Sara Devine
There are singers who have the ability to hit the right notes and convey
the emotion of the music. And then there are those for whom singing is
more than just a talent they possess, it's more like their very reason for
being, a force that drives them, a guiding passion of their lives.
From an early age it was clear that Sara Devine was more than just a
woman who could sing. She was a woman who was placed on this
earth to do just that. That singing was in her heart, her soul, and that
someday her undeniable passion and purpose would bring Sara's brand
of R&B to a wider audience and allow her to bless the world with her
voice.
You can hear that passion and the unbridled joy on Sara's uplifting self
titled debut. "Making this record, being able to work with people I trust,
who were supportive made me feel comfortable enough to try things
and really express myself. I have good memories of the recording
process."
As you'd expect from an album cowritten by the artist herself, the songs
on Sara's CD are both personal, yet universal, in delivering messages
that speak to everyone. When asked what she wants those who hear
her CD to experience, Sara offers, "I hope that people hear someone
who is relatable and accessible. I know a lot of people out there who are
fans of R&B but who don't relate to the whole bling-bling vibe or the
whole 'take someone's man' craziness. There's more to life and to
music than just creating these overly dramatic scenarios. My music is a
reflection of someone who tries to live her life calmly, positively and
filled with love."
Those qualities and that integrity is abundantly displayed on the first
single, the playful romp "Take Me Home." Cowritten by Sara, Jake and
the Fatman and Kelvin Wooten, "Take Me Home" is about that moment
when a friendship between a man and a woman reveals the possibility
of becoming something much more. As Sara explains, "I'd been asked
to contribute to the soundtrack for 'Brown Sugar' and though that didn't
work out, the theme of the movie moved me and that turned into 'Take
Me Home.'"
Another song that draws its inspiration from matters of the heart is the
lilting title track. Cowritten by Sara and Ciro (producer and guitarist for
Corey Glover, Mariah Carey, Notorious B.I.G., Luther Vandross),
"Beautiful" celebrates love and commitment as Sara's emotional
performance captures the feeling of finally finding someone you can
fully trust and love. "It's so rare for young women to find that right man,"
says Sara, "and 'Beautiful' is about finding that man who is so right that
it becomes so much more than just sex. It's about openness and
vulnerability and feeling safe enough to express that. I'm lucky enough
to have that experience, so writing this came easily."
Love of a different kind motivates the uptempo testimonial "Special," a
song that is close to Sara's heart. "I wrote 'Special' for my girlfriends and
all of my sisters (she has five) back home in Arkansas," Sara says. "It's
about watching women go through things and having so much love for
them and especially for my sisters who helped raise me. 'Special' is to
honor them."
That devotion to her friends and her family is essential to Sara as is
conveying a soulful, positive vibe through her music. "I'd like to think of
my music as inspirational," she says. "If my mom had her way I'd be
singing gospel so my challenge is to make the music that I love but
make sure its not dirty or dealing with silly things. I'm just trying to be
true to myself and what I believe and give people a sense of my soul."
Sara Devine was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, the second
youngest child in a family of ten kids. Her father is a pastor and her
mother sings in church and both parents imparted their love of the spirit
and of music to their children: all of whom sing and/or play an
instrument. It's no wonder that Sara can't remember a time when music
wasn't a part of her life; in fact, Beautiful opens up with a recording of a
three-year Sara vocalizing.
In adherence to her religious beliefs, Sara and her siblings sang in
church and were supposed to stay away from worldly music. But, of
course, kids being kids, Sara somehow always managed to check out
whomever was on the radio. Today, Sara counts Prince and Whitney
Houston, Sarah Vaughn, Sam Cooke and Corey Glover as among her
R&B/alternative influences while Christian music greats like Vanessa
Bell Armstrong and Commissioned are among her gospel favorites.
A good student, Sara never seriously considered making music her
career. "I didn't think it was possible," she confesses. "Growing up in
Arkansas, there weren't a lot of people around me who grew up to be
singers."
Armed with her dream, but still pragmatic, Sara studied to become a
teacher and was certified as a reading specialist. It was while Sara
studying that she met her future husband, fell in love and relocated to
New York City where she finished up her education. While attending
classes, Sara began to seriously think about making music more of a
part of her life and started doing background vocals (among her gigs
working with Bilal, Mary Mary, and Sandra St. Victor), singing on
commercials, singing in wedding bands, and cutting demos: in short,
Sara did whatever she was called upon to do in order to showcase her
talents. "There was no way that I was going to stop singing, so I did just
about everything that was available to me," Sara admits. "Eventually I
decided that I wanted to dedicate all of my time to singing instead of
splitting it up between teaching and singing. I loved working with my
students and mentoring them, but music was really my passion and
fortunately, I got enough gigs to make a living. Even the kids I worked
with were excited about me singing."
Sara may have been making money but she wasn't fulfilled creatively
and she knew that singing other people's songs or backing up other
artists wasn't enough. She continued writing original songs and soon
had enough material to do an acoustic songwriter's showcase at the
Cornelia Street Cafe© in New York's Greenwich Village. The response
was overwhelming and Sara knew that it was time to do music for real.
She put a band together and lined up a series of showcases at a bigger
venue. A few gigs after she first started playing out in clubs, Sara found
herself with a record deal and her dreams of making it as a singer on
her own terms finally a reality.
In an age when R&B is often little more than product placement and
love and happiness are just throwaway phrases, the songs on Sara
Devine's album ring true and feel right. Blessed with emotion and
elevated by joy, Sara Devine is making beautiful music for everyone to
enjoy.