Ama Chandra

Merging the mastery of Nina Simone with the appeal of Jill Scott, presence and connection are what you are left with. Heavily influenced by world rhythms and Jazz, Ama Chandra is a new type of soul Artist. Singer/songwriter Ama Chandra (the name "Ama" is of Ghanian origin, and means "born on Saturday" in the Akan and Twi languages) brings to the music scene a convergence of gospel, jazz, and soul inspired vocals packaged into a sound that can best be described as "World Soul Music". Ama comes from humble beginnings and a very musical family in Plant City, Florida where she was born and raised. She has travelled as part of the FAMU connection, eventually making her way to Brazil to immerse herself in the country's culture, Portuguese and the unique syncopated rhythmic sound that is at the core of all Brazilian-influenced musical styles. She eventually made Baltimore, Maryland her home geographically and musically, growing her formidable talent at open mics to start, and eventually at musical events at the city's premier live performance venues. It was here that Ama also began building her loyal fan base. This base was so strong and dedicated that when Ama decided to enter the "To Brazil With Love" singing contest that Chaka Khan was sponsoring -- first prize was the opportunity to perform with Chaka at a show in Brazil -- Ama sent her videotaped entry of her rendition of "My Funny Valentine" in the day before the contest ended, and she was able to pull together enough votes in 12 hours to win the contest. It was in Baltimore that she also recorded her first full-length musical project, entitled "Destiny", which was picked up for national distribution by the Orchard a subsidiary of Sony Music. Her debut cd "Destiny" is a smooth and stylish blend of everything she comes from and has grown to love musically -- from classic jazz and old school gospel to modern day R & B, soul and funk, all finely balanced on a world music foundation. The 13-track offering will definitely quench any music-lovers thirst for beautiful, meaningful and soulful music. Her sound has been described as ‘refreshing’ and in a short period of time she has established herself as one to watch. Ama Chandra is also the lead vocalist for the FRUITION EXPERIENCE. The Fruition Experience is a team of long time friends and musicians well versed in many styles of music including jazz, hip hop, R&B, soul, gospel, funk, rock and classical to name a few. The sound and repertoire ranges from acoustic straight ahead jazz to an electronic fusion of hip hop and neo soul with soulful vocals and cutting edge contemporary jazz chops similar to Herbie Hancock’s ground breaking “Head Hunters” album. The group has been successful at developing a following in the DMV area with their own hosted quarterly concert series delivering uplifting music that taps on your conscious mind and feeds your soul.

Baltimore, MD