Lili Anel
Encyclopedia
Lili Añel is an American singer-songwriter and performing artist originally from New York City
. She was born in El Barrio, Spanish Harlem
and raised in the South Bronx
. She moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, in 2004, where the local music scene embraced her, along with airplay and guest appearances on NPR
station WXPN
. She performed in and around Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, Delaware, New Jersey as well as continuing to perform in New York City. Her style is diverse, reflecting her background which is a hybrid.
The single "Supposed To Be" from her most recent CD release Every Second In Between was listed in USA Today
s "Playlist" September 15, 2009, by Steve Jones.
thriving music scene. Alongside peers like Cliff Eberhardt
, Carolyn Mas, The Roches
and Steve Forbert
, to name a few, she successfully showed diversity within her musical ideas and sensibilities, performing both solo or with her band executing her music and voice with amazing power, rhythmically and melodically. Lili and her band opened for legendary acts, Etta James
, Taj Mahal
, Stuff (featuring the Saturday Night Live Band) and The Persuasions.
Lili has appeared across the U.S. and Canada in support of her first album “Laughed Last”, released in 1994.
People have often described Lili's music as Joan Armatrading
meets Joni Mitchell meets Steely Dan. Lili's music however, is influenced by a great deal of other songwriters and musical styles including Garland Jeffreys, Janis Ian, The Beatles, John Coltrane, Patato Y Totico, Celia Cruz amongst others.
Her music reflects her background; born in New York City of Black/Cuban parents she utilizes rhythms primarily as the basis of her songwriting with the traditional Cuban recordings of Orchesta Aragon as well as the drum stylings of Patato Y Totico, known for their incorporation of traditional African drumming with Cuban call-and-response songs (masters of “gua-guanco” and “Rumba”).
Lili was accepted into the Leonard Davis Center of Performing Arts at City College of the City University of New York. Lili later studied with legendary jazz singer Shelia Jordan for one year in her vocal performance workshop. Lili lasted under the stress of traditional music training for an additional year. Lili took a leave of absence from CCNY never returning. Instead, she enrolled in Eddie Simon’s “Guitar Study Center”. Only able to afford to pay for one class, she audited as many classes as possible. Gaining the respect from the instructors, who admired her diligence, she was often allowed to participate in class like the students who were fully enrolled. During her time at Guitar Study Center, Lili also began to attend open mics in New York City’s Greenwich Village, and other clubs. She began to get gigs and subsequently put a band together. Lili continued performing, building her following which eventually took her to recording her first CD, Laughed Last in 1994 on Palmetto Records.
FM.
). Hi-Octane Coffee featured some of New York City’s famed session players including Drew Zingg (Steely Dan, Alana Davis, Gladys Knight), Frank Vilardi (Donny Osmond, Jill Sobule, The Bacon Brothers), Seth Glassman (James Brown, Paul McCartney, Maceo Parker, Carol King) and Johnny Gale (co-producer Ryan Shaw “This is Ryan Shaw”). This union provided the opportunity for Lili’s songs to shine, showcasing her music in all its diversity, from the funk of “The Way Out” to the Americana-Country tinged “Nothing in Common” to the folk-acoustic guitar-vocal “Zora”. Hi-Octane Coffee received excellent press, continuing to raise Lili’s profile within the industry.
.
Every Second In Between
, released 9/30/09, is a collaboration of heart, soul, words, music, spirit and technique. The songs’ landscapes accurately capture Lili, bringing her voice to the forefront, from the classically tinged Voyager, with its string quartet and Lili’s voice, alone and in chorus, to her cover of Nina Simone
’s That’s All I Want From You, and the Latin flavored Supposed To Be, the album’s first single, a song of empowerment with the storyteller’s refusal to give up sense of self.
Noted jazz journalist Ken Franckling in his review of Every Second In Between when referencing his favorite songs on the CD, stated his "Favorites: All 11 Tracks". USA TODAY's music critic Steve Jones highlights Lili's song Supposed To Be as one of 10 intriguing tunes found during the week's listening (September 15, 2009).
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She was born in El Barrio, Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
and raised in the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
. She moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, in 2004, where the local music scene embraced her, along with airplay and guest appearances on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
station WXPN
WXPN
WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music radio format called adult album alternative , along with many other format shows supported all with an indie slant...
. She performed in and around Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, Delaware, New Jersey as well as continuing to perform in New York City. Her style is diverse, reflecting her background which is a hybrid.
The single "Supposed To Be" from her most recent CD release Every Second In Between was listed in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s "Playlist" September 15, 2009, by Steve Jones.
Beginnings
As a Songwriter, Lili Añel honed her skill in NYC’s Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
thriving music scene. Alongside peers like Cliff Eberhardt
Cliff Eberhardt
Cliff Eberhardt is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is a founding member of the Fast Folk Music Cooperative in New York City. Eberhardt joined Red House Records in 1997 and has recorded five albums for the label, the most recent in 2009, 500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions...
, Carolyn Mas, The Roches
The Roches
The Roches are a female vocal group of three songwriting Irish-American sisters from Park Ridge, New Jersey, known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.The Roches have been active as performers and recording artists since the mid-1970s,...
and Steve Forbert
Steve Forbert
Steve Forbert is an American pop music singer-songwriter. He is best known for his song "Romeo's Tune", which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1980....
, to name a few, she successfully showed diversity within her musical ideas and sensibilities, performing both solo or with her band executing her music and voice with amazing power, rhythmically and melodically. Lili and her band opened for legendary acts, Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
, Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
, Stuff (featuring the Saturday Night Live Band) and The Persuasions.
Lili has appeared across the U.S. and Canada in support of her first album “Laughed Last”, released in 1994.
People have often described Lili's music as Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
meets Joni Mitchell meets Steely Dan. Lili's music however, is influenced by a great deal of other songwriters and musical styles including Garland Jeffreys, Janis Ian, The Beatles, John Coltrane, Patato Y Totico, Celia Cruz amongst others.
Her music reflects her background; born in New York City of Black/Cuban parents she utilizes rhythms primarily as the basis of her songwriting with the traditional Cuban recordings of Orchesta Aragon as well as the drum stylings of Patato Y Totico, known for their incorporation of traditional African drumming with Cuban call-and-response songs (masters of “gua-guanco” and “Rumba”).
Lili was accepted into the Leonard Davis Center of Performing Arts at City College of the City University of New York. Lili later studied with legendary jazz singer Shelia Jordan for one year in her vocal performance workshop. Lili lasted under the stress of traditional music training for an additional year. Lili took a leave of absence from CCNY never returning. Instead, she enrolled in Eddie Simon’s “Guitar Study Center”. Only able to afford to pay for one class, she audited as many classes as possible. Gaining the respect from the instructors, who admired her diligence, she was often allowed to participate in class like the students who were fully enrolled. During her time at Guitar Study Center, Lili also began to attend open mics in New York City’s Greenwich Village, and other clubs. She began to get gigs and subsequently put a band together. Lili continued performing, building her following which eventually took her to recording her first CD, Laughed Last in 1994 on Palmetto Records.
Discography
- 1994: Laughed LastLaughed LastLaughed Last is the debut CD of American singer-songwriter Lili Añel on the Palmetto Records label.-Track listing:# "Laughed Last" – 3:51#"The Wrong Time" – 5:00#"On the Run" – 5:18#"Never Ever Say It" – 4:02#"Love Is It" – 4:21...
- 2001: Hi-Octane CoffeeHi-Octane CoffeeHi-Octane Coffee is the second album by American singer-songwriter Lili Añel released in 2001 on Original JB Music.-Track listing:All compositions by Lili Añel.# "The Way Out" – 3:50#"No Matter What Love" – 4:36#"Lay-Down Play Dead" – 4:39...
- 2006: Laughed Last.(Reissue with bonus tracks)
- 2007: Dream Again (Lili Anel)
- 2008: Life Or Death (Lili Anel)
- 2009: Every Second In BetweenEvery Second In BetweenEvery Second In Between is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Lili Añel. Añel took measures to make sure the album was properly promoted this time around by hiring the services of a publicity firm...
Laughed Last
In 1994 Lili signed with Palmetto Records who released her debut CD "Laughed Last". It was met with rave reviews as well as airplay on AAA stations across the United States, in particular on her native New Yorks' WFUVWFUV
WFUV, 90.7 FM in New York City, is Fordham University's 50,000-watt, non-commercial radio station, with studios on campus and its antenna atop nearby Montefiore Medical Center. First broadcast in 1947, WFUV has an airstaff which includes such New York radio veterans as Pete Fornatale , Dennis...
FM.
Hi-Octane Coffee
In 2002, Lili recorded Hi-Octane Coffee which was produced by J.B. Moore (co-producer of “The Breaks” by Kurtis BlowKurtis Blow
Kurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
). Hi-Octane Coffee featured some of New York City’s famed session players including Drew Zingg (Steely Dan, Alana Davis, Gladys Knight), Frank Vilardi (Donny Osmond, Jill Sobule, The Bacon Brothers), Seth Glassman (James Brown, Paul McCartney, Maceo Parker, Carol King) and Johnny Gale (co-producer Ryan Shaw “This is Ryan Shaw”). This union provided the opportunity for Lili’s songs to shine, showcasing her music in all its diversity, from the funk of “The Way Out” to the Americana-Country tinged “Nothing in Common” to the folk-acoustic guitar-vocal “Zora”. Hi-Octane Coffee received excellent press, continuing to raise Lili’s profile within the industry.
Dream Again
In January 2007, Lili released her third CD entitled “Dream Again” (Wall-I Records/Quarry Hill Studios). “Dream Again” marks Lili’s first recording as co-producer. She was joined by bassist, Cooke Harvey as the other half of this creative effort. JazzTimes magazine said of Dream Again "...part soul sister, part jazz chanteuse and pure dynamite...her songs are consistently excellent..."Life Or Death
This is Lili's first international recording on the German label,ESC Records. It was released 10/10/08 throughout Europe and Japan. The CD is a compilation of "Hi-Octane Coffee" and "Dream Again." It was embraced by the European media including Hit Meister and MusicLetter among others.Every Second In Between
On her fifth release, Every Second In Between (Wall-I Records), LILI AÑEL wanted to continue depicting her love of songwriting, singing and interpretation, but at a whole new level. Enter Producer, four-time Grammy winner, Glenn Barratt..
Every Second In Between
Every Second In Between
Every Second In Between is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Lili Añel. Añel took measures to make sure the album was properly promoted this time around by hiring the services of a publicity firm...
, released 9/30/09, is a collaboration of heart, soul, words, music, spirit and technique. The songs’ landscapes accurately capture Lili, bringing her voice to the forefront, from the classically tinged Voyager, with its string quartet and Lili’s voice, alone and in chorus, to her cover of Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
’s That’s All I Want From You, and the Latin flavored Supposed To Be, the album’s first single, a song of empowerment with the storyteller’s refusal to give up sense of self.
Noted jazz journalist Ken Franckling in his review of Every Second In Between when referencing his favorite songs on the CD, stated his "Favorites: All 11 Tracks". USA TODAY's music critic Steve Jones highlights Lili's song Supposed To Be as one of 10 intriguing tunes found during the week's listening (September 15, 2009).