NPG 2011 Artist line-up

With several hundred songs published in his own name, Prince is one of popular music’s most productive and best-selling artists of our time, representing a wide range of genres such as R&B, soul, funk, blues, new wave, psychedelic, folk and jazz.

The American musician Prince Roger Nelson was born 7th of June in 1958. With a father who was a pianist and songwriter and a mother who was  jazz singer, Prince grew up in a very musical environment and at the age of ten he was composing his own songs, mastering the piano and the guitar.

At the age of 17 Prince got a record deal at Sound 80 Studios with manager Owen Husney. Cooperating with producer David Z, Prince released his first album ‘For You’ in 1978, which awoke the interest of Warner Bros Studios. Prince signed a recording deal with Warner Bros that included three albums, where Prince would have the creative control and full ownership of the publishing rights. With this deal the musical career of Prince took flight – and he was heading for the stars.

With a discography including 35 released albums Prince has sold more than a 100 million records and has been a great inspiration for many of his following colleagues. He has supported artists like Carmen Electra as a ‘talent promoter’ and he has written songs for Chaka Kahn and Sinead O’Conner to perform.  This prolific career has so far been awarded with seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.

When Prince returns to Denmark 6^th of august it will be with a brand new festival concept –
NPG Music and Arts Festival from Prince and the New Power Generation.

Raphael Saadiq amazed the audience of Vega with world class R&B, when he visited Denmark in May. Through his career he has impressed his spectators time after time with superior talent and heartfelt soul. This summer he returns to Denmark to join Prince at the NPG Festival 6th of August at 10-oeren.

With musical references to historic names like James Brown and Otis Redding, Raphael Saadiq has elegantly brought the soul and R&B into the 21st century, rapping it in tight beats and funky vocals.

As a singer-songwriter he is famous for his work with Lucy Pearl and Tony! Toni! Toné and songs like Don’t Mess With My Man. Producing for the greatest stars of soul and R&B (TLC, Mary J. Blige and Joss Stone to name a few), Raphael Saadiq has placed himself in the top of American music culture.

Danish reviewers and audiences have been exceedingly thrilled about Saadiq’s performances and rewarded the singer with outstanding live reviews:
“With a brilliant playing band and a joy of music so obvious that it unavoidably captures the spectators, Raphael Saadiq maintains a steaming intensity throughout the entire concert”. ***** Politiken

Do not miss the talented artist when he visits the NPG Festival.

Larry Graham is one of the world’s best and most recognized bassists. It is not entirely without reason that Larry Graham has been called the bass response to Jimi Hendrix with his incredible slap bass technique and special love for funk music. Larry Graham has from 1997 to 2000 been touring together with NPG headliner Prince.

The American R & B singer-songwriter Nikka Costa guests for the first time Danish ground when she performs at the NPG 7th August. Nikka Costa manages in the best way to combine elements of funk, soul and blues at the same time. Talent has come not from strangers. She is the daughter of famed producer Don Costa and goddaughter of her father’s long-standing client, Frank Sinatra. Throughout her career she has been working with Lenny Kravitz and supported headliner Prince.

Janelle Monae has been named the successor of ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson. With a musical frame of reference for a variety of styles like pop, electro funk, jazz and soul covers Janelle Monae ultra wide on the musical scale. With her debut album ‘The ArchAndroid’, which includes hits like ‘Cold War’ and ‘Tightrope’, she stands out to be one of tomorrow’s most rising stars. Monae performed last Sunday at the Roskilde Festival Cosmopol scene where she, according to critics, was one of the greatest experiences because of her great charisma and energy. She performs at NPG 7th of August.

Chaka Khan has through her successful and glorious career both enjoyed huge success as a band member in the legendary Rufus and later as an established solo artist under the artist name Chaka Khan. Rufus debuted back in 1973 and was among the most eminent funk groups of the 70s – especially characterized by Chaka Khan’s strong and dynamic vocals. This success laid the foundation for some of the biggest contemporary hits of soul scene as “Do You Love What You Feel ‘,’ Tell Me Something Good ‘and not least the monster hit” Is not Nobody’.

In 1978, Khan went solo and got the same year a hit with the song ‘I’m Every Woman’. Her international breakthrough was realized a few years later with the album and the song ‘I Feel For You’, with contributions from Stevie Wonder and Prince. Her back catalog includes classics as duet with Ray Charles in “I’ll Be Good To You ‘,’ What Cha ‘Gonna Do for Me’ and her two times Grammy-winning album ‘Funk This’.

Maceo Parker has besides a steady solo career earlier been an integral part of James Brown’s band back from 1964. In the two following decades he was the band’s solid saxophonist. Alongside involvement in Brown’s band, he was also in the 70s part of “Parliament-Funkadelic.” About twenty years later, he played with Prince as a part of ‘The New Power Generation’.

Besides many ​​solo releases has Maceo Parker also many other notable credits in his career such as his collaborations with Bryan Ferry, Red Hot Chili Peppers, De La Soul and many more. Latest solo album from Maceo Parker’s hand was back in 2007 with the album ‘Roots & Grooves’, which was a tribute to his inspiration and idol Ray Charles.

The 26-year-old British retro-soul diva Paloma Faith had back in 2009 her major international breakthrough with the critically acclaimed debut album ‘Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?’. First single, ‘Stone Cold Sober’ put Paloma Faith’s name on the British audience’s lips. The next single release ‘New York’ became an even bigger hit in the UK and internationally.

Paloma Faith presents the debut album with her elegant and sensual voice in beautiful harmony with her ​​musical inspiration within the soul and jazz music genre. Her unique talent and distinctive radiance gave her in 2011 a nomination as ‘Best female solo artist’ to the Brit Awards. Now the Danish audience see her for the first time at this unique festival in company with Saturday’s other stars.