Ledisi shares message of worth

By CHEVEL JOHNSON

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS

If there’s any message Ledisi wants her fans to take away from her latest album, “Pieces of Me,” it’s about gaining a sense of self-confidence and self-worth.

“This project is very personal to me,” she said in a recent telephone interview. “I want women to hear themselves in the music and find a way to celebrate and embrace who they are.”

It’s something that Ledisi has finally been able to accomplish in her own life. Early in her career, when Ledisi struggled to make inroads in the business, the New Orleans native started to have doubts about whether she’d fit in, or whether she had what it took to make it as a recording star.

But after the breakthrough success of 2007’s “Lost & Found,” which garnered her a Grammy nomination for best new artist, and 2009’s “Turn Me Loose,” which earned her additional Grammy nominations and more success, she’s finally feeling confident. The title track, which is the album’s first single, gives her audience a glimpse at a woman who’s confidently tackling issues of love, intimacy, relationships, respect and empowerment.

“This is a reflection of me as a person, of the person I’m becoming,” Ledisi said. “I hope it shows that Ledisi is funny. She is sad. She is spirited. She is very complex. It’s about no longer wondering whether I’m worthy of being in this business.”

Vocally, she can reign supreme in the R&B world; her stylistic tones also hint upon her penchant for jazz and opera. That versatility has helped draw acknowledgment from fans as well as from peers, and helped her recognize pieces of herself that had been long-buried.