Critic's Choice

India.Arie hails from Denver -- she lived here until she was thirteen, when her family relocated to Atlanta. But her roots have a more musically exotic flair: Arie's parents hail from Memphis and Detroit, home of the R&B, blues and Motown sounds that percolate to the top of the young...

By Laura Bond

June 19, 2003

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India.Arie hails from Denver -- she lived here until she was thirteen, when her family relocated to Atlanta. But her roots have a more musically exotic flair: Arie's parents hail from Memphis and Detroit, home of the R&B, blues and Motown sounds that percolate to the top of the young neo-soulster's work. India.Arie's two recordings, 2000's Acoustic Soul and 2002's Voyage to India, are bold and often brilliant. One of the few purely positive artists in contemporary R&B, Arie celebrates the strength of feminity with sass, style and mature songwriting skills. On Friday, June 20, Arie headlines "Soulful Sounds of D-Town" at the Universal Lending Pavilion, the temporary tented amphitheater in the parking lot of the Pepsi Center. She'll be joined by locals Wendy Woo and Hazel Miller for the evening, which marks the opening of the Pavilion's summer concert season. Sounds like a voyage worth making.

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