Interview: Ledisi

Photo by Vincent Soyez

Normally we spend a lot of time writing introductions, but really how could we top “If there had been a roof at the park, the singer would have torn it off the sucker, with her hot-and-steamy blend of R&B, funk, soul, jazz, and hip-hop”-- the Boston Globe’s assessment of Ledisi’s performance at the Newport Jazz festival? Oh wait, we can: the two-time Grammy nominee she’s local. Ledisi gives her picks for the Bay Area below. You can check her out tonight at the Warfield when she appears with Musiq Soulchild

The best fans are...
The fans who grow as I grow musically

Best venue to play
The Fillmore SF

Lamest crowd request
I haven’t had one thus far

Favorite song to play these days
It’s “Alright” because I get the same response from the crowd every time I perform it.

You should come my show because...
The energy at my show is infectious.

Introduce yourself in one sentence
My name is LED….HUH…SEE

Home Town
New Orleans and Oakland

How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where?
I’ve been long time resident of Oakland and moved here with my family when I was young

What I'm currently Reading
I’m re-reading The Four Agreements

Best Deal in San Francisco
Clothing and records on Haight

Favorite mode of transportation
My car because it’s quiet

Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Rafael Sadiq, Sly Stone and too many more to name!

Favorite local hangout
La Note in Berkeley

SF has the BEST
The best Italian and Asian food

You can tell someone is a local here IF
They’re wearing shorts in winter

SF would be soooo much better if only
We need to help out the homeless

Best Burrito
Not a FAIR question

Best Restaurant
Calzones in SF on Columbus Avenue

Place you always tell visitors to check out
I always suggest North Beach

Favorite Bridge in the area
Golden Gate

You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Explore the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and grab something to eat

I want all the SFists out there to know
I started my career in SF

Tell us a San Francisco Story
I’m saving my SF story for a movie.