Love Rain Down

Conya Doss Biography 'If they want to label me in the Neo-Soul movement they can, but to me this soul music is nothing new. The D'Angelos and Lauryn Hills derive from what we grew up on -- like Donnie Hathaway, Angela Winbush and so forth, it's just modernized. I grew up on every form of music from Bonnie Raitt and Steely Dan to Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. It's hard to categorize me into one genre of music because it narrows your audience and I learned from them all. It's just good music -- and that's the way I see it.' - Conya Doss There's a reason Conya Doss looks so comfortable onstage, gently swinging her hips like a day lily caught in a summer's breeze, singing in a voice that's equal parts honey and hellfire. It's because she's used to it. As a teacher of children with special needs within the Cleveland public school system, this twenty something soul ingenue faces an audience tougher than most, nearly every day. Of late, this audience has also come to include throngs of R&B and neo-soul aficionados enticed by Conya's sweet, supple delivery and heartfelt lyrics. But long before she was standing in front of sold-out clubs and crowded arenas, Conya faced perhaps an even more daunting audience: rambunctious young kids ready to learn. Ironically, in working with underprivileged youth, Conya has learned as much from her students as they have from her. She's learned the value of humility, honesty, and most significantly, the importance of being true to yourself. These lessons were painted in broad strokes on Conya's candid, endearing debut, A Poem about Ms. Doss which she co-wrote and co-produced and whose title was inspired by a letter to her from a student in her classroom. Emotionally resonant and wondrously infectious, Conya's debut is openhearted and down-to-earth. I incorporate music as part of my class, the traditional way of learning can be boring, so I have kids project academics through poetry or singing, says Ms. Doss. There are no tales of wanton bed hopping, no bling-bling, just earnest, expressive songs of heartbreak, salvation and praise. With her sophomore album Just Because Conya fluently took her listeners on a journey of finger snapping and head gyrating wondrous grooves laced with an electric blend of instruments that rode each beat with finesse. She possesses an indistinguishable reverence to the soul divas of yesteryears by encompassing invigorating vocals with thought-induced messages that silhouette charismatic, rhythmically charged production that simultaneously blazes a trail for her brand of melodic soul. On her sophomore project boasting ten choice cuts, Conya not only belted out the jazzy notes that caressed your ears, but she wrote, arranged, and produced over half of the album, only enlisting a small qualified team of gifted producers to help compliment her raw sound. It was songs like Sweet Love, Miracle and Stay that became classics. The spiritual and emotional symmetry she threads into a refreshing, realistic and expressive musical pattern, creates a pleasant mind-cleansing experience that stirs, rivets, and soothes the jaded soul. If what you covet is vintage soul with modern appeal and instrument-heavy beats embellished with flavorful sounds, then the music of Conya Doss is for you. The divine Ms. Doss wraps her seductive, magical voice and polished rhythmic sounds around personalized confessions like the warmth of a passionate embrace. Her music is an organic experience- a hybrid collection of up-tempo jams and fluid slow grooves that artistically join her sleek voice with intoxicating melodies. Conya's music is not lost among the pantheon of new crooners, but instead invokes the spirits of legendary composers-singers such as Chaka Khan, Betty Wright, Natalie Cole, Me'shell N'Degeocello and Alanis Morisette. On her third disc, Love Rain Down, the compelling songbird pours passion and appealing eccentricity into a dozen stunningly inventive jams that reflect quintessential soul music infused with a pinch of subtle funk. 'I think this new album is very unconventional and takes