Singer Melanie Fiona Saves Love For T-Dot

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LE Newsletter - March 11, 2010

Singer Melanie Fiona Saves Love For T-Dot

Source: www.thestar.com - Ashante Infantry

(March 07, 2010) With a coveted opening act slot on Alicia Keys' current North American tour, which hits the

Air Canada Centre this Wednesday, Toronto native Melanie Fiona has a message for GTA ticketholders: Come early!

"I go on at 7:30 and most people show up to shows late, for the headliner," said the singer/songwriter. "Be sure to come out and support Canadian, Toronto, home-grown talent. I'm going to try to revamp the Toronto show, because I really want people to feel involved and to feel like the show is catered to them. It is important for me to give home a little extra love, because that's where it all began for me."

Fiona doesn't have to beg; her ascendance since last summer's performance here at the Virgin Festival guarantees interest. She was nominated at the recent Grammy Awards for her goosebumps-rendering ballad "It Kills Me," which marked 10 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart (until being bumped this week by tourmate Robin Thicke). She's been the guest vocalist on tracks by Wale and KRS-One, was invited to participate in the "We Are the World" remake for Haiti Earthquake relief and her debut, The Bridge, just nabbed a Juno nomination.

No wonder she's noticed that the audience response on this tour, which kicked off in Montreal Feb. 28, is

much different from her last big opening act gig, in Europe with Kanye West in 2008.

"When I did the Kanye West tour, nobody knew who I was; I didn't even have a single out on radio. The Alicia Keys tour comes after I've been able to do some great things. My music has come out and people know it all over the world.

"And this bill is different; it's all vocalists and musicians. It's a different vibe. Kanye makes good music, but it's a hip-hop crowd. I feel like the people who are buying the tickets to come see the Alicia Keys tour are coming for the experience from start to finish."

The Star chatted with the entertainer by phone, just a few days into the six-week tour.

"Right now I have no address, literally," said Fiona 26, whose last address was her parents' Vaughan home. "After the tour, I'll have to get a more secure address. New York would probably be most likely, but I don't know where my travels will take me, or where my job will take me. New York is first choice."

She's looking forward to performing her first big Toronto arena show. Relatives and friends are equally amped.

"I'm getting all the calls. Usually, that's a headache, when an artist gets calls from everybody and his mom – `Can I get a ticket? Can I get a ticket?' – but back home it's exciting. I'm happy to do it, if I can pull as many tickets as possible for all my friends and family."

Though she lost the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance to Beyoncé, Fiona said the consideration was still a boon.

"The Grammy nod was what started this whole chain of events for me. That was an unforgettable moment and I get to always be proud and live up that moniker of being a Grammy-nominated artist.

"As a new artist you only hope to achieve certain things and I got this nomination in my first year. Some people would get comfortable – `Okay, I got that' – but I'm very ambitious. `So, what else can I accomplish in my career?' That nomination is now fuelling me to get nominated all the time and to go for the time when I actually do win."

The recently announced Juno nomination for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year means at long last recognition at home, where The Bridge was released first, last June, to little fanfare.

"Canada can be tough for urban music," Fiona has said previously. "It's like you've got to break in the States and bring that back home." She sang regularly at Toronto nightspots before penning "Dem Haters" for Rihanna's sophomore disc and garnering representation by Jay-Z's management firm, Roc Nation.

"I'm always so proud to be Canadian and now (with the Juno nomination) I have the feeling that Canadians recognize me and they appreciate what I'm doing and they're proud of what I'm doing. I'm looking forward to being a part of the Canadian music industry."