Shemekia Copeland bringing blues to Copeland

NEWTON — The Newton Theatre presents the new queen of Blues Shemekia Copeland on Friday, April 7 at 8 p.m.
Whether she’s belting out a raucous blues-rocker, firing up a blistering soul-shouter, bringing the spirit to a gospel-fueled R&B rave-up or digging deep down into a subtle, country-tinged ballad, Shemekia Copeland sounds like no one else. With a voice that is alternately sultry, assertive and roaring, Shemekia’s wide-open vision of contemporary blues, roots and soul music showcases the evolution of a passionate artist with a modern musical and lyrical approach.
Copeland’s return to Alligator Records with Outskirts Of Love (she recorded four albums for the label from 1998 through 2006) finds her at her most charismatic, performing roots rock, Americana, and blues with power and authority, nuance and shading. The result is Copeland’s most decidedly contemporary and musically adventurous album of her still-evolving career.
Shemekia Copeland, daughter of blues great Johnny Copeland, was born in Harlem, New York on April 10, 1979, and came to her singing career naturally. Her bluesman father recognized his daughter's talent early on. He always encouraged her to sing at home and even brought her on stage to sing at Harlem's famed Cotton Club when she was just eight. When she was 15, she received the calling.
“It was like a switch went off in my head,” recalls Shemekia, “and I wanted to sing. It became a want and a need. I had to do it.”
At 16, Shemekia joined her father on his tours after he was diagnosed with a heart condition. Soon Shemekia was opening, and sometimes even stealing, her father’s shows.
“She grabbed the crowd with her powerful voice, poised and intense,” raved Blues Revue at the time. Eventually, though, it became clear to Shemekia who was helping whom. “Dad wanted me to think I was helping him out by opening his shows when he was sick, but really, he was doing it all for me. He would go out and do gigs so I would get known. He went out of his way to get me that exposure.”
Shemekia stepped out of her father’s shadow in 1998 with her groundbreaking debut CD, Turn The Heat Up, recorded when she was only 18. Critics from around the world celebrated her music as fans of all ages agreed that an unstoppable new talent had arrived. News outlets from the New York Times to CNN took note of Copeland's talent, engaging personality, and true star power. “She roars with a sizzling hot intensity,” added the Boston Globe.
She followed-up with 2000's Grammy-nominated Wicked. From there through 2008 she earned eight Blues Music Awards, and a host of Living Blues Awards (including the prestigious 2010 Blues Artist Of The Year).
She's sung with Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, James Cotton and many others. She opened for The Rolling Stones and entertained U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait.
Santana says, “She’s incandescent…a diamond.” At the 2011 Chicago Blues Festival, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois officially declared Copeland to be “The New Queen Of The Blues.” In 2012, she performed at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama. Afterward, Jagger (with whom she sang) sent her a bottle of champagne.
Copeland has her eyes fixed firmly on the future as she continues to break new musical ground. "I want to keep growing, to be innovative," she says. “I’m a lifer, singing about things that bother me, using my music to help people. My dad always said ‘we’re all connected.’ I’m an old soul marching to the beat of my own drum,” she continues, “And right now I’m making the most exciting music of my career.”
Tickets for Shemekia Copeland range from $29 to $44. Purchase tickets by visiting www.thenewtontheatre.com or contact the Box Office at 973-383-3700.