Every month of every year, I am pleasantly surprised to discover an amazing talent that has existed for years in the “underground” scene, while being ignored by “mainstream” radio. This month, I was introduced to the work of N’dambi, who has recorded as a solo artist for more than a decade and served as a background singer for several gospel and secular artists, including fellow “soul sister” Erykah Badu.
Inspired by the music of Nina Simone, N’dambi has harnessed the power of her contralto voice and let her creative spirits guide her from Dallas, Texas, to venues across the globe. Upon the release of her Stax debut, Pink Elephant, N’dambi managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on the influence of Nina Simone, her Stax experience, and the creative chemistry behind “Imitator” and “Can’t Hardly Wait.”
As the child of Baptist ministers, is there a particular Biblical philosophy that has guided your personal and professional life?
I believe that one of the philosophies that has guided my professional life is learning the importance of working hard and being diligent in every aspect of your work.
At what point in your life were you introduced to secular music, especially that of Nina Simone? On your second album, Tunin' Up & Cosignin', you open with the lovely “Ode 2 Nina.” In what ways were your influenced by her artistry?
The interesting thing about Nina Simone is that I didn’t know about her early on. A friend of mine said that my voice reminded them of Nina’s, and I remember thinking: “Who is that?” After discovering and listening to her records, I was impressed by how she used her voice as an instrument. So I became very excited and interested in her vocal abilities and who she was as an artist and I wanted to develop myself in the same way.
As a child, you grew up playing the piano and clarinet. At what point did you determine that you wanted to focus your energy and talents on your vocal instrument instead?
I always sang, even when I played those instruments. So there was never an issue of if I would sing, only if I would sing professionally. My house was full of singers. I was surrounded by music in my house. I was exposed to singing very early—especially in church. From a very young age, I was always encouraged to sing and use my vocal abilities.
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