Jhelisa

Jhelisa Renee Anderson is an American singer songwriter and producer celebrated for her genredefying work in soul jazz world music and electronica Known for her evocative voice and innovative artistry she has collaborated with iconic musicians like Björk Massive Attack and The Shamen Over her decadeslong career Jhelisa has garnered critical acclaim for her solo albums and live performances which seamlessly blend spirituality activism and cuttingedge soundscapes Raised in a musical family in Louisville Kentucky Jhelisa was immersed in gospel and jazz from a young age Her father a gospel DJ and pianist and her mother a singer nurtured her talent alongside her sister Pamela who would later collaborate with DNote and Incognito Her cousin Carleen Anderson also shares a musical legacy as the daughter of Vicki Anderson and Bobby Byrd of James Browns band In her early career Jhelisa worked at Motown Records in Los Angeles where she honed her skills as a vocal arranger even collaborating with a young Jeff Buckley on her demos In 1989 she moved to London and joined Soul Family Sensation releasing the acclaimed album New Wave As a vocalist for The Shamen she contributed to their charttopping album Boss Drum and its hit singles Phorever People and LSI Love Sex Intelligence Jhelisas debut solo album Galactica Rush 1994 marked her arrival as a powerful creative force Praised for its fusion of jazz and soul it was followed by Language Electric 1997 earning her recognition as a pioneer in the neosoul movement Her voice also graced collaborations with artists like Paul Weller Nitin Sawhney and Chaka Khan who recorded Jhelisas composition Death of a Soul Diva After Hurricane Katrina disrupted her life in New Orleans Jhelisa relocated to Atlanta where she completed Sunday in Algiers a tribute to Nina Simone In recent years she has explored music for meditation with her 7 Keys series while singles like Oxygen 2022 and the viral TikTok success of the In The Sunshine remix of Friendly Pressure 2024 have introduced her music to new audiences