b. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. In addition to issuing her own recordings, contemporary soul and jazz singer Ledisi has appeared on albums by other artists, in addition to co-managing her own production/record company, LeSun. Ledisi was raised in Oakland, California, to a family rich in musical talent (her mother was a singer, her father a guitarist, and her subsequent stepfather, a drummer). It did not take long before Ledisi became a singer herself, studying both opera and piano at the University of Berkeley's Young Musicians Program, and forming a deep appreciation for smooth jazz music. Others soon recognized Ledisi’s talents, as she landed a nationwide television commercial, and along with LeSun/musical partner Sundra Manning, has penned songs for artists such as the Braxton Brothers, Pinay Divas, and the Braids. Ledisi has also performed alongside artists such as Isaac Hayes, Jai Utal, Alphabet Soup, and the Marcus Shelby Trio, and has been a member of two groups (albeit obscure ones), Slide 5 and Anibade. Quite a popular performer in her current home town of San Francisco, California, Ledisi has performed as part of the musical revue Beach Blanket Babylon since the early 90s, and has received several awards and accolades from local newspapers over the years. Ledisi issued her debut solo recording in 2001, Soulsinger, via her LeSun label, and followed it up a year later with Feeling Orange And Sometimes Blue.
