Deep Groove Encyclopedia

Amel Larrieux

amel.bmp (120054 bytes)

Click below for an Amel Larrieux sample:

Amel Larrieux is simply lovely. The songstress was introduced to the public as one half of Groove Theory, which she had formed with Bryce Wilson. The duo was a bright light in the otherwise depressing American r&b scene of the early 90s, notching a gold LP behind the singles "Tell Me" and "Baby Luv."

Despite the warm reception Groove Theory received, Larrieux struck out on her own as a featured vocalist on the Sweetback album. Her official solo strike was "Get Up," which previewed Infinite Possibilities.

The album showcased her unique voice in settings that ranged from Middle East flavors to mellow hip-hop/soul beats. Throughout, Amel spoke on her personal philosophy about life, love and the importance of spirit. In a breakthrough year for neosoul, this should have been a top-selling disc. Unfortunately, it fell between the cracks, with her style not as around-the-way as Jill Scott or as eclectic as Erykah Badu. Moving on from that, she accepted the lead role in Maatkara, an Egyptian cartoon on the Sci-Fi channel.

Amel Larrieux's Deepest Groove

Infinite Possibilities (Sony, 2000)
One of the best discs of 2000, and woefully ignored. The enriching lyrics rooted in spirituality and self-knowledge would deserve to be heard by themselves, but add in some very nice musicianship (produced and largely performed by Amel) and it's even more frustrating to know the average fan has no idea this album exists.