Durham Performing Arts Center

Giselle
A multilingual singer, instrumentalist and performer Giselle (last name, Fahrbach) released her first album -- a Brazilian (i.e. Jobim, etc.) influenced record entitled My Brazilian Soul -- in 2000. Based in the California area, Giselle won a fair amount of acclaim for her work, being able to sing in Portuguese, Italian, and English, as well as being a regular at the Purple Onion in San Francisco....

Guy
This seminal R&B trio was the first group to sport the new jack swing sound, essentially traditional soul vocals melded to hip-hop beats, with credit for the genre's invention going to founder, multi-instrumentalist, and super-producer Teddy Riley....

Kevin James
An everyman comic who shot to stardom thanks to a series of guest appearances on friend and fellow funnyman Ray Romano's popular sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, Kevin James wasn't exactly the class clown fans might assume during his formative years....

Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Following the popular practice in Bollywood music where individuals with varied musical backgrounds collaborate together, Shankar Ehsaan Loy are the first Bollywood trio of music composers. Exploiting the unique strength of its members -- the Indian classical music of Shankar Mahadevan, the rock and acoustic pop of Ehsaan Noorani, and the electronica-fusion of Loy Mendonsa -- the trio has created successful music that is both traditional and progressive....

Anthony Hamilton
A soul singer who drew comparisons to such classic vocalists as Bill Withers and Bobby Womack, Anthony Hamilton struggled for the better part of the 1990s as two of his albums went unreleased. While he didn't always get the label support his talent deserved, Hamilton established himself during the 2000s as one of the rawest, most singular, and relatable voices in R&B....