathalente.
Umndeni ka-Amery wathuthela eWashington, D.C. ngemva kokuphothula esikoleni esiphakeme. Ngisho nangaleso sikhathi, ngaqala ukucabanga ngokungathi sína ngomsebenzi wokuzijabulisa. Umculi waqala ukuthuthukisa amakhono akhe ezwi futhi azame ukubhala izingoma. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, wangena eYunivesithi yaseGeorgetown futhi wathola "iziqu" zesiNgisi nezobuciko obuhle.
Waqala kanjani umsebenzi ka-Amerie womculo?
Ikhefu elikhulu lika-Ameri embonini yomculo lafika lapho ehlangana no-Rich Harrison. Ngaleso sikhathi, u-Harrison wayesevele engumbhali wezingoma nomdidiyeli ophumelele i-Grammy Award. Ubuye wasebenza no-diva we-hip-hop uMary J. Blige. Lo mculi wahlangana nophrojusa ngophromotha wekilabhu amjwayele ahlangana naye esafunda enyuvesi.
U-Ameri wayefuna ukuhlangana noRich endaweni yomphakathi kwazise wayengakaze ambone ngaphambili. “Sahlangana kwaMcDonald’s, phambilini sinqume njengendawo yokuhlangana,” kusho lo mculi. “Ngangazi ukuthi ungumdidiyeli, kodwa ngangingamazi njengomuntu, ngakho ngangingafuni ukuya emzini wakhe. Ngendlela efanayo, ngangingafuni ukuthi azi ukuthi ngihlalaphi uma kwenzeka engumuntu othanda ukuzenzela izinto.”
Ngemuva komhlangano, bavumelana ngokuthi uHarrison uzoqopha idemo yalowo owayesafuna ukucula. Lapho abaphathi be-Columbia Records bezwa idemo, basayina i-Ameri. Yilapho indlela yomculi eya esigabeni esikhulu yaqala khona.
Impumelelo yokuqala yomculo ka-Amerie
Efika kulebula ye-Columbia Records, umculi waqala ukusebenza ku-albhamu yakhe yokuqala. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, waqopha ivesi le-rapper eyodwa ethi Rule nas. Ingoma ifinyelele inani eliphakeme kunombolo 67 eshadini le-Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks e-United States. Ngo-2002, lo mculi wakhipha ingoma yakhe yokuqala ethi, Why Don't We Fall in Love. Ifinyelele kunombolo-23 ku-Billboard Hot 100 futhi yaba yingoma eyi-10 ephezulu eshisayo ye-R&B/Hip-Hop.
Ekupheleni kukaJulayi 2002, i-albhamu yokuqala yesitudiyo, ethi All I Have, yakhululwa kuColumbia Record. Yayinezingoma ezingu-12 futhi yakhiqizwa uHarrison. I-albhamu ikhishwe okokuqala kunombolo 9 eshadini lamasonto onke le-Billboard 200. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-albhamu yaqinisekiswa njengegolide yiRecording Industry Association of America.
NgoFebhuwari 2003, I-All I have got Ameri Three Soul Train Music Award ukuqokwa. Uthole indondo eyodwa emkhakheni othi "Best New Artist". Yize lo mculi ubengase abuyele ngqo esitudiyo ukuze azame ukuphinda impumelelo ye-albhamu yakhe yokuqala, esikhundleni salokho uthathe ikhefu ukuze ahlole ezinye izindawo zebhizinisi lezokuzijabulisa.
Ngo-2003, u-Amerie wasungula futhi wakhiqiza uhlelo lwethelevishini i-The Centre kuBET. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezintathu zokuqopha, ngokushesha waqala iphrojekthi ifilimu. Futhi wadlala indima enkulu noKathy Holmes efilimini ethi "Indodakazi Yokuqala" (eqondiswe nguForest Whitaker). Yaphuma ngo-2004.
Ngalesi sikhathi, u-Rich Harrison wayesecabangela imibono ehlukahlukene ye-albhamu yesibili yomculi. Iqoqo lokuqala labhalwa ngokuyinhloko nguHarrison. Ku-albhamu yesibili, umculi ubhale ngokuhlanganyela zonke izingoma ngaphandle kweyodwa. Uphinde wasebenza ezithombeni ezibukwayo ze-albhamu, amavidiyo omculo, namakhava angawodwa.
Ukukhishwa kwe-albhamu yesibili ka-Ameri neyodwa edume kakhulu
I-albhamu yesibili yesitudiyo ethi Touch (amathrekhi ayi-13) yakhululwa ekupheleni kuka-Ephreli 2005. Izingoma zinama-pulses, i-funk percussion, nezigqi ze-go-go ezinomongo ophilayo owakhelwe eduze kwezimpondo namapiyano kagesi. Ngemuva kokukhishwa kwe-albhamu yeTouch, lo mculi uthole ukubuyekezwa okuhle kwabagxeka umculo. Bancoma amazwi ka-Ameri kanye nokukhiqizwa kukaHarrison. I-albhamu ithole imiklomelo eminingi, okuhlanganisa nokuqokwa kwe-Grammy Award emibili.
I-albhamu ithathe indawo yesi-5 ku-Billboard 200. Ngenxa yeqoqo, iciko lithole isitifiketi segolide ku-RIAA. I-albhamu yayihlanganisa i-single 1 Thing, ehlala iyingoma yomculi edume kakhulu kuze kube yilolu suku. Ingoma ikhiqizwe ngu-Harrison futhi igqugquzelwe ingoma yetimu ethi Oh, Calcutta!, ebhalwe nguStanley Walden. Esewulungise kabusha kancane umculo nezinhlamvu ezibhaliwe zawo, u-Harrison no-Ameri baqopha eyodwa emahoreni angu-2-3.
U-Lenny Nicholson (umphathi ka-Amerie) waba nomuzwa wokuthi le ngoma "yayiyiyodwa kuphela" efanele ukukhululwa ngaleso sikhathi. Umculi nomdidiyeli bathumele i-1 Thing kulebula, kodwa banqatshelwa ukukhululwa. Abaphathi babone sengathi isigqi sidinga ukulungiswa futhi namakhorasi adinga ukuba makhulu. Ngemuva kwezinguquko eziningi ekuqanjweni kwayo, ilebula isanqabile ukukhipha eyodwa.
Ngenxa yalokho, u-Ameri noHarrison bathumele okubhaliwe eziteshini zomsakazo zase-US ngaphandle kokutshela i-Columbia Records ngomzamo wokuyikhulula ngokusemthethweni. Ukusabela ko-DJ nabalaleli kwaba kuhle. Ngenxa yalokho, le ngoma yasakazwa emsakazweni ezweni lonke. E-United States, ingoma yakhuphuka kancane kancane. Esikhathini esingamaviki angu-10, yafinyelela inani eliphakeme kunombolo 8 ku-Billboard Hot 100. Futhi yayingekho eshadini kwaze kwaba ngamaviki angu-20 kamuva.
Umsebenzi ka-Amerie womculo oqhubekayo
I-albhamu yesithathu yesitudiyo ethi Ngoba I Love It yakhululwa ngoMeyi 2007. Nakuba lona bekuwumsebenzi wakhe onamandla futhi odlangile. Futhi ingene kwabangu-20 abaphezulu e-UK, izinhlelo zokukhishwa okufika ngesikhathi e-US zashintsha. Ngenxa yalokhu, i-albhamu ayizange iphumelele kwezohwebo e-States futhi ayizange ishadi.
Ngonyaka olandelayo, umculi wayeka ukusebenza ne-Columbia Records. Futhi wangena esivumelwaneni nelebula ye-Def Jam. Uqophe i-albhamu yakhe yesine ethi, In Love & War, ayikhiphe ngoNovemba 2009. Ikhishwe okokuqala kunombolo 3 eshadini le-R&B lase-US. Kodwa washeshe wathatha izikhundla zokugcina, njengoba bekungalaleli lutho emisakazweni.
Ngo-2010, lo mculi washintsha isipelingi segama lakhe lesiteji laba ngu-Ameriie. Ngaphansi kwegama-mbumbulu elisha, ukhiphe izingoma ezithi What I Want (2014), Mustang (2015). Futhi ne-EP Drive kulebula yakhe ethi Feenix Rising. Ngemva kokushiya i-Def Jam ngo-2010, wanquma ukumisa umsebenzi wakhe womculo. Umculi uchithe isikhathi ebhala amanoveli amnandi futhi ehlela umthengisi wezindaba ezimfushane we-New York Times wabantu abadala ngo-2017.
Ngo-2018, kwaphinda kwakhululwa i-albhamu ephindwe kabili (i-LP 4AM Mullholand enobude obugcwele kanye ne-EP After 4AM). Iphrojekthi ekabili igxilise abalaleli ekuqanjweni okuphansi kakhulu kwe-R&B ne-trance uma kuqhathaniswa namahithi e-pop adlule omdlali.
Wenzani u-Ameri ngaphandle komculo?
Ngaphandle kokuthi lo mculi usawuthanda umculo, ukuqopha izingoma kusasemuva. Ngo-2018, u-Amerie wamukele indodana egama layo linguRiver Grove. Ngakho-ke, umculi manje uchitha isikhathi esiningi ekukhuleni kwakhe. Uphinde washada noLenny Nicholson (umqondisi womculo wakwaSony Music).
Lo mculi unesiteshi se-YouTube lapho efaka khona amavidiyo amayelana nezincwadi, izimonyo namabhulogi mayelana nempilo yakhe. Manje bangaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezingama-200 abantu ababhalise kuyo. I-Ameri iphinde ithengise okuthengiswayo kuwebhusayithi ye-River Row. Ikhathalogu iqukethe izinto ezingamakhulu - kusukela kuma-sweatshirts kanye nezikibha kuya kumakomishi wetiye, umklamo wawo owasungulwa ngumculi ngokwakhe.
